CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 28, 2 November 1888, Page 29

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Tmk earthquakes hay« not bidden us a final farewell yet. On Tuesday night there was a short vigorous Bhock, The house shook, the door bell rang, and the earthquake passed upon its way contenting itself with giving us one smart angry shake. People are beginning^again since Tuesday night to assume the role of prophets and to declare that there will be " an awful burst up " here some day. For some weeks past I have intended to notice a series of letters which are being published in the Weekly Press. These letters are descriptions of life in the musical world of Leipsic. They are written by Mr. 8. F. Hoben, who is a student at the conservatorium. Mr. Hoben belongs to Napier and is a Catholic ; his letters are extremely interesting and written in a very bright and racy strain. His powers of observation mus*- be very well developed indeed, for he possesses, in a most unusual degree, the knack of describing men and things. This he does in a way which makes his readers see them as he does." Mr. Hoben was, I believe, the first instrumentalist from New Zealand to made his appearance upon the boards in classic Leipsic. Catholics in Napier, andindtei in all parts of New Zealand, should be proud of Mr. Hoben's enterprise and perseverance in having gone to Europe to pursue his studies. For myself, I must say ihat I most heartily wish the writer of the Leipsic letters every success at the consarvatorium, and I hope that he will one day achieve success in the musical world.

I paid a visit to Kaiapoi the other day. Kaiapoi is looking its very best now. The trees are brightly green with the freshness of spring, and everywhere the yellow broom ia one blaze of golden glory. I'went to see the little church in Kaiapoi. It is a most charming little edifice. It was built, I was told, duriag the time that Father Bimneld had charge of the parish, and from plans drawn out by himself. If the latter statement is true I must compliment Father Binsield upon the possession of very great architectural taste. The church is built of wood. It has two pretty porches an 1 a belfry. The sanctuary is semi-circular in shape, and the windows have the Gothicpointed arch. The central panes of the windows are white, and are bordered with long narrow panes of coloured glas3. The altar is of carved wood, and looks very well indeed. There are six handsome candlesticks upon it,and various other ornaments. Up:>n the sanctuary floor there is a nice green carpet. There is an organ loft, which ooatains a harmonium. The seats are substantial ; the church is well ventilated, and has a most spotless appearance inside. It is situated in a central position upon a very fine grassy section. Altogether the Catholics of Kaiapoi are to be congratulated upon the possession of as pretty a little church as anyone could desire to see in a country place. Miss Lynskey and her sister, Mrs. Leahy, did good service in assisting Father Binsfitld to furnish the church by collecting funds for that object. It is mainly due, I believe, to the efforts of these young ladies that the banctuary look 3so Dice, and, that ths church boasts of a harmonium.

A visit to Kaiapoi, without, going over the factory, would be like visiting Rome and not seeing the Colosseum. Truly the Kaiapoi woollen factory is a wonderful place, and toe metamorphosis whici the wool undergoes, from the time when it enters tie premiss as a dirty, greasy looking mass, until it leaves it again in the forma of vanoussoft and beautiful woolen fabr.es, is marvellous. In one part of the building tho wool is to be seen lying in its natural state, in another it ia undergoing the cleaning process in hugj vats full of soapy looking liquid. After being rolled about in t'jez-c vats, it is pressed between two great rolleis like a wrmping machine, which flicks the wool off in snowy Hikes into a heap on the floor. In another room it is dyed various colours. Then the different colours are mixed where varugation is necessary ; then it is spun, and then it, is carded, and lina'ly. after goodness knows how much preparation, it reaches the looms to be woven by the great. noisy,clanging machines into cloth. Number.-, of palc-i icci, sickly-looking womei, who appear as if all the spuitand oucyancy had been crushed out of them, attend to the weaving machines. 1 never saw such a listless, w?ary look upon human faces as the countenances of the women who worked at the looms ii the Kaiapoi factory wore. The same dead and alive, hopeless look was on every f&ce ; not one face woie a bjight expression, not one animated glance from the spiritless toili rs at the looms, met one's eye. They might have been unhappy souls, working out their doom in a species of industiial pmgitory, so lustreless were their eye?, so cheerle&s were their laces, so heavy their io rtsteps, and so jaded was their whole demeanour. Mechanically, as if they werd part of the machinery, they seemed to fill the shuttles and occasionally guide the machines. They all woie thick white aprons, sjiled with the machine oil, which alto st&ined their hands. I w<»s told that it was tho sickeMng smell of the raachiuc oil, and the deafening clang of the machuiPH, which produce the dull w eary look, which 1 so much noticed on the f ices of these women When people go into shops to purchase Kaiapu goods, tiny little think when they grumble at the prices, how much labour has been expended upon them, and how much human life there is intirw ,\ en with the w lollen threads in the web. I shall never look upon a puce of tweid a^ain without thinking if those sallow-facid languid woikors at theK u.ipoi loom*. Ihe women were knitting ,u,d finishing all looked blight onougn ; most of these were sitting down, a d did n >\. appear to find their work ilkpome. We were shown some beautiful blankets which had just received the finishing touches .md weic leady for town. These were as white as scow, and as soft as v lei -down. After having the looms all the goods have to be washed and dr< s ed, and pressed before being leady tor the warehouses. I was told that the wbnlo work is done cheaply, owing to there being so many departments, and to the fact that each department is so perfectly mauaged that the whole machinery ci the

factory, human and otherwise, goes like clockwork, so that thwe^ il no waste of time or labour. Certainly, the poor women at the loomi look a? if they never knew what it was to waste an hour in their live* I see by the Tablet that Father Burke is going to give another lecture upon the Irish question ia Danedin. I wish we could indnoe tho rev. gentleman tocjme here and tell us something about the" Men of the Home Rule Movement." We ara left to glean information as belt we can concerning the Irish leaders and it would be really exercising a very high form of charity if Father Burke would take pitj upon our benightedness. We may, for all anybody cares, take aa our informant upon Irish matters, the veracious "Puff," who in one of his late effusions give 3as a reason why the name of Michael Davitt is excluded from among those implicated in the charges made by the Times, that Michael Davitt contemplates turning Queen's evidence upon the Irish party. Miserable, lying statements of this kind go forth to the public, and neither the public nor our own people are told any better. Always when I read the announcements of then lectures by Father Burke, one of the seven deadly sins takes complete possession of my mind, aad I envy with a very vigorous envy indeed, the people who Lave a priest of the pattern of Father Burka who thinks it worth while to keep his compatriots and co-religioaisti well posted in a matter which sj nearly concerns them as the Horns Rule movement.

On Thursday evening there was a very succeasf ul concert in the Rangiora Literary Institute in aid of the Catholic school fund. It was race night and the hall was crowded. Mrs J. P. Kelly, and several ladies md gentlemen went out from town to take part in the concert. Mrs Kelly sang " Kate O'Shane ' and the " Dear Little Shamrock 1" the latter song, it is needless to say, received an encore. Mr. George Cronin contributed " Nancy Lee " in his best style, and Mr. Hennessy was encored for a comic song. Mr. W. Hoban proved as successful as ever in arousing the risibility of his audience and "brought down the house" with hia Chinese song and Blueskin'« chorus. Father O'Connor must have been very well satisfied with the result of the concert, which must have realised a very substantial sum.

The collection in aid of the St. Vincent de Paul Society last Sunday resulted in a nice little adduion to tha fund, but was not bo considerable as I thought, and hoped, that it would have been. The work of the society is a very noble one, and to those who can do so it should be a pleasure, as well as a duty, to contribute to supply their le3s fortunate fellow creatuie* with " the bread that sustains, and the sympathy that consoles," as Father Cummings shortly puts it. Father Regnault ha 3 returned to Christc&urch.

I have much pleasure in welcoming Father Liverty, a young Irish priest, to this diocese, in which, I believe, he is to remain permanently. Father Laverty is an All Hallows' priest, and as such he i-hould be doubly welcome to those among whom he comes to minister. For the sake of the Col ege which has given to the world some of its noblest, most devoted, and most patriotic Irish missionary priests, v well as on account of his sacred calling, the Irish people of Canter. bury will, doubtless, give to Father Laverty a hearty and genuine ccad mdlafaiUhe,

Dr. Grimes, after a very busy time in administering the Sacrament of Confirmation in some of the up-country districts, is at home again, looking none the worse for his somewhat laborious diocesan labours.

On Saturday his Lordship, accompanied by the Rev. Father Briand, visited the Maon settlement at Little liiver, at which place Father Melu, a Maori missionary troni the North, has been actively engaged for the la9t week or two in teaching and preaching to the Natives. From a private source I learn chat the progress which the Maoris have made in relig.ous knowledge and in singing under the tuition of Father Mtlu is simply marvellous considering the short time he has beau among them.

Las. Tuesday Mr. Kobeit Lonergaa left for Melbourne. A number of his friends accompanied him to Port in order to give him what they termed " a friendly kick-off.'' He will be much missed during his absencp.

Next week Miss Von Finkelstien will begin her series of Eastern or Bib'ical lectures in Chr.stchurch. Judging from her photographs, which are in the shop windows, the celebrated lecturess appears to be a lame, fair woman, upon whom the picturesque Eastern garb sits gracefully. The (Jhristchurch people are slow to warm to anything new, and it is doubtful whether the lady lecturer will take here. However, she has two good points in her favour — she has a big reputation and a good agent.

On Tuesday night week Mr. Nolan is to give his long-promiaed lecture upon Irelaad iv St. Aloysius' Hall. Mr. Nolin has bestowed considerable care upon his subject, which is a very congenial one to him, and this fact and his well-known ability are sufncteat guarantees that the lecture will be one of the best which ius been beard ia the hall for some time.

Mr. Lonergan's resignation ha 3 passed, I believe, beyond the region of the iioubtful. His resignation of the position of President ot the Literary Society is an accomplished fact. This is very much to be regretted. No member of the Society, at least no lay member cf it, can have any hope of being anything but a very poor successor of Mr. LoLeigan. However, as the rev. chaplain has wisely decided to defer the election of President uaiil Mr. Lonergan'a return, I have still hopes, for the sake of the Socieiy, that matters may be adjusted. Fur the last few days we have had a change from the enervating nor'-westers and have been chilled with sharp biting south-east winds. At present the sunsets in Cnnstchurch are frequently very beau-" tiful. On some evenings the glowing, biilliant crimson colours which lemum lv the wake ot tue sun give to the western sky an appearance as if tne heavens were in flames. On other evenings the after glow it. one great flash of mellow golden light. On Sunday morning at nine o'clock Mass Dr. Grimes urged upon parents the necessity of sending their children to Catechism. He contrasted the indifferentism too ofien displayed by parents in tkia matter wiih the enthusiasm which he had witnessed among the Maoris in the settlement at Little Eiver, which he had. visited the

day btfore. Ec was much edified, he said, at the earnest manner in which the Maoris, young and old, applied themselves to tbe study of the Catechism. Many of them, though they had only been learning 'for a very short time, could repeat almost every word of it. Their singing, too, of the " Aye Maris Stella " and other hymnß was very beautiful, and showed how earnest they were to profit by instruction. His Lordship also reminded the people that next week two great festivals of the Church occur. One of tneae festivals, that of All Saints, should fill them with joy and consolation. Those whose triumph in heaven would be celebrated on All Saints' Day had once been upon earth under the came conditions as ourselves. They had been tubjected to temptations and they bad triumphed over them and now reigned in heaven. The other feast day, that of All Souls, Bhould console them too, but mixed with the consolation there was a feeling of sadness. These poor souls were suffering still. They could not help themselves, but we could, and surely we would not neglect that dnty upon the day set specially apart for devotion to the souls in purgatory. Peop'e were too apt, he said, to carry their worldlinees to thiogs beyond this life. When a person died the friends often thought more of giving to the body a grand funeral than they did of obtaining relief for the departed soul. They thought more of the number of carnages than of having Mass said for the dead. The Church honoured the body because it had been the temple of tbe Holy Ghost, because the body and blood of our Lord had passed over the lips, but the soul was tbe more important part. He hoped that this would not be forgotten during the coming week,