PALMER STON NORTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 15, 10 April 1924, Page 17

PALMER STON NORTH NOTES

; ; ' '(From our own correspondent.) i; • . March 28. ;.;'. Numerous priests' passed through last week on their way to the Hutt to attend the funeral of the Very Rev. -Dean Lane. Many of the parishioners were friends, of the ; dear, old Dean. May heaven soon be his! 'V. An Australian priest (Rev. Father Lynch) who is spending a holiday in God's Own Country, arrived in Palmerstoii last Sunday week. He was promptly "bagged" for the pulpit in the evening. A good "hag"! was the verdict at the close of the devotions. . ?.. ' : "The best St; Patrick's Day picnic we have ever had," isaid the grown-ups. "The bestest," said the kiddies, it | sounded more expressive. It was well Sister was not listening, or she would have looked severe and talked about "grammar." For "several weeks 'beforehand' the : children had been having chats (secret and confidential) with St. Patrick about the weather. The day. /was perfect, thanks N to St. Patrick. Everything, even the smallest detail in [/connection with the picnic was perfect, thanks to the committee. . Everything went with a swing; splendid train

arrangements for conveying the picnickers to and from Ashhurst; ' games and sports all . day" long. Not one dull moment for anyone; even the “croakers” were silent/They were too busy enjoying themselves'' Lo find time to grumble. The members of the picnic committee were not out for glory or advertisement; their motive was the highest: the enjoyment of others, especially the children; but they must have been very pleased at the splendid success of the outing, due entirely to their hard work.

So much for St. Patrick’s Day; what about the night? Well, we had a euchre and dance in the Empire Hall; sounds “flat” for St. Patrick’s Night, but it was’nt, really. The euchre prizes were valuable (not only in the advertisement), aftud like the picnic every wheel was well oiled and everything ran smoothly from start to finish. Entertained and entertainers alike had a satisfied feeling; that speaks for itself. The social committee like the picnic committee deserves (and has received in full measure) the praise and thanks of all the people. A visit from the Angel of Death always means sorrow; but wjien that sad visitor departs only to return" again in a few weeks time, human hearts well-nigh break with sorrow. Such an awful load of suffering has fallen upon Mr. and Mrs. Butler, of Terrace Street, Palmerston North. At the beginning of January the eldest son, Eddie,-died at Napier, and on March 20 Maurice, the only remaining son went to his last long sleep at Dannevirke, at the early age of Bi years. Mr, Butler had been ill, very ill, but his people fully expected him to recover, everything pointed in that direction; but alas! complications set in, and there is one more widow' in the World to-day. Christchurch was the deceased gentleman’s birth-place, but he was educated at the local convent school and at St. Pat’s College. After finishing his studies he returned to Palmerston and became a law clerk- in the office of Mr. E. 0. Hurley, solicitor, but in 1921 he took up a position in Hawera. About a year ago Mi. Butler went to Dannevirke where he entered business as an hotelkeeper. The heartfelt sympathy of all is extended to his widow, Iris aged parents, who have borne their heavy cross so bravely, and to his two sisters (Misses Lily and Ruby Butler) the sole survivors of this muchesteemed "family.—R.l.P.

Turning from the death of one in the prime of life we come to another of our people, Mrs. Ellen Mcßae, whose long life of labor and piety closed peacefully on March 22. Mrs. Mcßae was born -85 years ago at Castle-Connell, Limerick, Ireland; in 1858 she went to Australia with her parents; and in 1866 she married and with her husband came to New Zealand; the goldfields of the West Coast being their destination. After several years Mr. Mcßae gave up gold mining and becalne a bootmaker at Black’s Point, Reefton, where his death occurred in 1907. After her husband’s>death Mrs. Mcßae came to the North Island, and resided in Levin for several years. In 1917 she joined her daughter, Mrs. C. Williams, v 0 this town, at whose home she resided right up to the time of her death. One could tell by a glance at the face of the dear old lady as she sat .in her chair spending the evening of her life in peace and happiness, that-she. had endured all the hardships of pioneer life; and one could tell by the tinkle of the Rosary beads as they slipped through her worn fingers that the Faith she brought from Holy Ireland burned as brightly as ever. Heaven must open quickly to such souls as hers. .May that thought comfort her people, to whom sincere sympathy is extended. Besides Mi's. Williams, Mrs. Mcßae-left three other daughters—Mrs. Rodgers (Palmerston North), Rev. Mother Mary St. Anthony and Mother Alary St. Constantia, of the Sisters of the Missions, Christchurch, and two sons—Messrs. Philip Mcßae (Wellington) and Alexander Mcßae (Sydney).—R.l.P.‘ ; •