Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 25 June 1914, Page 34

Notes

Parliament and the Referendum According to more or less authoritative statements in the, daily press we are to get some indication of the Government's intentions in regard to the demand for a Referendum on the Bible-in-schools question in the Governor's Speech, with which Parliament will be opened to-day. Unless the Speech on this occasion is markedly different from all its predecessors the indication is not, likely to be of a very definite character. Our Heroic Missionaries The spirit of courage, endurance, and quiet heroism with which Catholic priests face the extreme trials and sufferings of the lonely mission field appears to have made a deep impression on the New Zealand Government party which has recently visited the Cook Group of islands. In a local in its issue of Tuesday the Otago Daily Times writes: 'The work of the missionaries among the islands of the South Pacific is often marked by devotion, enthusiasm in the face of difficulties, and great self-sacrifice, and this applies particularly to the French priests of the Order of the Sacred Heart, who operate among the islands of the Cook Group. The. hurricane which struck some of the atolls in January caused much distress by sweeping away the natives"' food supplies, and the missionaries shared this trouble with the islanders. On Mauke, the Governor of New Zealand, during his recent visit, found a lonely priest who acts there as preacher, school teacher, and missionary, whoso delight when his Excellency conversed with him iii his native tongue was almost pathetic. At Atiu, where the effects of the hurricane were exceptionally severe; the warship's doctor was asked to see the priest, who was thought to be suffering 'from heart complications. ' The doctor found that tho man was practically starving —the effect of insufficient nourishing food upon a delicate constitution. The ships sent ashore enough provisions to maintain tho missionary until ho could return to his headquarters at Papeete.' How to Pronounce 'Ayscough' ' John Ayscough,' as all the world knows, is tho pen-name of Mgr. Bickerstaffo-Drew, the brilliantauthor of llurdcott, Marotze, Faustula, etc., etc. Some time ago America described the pseudonym as ' sneezy ' ; and this harmless epithet brought forth quite a number of inquiries as to the actual and correct pronunciation of the name. After much speculation had been expended on the 'subject, A merica has succeeded in definitely settling the matter; and we let our contemnorary tell its own tale. Tho question arose [What sort of sneeze is "Ayscough" like i Letters poured in asking for more light. So, to give peace to troubled consciences, Mgr. BickerstaffeDrew was implored to settle once for all the proper pronunciation of his nom-de-guerre. He graciously complied, and last week the following letter came: 3,4, 14. The Manor House, Winterbourne Gunner, Salisbury Plain. Dear Father, Ayscough is pronounced thus: Ass (short, to rhyme with the first syllable of Massachusetts) Q, Ass-Q. Of course with the accent on the first syllable. Yours sincerely, F. B. O. Bickerstaffe-Dhew. So the readers of America may now boldly but patiently correct those benighted folk who persist in calling the author of Monk&bridge "Icecoff," " Asko," " Acecow," "Askoo," or " Icecuff," for, of course, it is perfectly plain that his name is " Askew." ' ' What else, after all,' adds the writer drily, ' could it possibly be ?