Musings and Meditations

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 3, 20 January 1909, Page 4

Musings and Meditations

By

Dog Toby

AN EXPANDED TELEGRAM

THE clergyman who edited the religious paper was in a fix. Just as he was sorting out and reading over the usual mass of copy preparatory to sending it to the printers, he had received a wire from a country parish. It was, like all sixpenny telegrams, short, and to the point, and ran as follows: —“Print account opening new church Wednesday. Bishop preached.” It was signed with the name of the vicar, but contained no further information of any kind, and the editor did not know in the least how he was to write an account of an affair at which he had not been present, and of which he had received no details. <S> <®> <®> In his dilemma, he consulted an experienced journalist, who, after glancing at the telegram, expressed surprise at the editor’s perplexity. “What more do you want, my dear fellow?” he asked. "There’s enough in that telegram to fill your whole paper, if you only work it properly. See here!” He sat writing quickly for some minutes, and finally produced, under the heading of “Parish News,” the following setting of the item: "Our parish had a red letter day on Wednesday last, when the new church, which is now finally completed, was formally opened by the bishop of the diocese. The bishop and attendant clergy, robed in the vestry, and the choir sang a processional hymn as they moved slowly up the church. The building itself does great credit to all those concerned in its erection, ami, though some will probably still be found who cling to the memories that clustered round the old edifice, there is no denying that this new and handsome structure is a great improvement on its predecessor. Many old and well-known parishiomU's have been liberal in their gifts, and the funds have been largely augmented by various social functions that have been held in connection with this laudable object. Where all have been so generous, it would be invidious to single out any single names for special mention. All have given, according to their means, and the humblest offering may represent more real sacrifice than some of the larger donations.” © © © Here lie stopped to remark: “You don’t know the names, of any big pots who gave, I suppose? Good thing to shove in names when you can—helps to sell the paper. Don’t know any. Yery well let it rip at that.” © © © He then continued his writing—-“Of the service itself, it is unnecessary tospeak in detail. Suffice it to say that it took the form usual on such occasions, but it was rendered doubly impressive by the devout and reverent attitude of the congregation, and the solemnity of the ritual. A specially noticeable feature of the service was the beautiful singing in which all the congregation joined most heartily. When the Bishop gave out his text, an expectant hush fell over the vast audience, you could almost have heard a pin drop, so great was the stillness. And indeed the discourse was one worthy of the great occasion which called it forth. We can safely say that it will long remain in the memory of those who were privileged to bear it. The offertory, which will be devoted to the building fund, was a large one. and testified to the wellknown liberality of the parishioners. Church work in the parish lias made great strides of late, thanks to the devoted energy of the vicar, and a new building was urgently required to accommodate the largely increased congregations. Wo hope to see the church always as well filled as it was on Wednesday last, and we trust that when the bishop next visits us we shall be able to an-

nounee that all the outstanding debt has been liquidated. Too much praise cannot possibly be given to all those devoted men and women who have worked so hard and so ungrudgingly towards raising the funds necessary for this great undertaking, but we feel sure that they must have felt more than repaid when they saw how faithfully and well those entrusted with the erection had done their work.” © © © “I fancy,” said the journalist, “that what I have written will about fix up the parish news part of the business. \ on see, I really hadn’t much to go on. Now 1 suppose you want a leading article on the affair.” © © © But the editor stayed the hand of his versatile and obliging friend. He began to feel that if he allowed him to go on the whole of the paper would be taken up with the expansion of the few simple but suggestive words contained in the telegram. So he thanked his professional brother, and departed, wondering how any man could write so much out of so very little.