CHRIBTOHUROH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 7, 16 June 1893, Page 6

CHRIBTOHUROH.

(From our own Correspondent. 1 The talented musicians, the Misses Alba, gave a well-attended and highly-apprec ative concert at the Theatre Royal on Monday evening last. A splendid programme wa< arranged for the following night, but as the hour approached it became evident that the audience would be a small one. Mr Plunkett, the company's jaanager, came on the stage shortly after eight o'clock, and announced that the Misses Alba ooald not possibly appear before such an array of empty seat*. He concluded by stating that all the money would be returned at the ticket offices, and retired amidst applause. It is a pity that the demoralising Worthingtonian sensation, which has been in full^ swing Qur.ng the past week, or any other matter, should have prevented the musical people of this city from giving these accomplished artists a fair share of patronage. In response to the nuny requests the Misses Albu cemented to appear again, prior to their departure from the city , on tbe Friday and Saturday evenings last, and persons who did attend enjoyed the first-class and admirably -rendered programmes. A writer of a leader written for a Wellington paper, and republished hste, expresses himself thus on tbe tpisole in connection with the " Christchurcb Mahomet." •' At all timei,' he says, the burglar is clapped into prison when caught, the pick-pocket ia

•banned by society, the welsher is expelled from the racecourse, and the card-sharper from clubs. But the religious imposter is invariably taken to the hearts of men and women— especially of women. Take • recent ease. This man Wortbington appears suddenly in Christchurch. No one knows anything about him, except that he is plausible, fluent, presumptuous, brasen. He hires a hall, wherein be delivers a series of addrerses of the order < vague, 1 and the genus ' flowery, 1 masses of words with musical sound and without sense. His audiences, like the old lady who loved the word ' Mesopotamia,' worship him and fall down before him. When they get up they aie firmly convinced that they were men of old, yes, even of the time of whioh it is said, ' There were giants in those days.' Methuselah and Nebuchaeuar, Moses, Elias, and one of the carpenters who built the Ark for Noah, Hannibal, Julius Casar and the nine worthies— these and many other characters, Biblical, historical and fantastic — jostle one another in the crowd of worshippers, who, haviog risen from their seats are making for the doors. A great peace was upon them all, They had found not only religion, but certainty. A few minor points remained to trouble those whilom resolute sceptics, who had defied all the religions of the world, and confuted all the parsons of all the churches. — Poor Moses thinks it hard that he should be doing real work for the sum— Bmall for a lawgiver of his long standing — of 30s a week. Noah's carpenter is vexed at times because he cannot remember whether the Ark was built by contract or day labour. One man there is who remembers distinctly that he was once the careful mother of a large and prosperous family. Hie mental condition, whenever be permits himself to reflect on bis antecedents, is obviously hopeless. He sometimes wonders sadly what has become of his offspring. But these are minor difficulties. The worshippers have found truth and they are contented. They go on worshipping Mr Worthington and Mr Wortbington's accomplished wife. They go and mortgage all they have, to build the pair a temple, and they subscribe freely to enable them to live on the fat of the land. Without one unfulfilled desire the pair are installed aa co-equal teachers with a divine mission. In the course of time it is proved that the male infallible is a polygamist of the most heartless type, who left the United States because that great country was too hot for him. It is proved that the female left her husband and ran away with the male infallible. The only result of the trut h is that the Students of Truth, as by this time they have come to call themselves, will have nothing to do with the truth. They go on worshipping their pair of infallibles, Bwallowing their bad flapdoodle, and lading out their own good money in return, Presently the infallibles disagree on a point of doctrine, and the new religion is threatened with a schism. One of the infallibles propounds a doctrine too absurd for the gigantic credulity of Hannibal, Moses and Company, including the ex-carpenter. They have swallowed several caravans of camels, bat they draw the line as soon as they get to elephants. There was no reason why the line should have been drawn. They appealed to the trustees, who decided, that the new religion seeks to go on as before, under one infallible instead of under two." This comment embraces the salient points in the multitudinous details recently published. But whether is the cause of the rapture ft matter of doctrine, or a desire on the part of the " male infallible "to shake off the female 7 Tae trustees, who, it seems, the two "iofallibles" have persuaded to invest something like £8000 in the so-called Temple of Truth, are naturally mortally anxious that the novel creed should not collapse. Could the buildings be advantageously disposed of things would doubtless be otherwise, and the field would then be clear for another adventurer. A writer in a local paper wants to know whether the citizens of this city are going to encourage the imposture to continue in their midst Bimply because the trustees and the Students of Truth generally have been gulled 1 It is to bo hoped that the citlsens will not.

From a letter which has arrived in this city at the Convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of MUsiona it appears that the Rev Mother Prioress, Marie St Gabriel, the Rev Mother Provincial, St Peter, and Mother St John, who left the Colony several weeks ago to atteni • special chapter of their Order in Lyons in France, are all in excellent health, and have so far bad a prosperous voyage. This letter is the third they have sent since their departnte, and another one, containing among other news the happy intelligence of their safe arrival in Europe, is expected in a fortnight. The three Sisters are also expected to return to the city about Christmas next.

Sergeant O'Malley, a very popular police officer, stationed for* merly in this city, and until recently in Port Lyttelton, where he has resided for many years, has been transferred to Wellington.

The Very Rev Father Oummings, who returned on Saturday, Uft on Monday last for Timaru in order to conduct a retreat there preparatory to the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

The Right Rev Dr Grimes celebrated Mass at the pro-Cathedral on Friday last— the festival of the S»crei Heart — and gave Holy Communion to a large number of people. At Vespers he preached an eloquent sermon on the devotion of the day. Oa the following day he went by the expre&s train to Timaru, where hz will pontificate at Mass and at Vespers on Sunday next. He will give in the Theatre Royal at Timaru on Monday eveniDg next a lecture, whioh will be illustrated with lime-light viewa, and delivered in aid of the local Catholic schools.

The Rev Father Marnane, the parish priest at St Mary's, received last week a letter from the Rev Father La Menant des Cheenai*. This letter is addressed from Sydney, which place the writer reached in good health and spirits after a splendid voyage thither. The communication from Sydney, whence he sailed en tb.3 27th of last month, will probably be the last news we shall obtain of him until after his arrival in Europe.

On account of the recent storm and slight fall of snow whioh prevented due preparations from being made and rendered the pathways unfit for walking, the procession of the Blessed Sacrament at 8t Mary's on Sunday afternoon last took place around the interior of the church and not in the grounds adjoining the presbytery, as was first intended. There was a large congregation, and when the Vespers were sung the Very Rev Father Cummings preached a Bplendid discourse on the origin, extent, and nature of the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Many persons from both parishes were present and the various societies and sodalities took part in the processions The choir was greatly reinforced by several members of the choir at the pro-Cathedral, and the masic was excellent. Mis E. Gamble and Messrs Funston and McCormack executed admirably the selo parts. The latter gentleman, who owns a very pleasant and welltrained bass voice of great power and compass, rendered exquisitelj the vocal solo "O Salutaris," which Mr Harry Rossiter has composed. The new piece of music was re-set by the author for the occasion in order to suit the voice of the soloist.