DEPENDANTS OF THE LATE REV. G. H. LAWRENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 194, 15 August 1936, Page 8

DEPENDANTS OF THE LATE REV. G. H. LAWRENCE

J Sir, —Exactly a week ago to-day, we > held the funeral service of my iriend and colleague, the Rev. G. H. Lawrence. Since then, the church officers and L have been looking into his affairs ' with a view to seeing that Mrs. Law--5 rence and her daughter are not left in actual want. 1, for one, knew that • the financial situation would be pretty difficult for them; but it seems that it is even more difficult than 1 had realised and that they are left practically without any resources at all. In view of this situation, and of the wide affection and esteem in which Mr. Lawrence was held in the community, my church officers have agreed that we open a fund for the benefit of Mrs. Lawrence and June and that we take the public into our confidence in this matter. -Ve invite them to join with u .» placing a sufficient sum of money at Mrs. Lawrence’s disposal to carry her over the period necessary for her to settle up her affairs and to give her some little help as, with the gallantry we have come to expect from her, she faces the task of earning a living for herself and her daughter. Briefly, the actual circumstances are these:— It may not generally bo known that the Rev. G. H. Lawrence and his family passed through very hard times just before they came to Wanganui, on account of a succession of strange misfortunes, into the particulars of which I need not go now, beyond saying that Mr. Lawrence was in no way to blame for them. Consequently, there is no insurance, as the life policy that was in force, had to be realised upon in the days of dire need. Also, there is no pension from the Otago Diocese, in which Mr. Lawrence had previously been working, as that also had had to be communted to meet pressing needs. Since Mr. Lawrence had been only 18 months in this diocese, he does not qualify for a pension, and his widow will get only the return of the premiums to the value of about £5. During the 18 months that Mr. Lawrence has been assistant curate in this parish, his stipend has been far from princely and even out of that there have been previous commitments to meet, so that it has been impossible to put anything by. And now, when the family fortunes seemed at least to have reached the stage when acute financial anxiety was no longer a constant burden, the breadwinner of the family is suddenly called out of this life. It seems to me just one of those cases where the question raised by St. John is extremely pertinent: “If any man have this world’s goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” So I invite you to help. Donations may be sent to either of the church wardens: Mr. C. P. Brown, Ridgway Street, or Mr. Tom Russell, Liftiton Street; or to the church treasurer, Mr. G. A. Ammundsen, Power Board, St. Hill Street. All donations will be duly acknowledged and receipted. One thing further. I feel this is a cause in which we should all give twice —at least in so far as it is true that “he gives twice who gives quickly.”—l am, etc., JAMES R. YOUNG, Archdeacon, Vicar of Wanganui. The Vicarage t Wanganui, i August 14.