A Complete Story

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 30, 12 August 1925, Page 11

A Complete Story

The two old/ ladies, Miss Elizabeth and Miss Jane Dodd, had lived at “Refcoboth” ever since they first saw the light of day. They kept very much to themselves,, as befitted the daughters of the late Rev. Nicodemus Dodd, one time minister of Ebenezer Particular Baptist Chapel. A man of great integrity and some substance, he had built the commodious chapel in the centre of Fernbank High Street, and for forty years had preached the Word to a respectable congregation. His death had come suddenly and peacefully withal, and his last charge to his daughters had concerned Ebenezer Chapel. “See to it while you live,” he had commanded, “that the Word of God shall always be preached thereinthe Faith once delivered to the Saints — no new-fangled doctrines of modern invention. You will have sufficient money to build a manse and pay the stipend of a minister.” “Many shall come to hear the Truth,” he whispered. “ ‘And He shall be lifted up that dll men may adore Him.’ ” The two daughters had been faithful to their charge, but not so the congregation. Little by little it dwindled away, passing to other chapels, where there were social evenings, anniversaries, and debating clubs. The stern doctrines preached at Ebenezer were not to the taste of the more modern folk and when the elderly minister who had followed Dr. Dodd died the two old ladies found a great difficulty in getting a successor. Ministers came and went, tired of preaching to a congregation that consisted for the most part of the two old ladies, Sydney Prescott, the crusty old chapelkeeper, his wife and their orphan grandson. The services at Ebenezer became dependent on the ministration of chance brothers who were visiting in the district. Then Miss Jane developed bronchitis. It was rather a bad attack, sufficient to keep her in bed, and Miss Elizabeth in frequent attendance upon her. Miss ; Elizabeth was .bringing her: breakfast up one morning,, when she suddenly slipped, and crashed to the, bottom of the stairs. . . , ... Father Douglas, returning from Mass that morning was in rather a despondent mood. The Catholic church at Fernbank, a small, leaky iron structure was situated, at the extreme end of the town, whereas Father ; Douglas had rooms off the High Street. The young priest had come < to Fernbank three months previously, full of optimism; and

“HE SHALL BE LIFTED UP”

confident of. increasing his scanty congrega- Si tion by wholesale conversions. Unfortu- || nately, the non-Catholics of Fernbank shied at walking a mile and a half to hear bis sermons, and even his own Catholics were not so regular in attendance as they might ,f. have been. The reluctant truth was forced | upon the good Father that until he could M shift his church to a more contral position, there would not be much chance of making real headway. As this was the poorest mis- M sion in one of the poorest dioceses in England, that event did not seem very probable. Passing Rehoboth, Father Douglas’ atten- 4 ; tion was diverted by a tapping noise. * He looked up at the window, and saw an old ; lady, with a face of frantic fear, drumming $ 7 O at the pane. In a moment he had entered if the house, and discovered Miss Elizabeth ,1 moaning at the foot of the stairs, surrounded- U by the broken impedimenta of breakfast.-- * ? || Father Douglas was a man of action. •: In : || a few minutes Miss Elizabeth found herself < lying on her bed, and Miss Jane had been '?•! calmed with the promise that a doctor should il be sent for at once. Moreover, the Father *| knew of an excellent young woman who ■'X would come in as help. Miss Elizabeth’s N feeble protests against strangers wore brushed aside, and an unwilling consent that Teresa Driscoll should come for at least a few days was obtained. The -doctor’s diagnosis was' that - Miss Elizabeth had .broken her leg! Poor Miss ' Jane, who had had no breakfast, wept; but, with the arrival of the capable Teresa, things £| generally looked brighter. \ v 4 “ J -f Teresa had not ■ been with them many f * hours before the two old ladies realised that , | they , had found a treasure, and when at , ■ • .? * * ■*, 1 ‘ (VV* .-'ll length Miss Elizabeth was sufficiently recov- I I ered to come downstairs there was no suggestion that their little maid should depart: , | Father Douglas had been a frequent visitor, and, when once the old ladies had got over their fear of a Catholic priest, they liked him immensely. He had a way with ,|1 him, inherited from an Irish mother. > S . The Rev. Mr. Spaul, the local pastor of .4 the Cld Baptist Union Connection ' • , ■ ’• ' ‘ • . . . nearest .approach to ; Ebenezer in Fernbank —had called once, but his conversation had been entirely confined to death and the necessity of being . /prepared. Neither .Miss - Jane nor Miss Elizabeth had been particularly cheered by the visitation, and did not press him to return, so-his first visit was also his, last. ...4 • *4- 1

1.1 a. n -I- ’■ • ■ V Father Douglas was happily unconscious that the two old ladies were really quite well ! off. Indeed, he occasionally brought them little dainties,' although the purchase neces- ■ V sitated abstinence from tobacco. 1 He often t talked to tho two dear old ladies of his high hopes, and how they were nullified by the present position of the' Catholic chapel. Meeting Miss Jane in the High Street one afternoon, he was , shown over Ebenezer Chapel, which had now been closed more than' three months. Miss Jane did not tell him that it belonged to her sister and herself, and he admired it immensely. It was spacious and comfortable, and he sadly reflected . that, with a little alteration, it would make , an ideal Catholic church’. The next afternoon he went to Rehoboth to tea to show t some pictures he had received from his sister, who was a missionary nun in India. Miss Jane had had no opinion of. nuns whatever. According to The Christian Trumpet , they were all - either beautiful and wicked, or hideous and cruel. However it appeared that Sister Mary, who was quite a sweet, mild looking person, looked after lepers, . and the photographs were not particularly pleasant. Miss Jane began to think that she must revise her opinion about nuns. In addition, Sister Mary had sent one of those little pious cards so beloved of religous. It was a picture of a priest at the altar . elevating the Sacred Host. Underneath were the words: “And He shall be lifted up • that all men shall adore Him.” The two old ladies looked at each other in astonishment the same thought had occured to both. When Father Douglas had - taken his departure, they discussed the mat- \\ ter which was in their minds. It seemed more than a coincidence —their father’s last i words, and the inscription at the bottom of the card. Teresa, called into the discussion, ' explained what it was that the priest- held in his hands, and the old ladies, with their Bibles in front of them, were forced to admit that transubstantiation was not the absurd doctrine they had been led to believe. “It seems to me, sister,” said Miss Jane, “that/ before he died, our / father had a sudden light given him. ‘And He shall be lifted up.’ But does the Catholic Church preach the Word of God? I have always heard it said that they never permit the Bible to be read.’* Cam©. Teresa with her Missal, pointing triumphantly to Epistle and Gospel for every day in the year. 'This .was convincing proof enough. . ’ “It seems to ' me, said Miss Elizabeth mildly, “that we have been very much misinformed, about the Catholic Church.” From this the plot developed, a plot which Father Douglas remained in complete ignorance. Teresa and the two old ladies alone were in the secret. A London firm came ■ down, but none of the curious succeeded in entering Ebenezer Chapel whilst the altera--1„ trims were in progress. It was almost as if V the place had been designed for Catholic purposes, for , with the removal of the pulpit platform, a spacious sanctuary was provided, with an admirable sacristy at the • r rear. *

, ,1 , .1 • ‘ ' > . , , -»r-‘ When at last everything was finished, Miss T 1 -m ~ |“ .. . _ Jane and Miss Elizabeth again encountered; Father Douglas in the High Street. Quite unsuspectingly he entered tho chapel “to view the few alterations,” but it was a full minute before he succeeded in grasping the real' position. ’ - 1 , Then tho Bishop came. He fully agreed that it was a wonderfully beautiful church, and the two old ladies were much fluttered at having a real Bishop to lunch.

Father Douglas made good progress in hi» f h -new; building, and Miss Jane and Miss Eliza-| v beth made excellent Catholics. - Visitors - to the church much -admin*, a painting that hangs in the sanctuary! It depicts a priest at the altar elevating the/ Sacred Host, and beneath is the legend:// “And Ho shall be lifted up that all may adore Him.” / v . Church Progreys. | : |p|