A Lesson in the patience of hope.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 September 1910, Page 35

A Lesson m the patience of hope.

I'he itev, Thomas Chapman, Missionary at Rotorua, closed his journal of 1.846 with the following rerairks : — " The year has closed, and stili finds Us working, amid many discouragements and some welUgrounded cause for hope, m our Master's vineyard. Looking at the promises, I trust that the New Zealand Missionary may labour on, and that, what thirty years have • not fully accomplished, fifty may. Twelve years ago I planted three young pear trees, sent by the late Eev. S. Marsden, from Sydney, m my garden at Kerikeri. On their passage they had been carelessly thrown into the boat astern of the vessel, and exposed, during a winter voyage, to everything likely to destroy them. So utterly miserable was their condition on reaching Kerikeri that my fellow-labourer refused to plant them, considering them quite dead. I however received them, steeped them for two days and nights m the Kerikeri river, and then planted them m a moist place by its side. They grew — they are still growing ! The year after 1 had planted them, I exchanged houses with my fellowlabourer there, and, on removing, removed my trees also. The next year I was ordered to Paihia, and my pear trees accompanied me thither. I remained there twelve months, at the expiration of which period 1 commenced Missionary labours at Rotorua, and, embarking on board the " Columbine," again my trees became my travelling companions. On arriving at the station, I planted then. m. a beautiful asp?ct, and soon their shoots and leaves appeared. Mete, they rested another year, when the southern war drove us from our home, our premises, and the whole settlement, being burnt to the ground. Some of my trees were destroyed, some stolen, but my pear trees escaped ; and, for safety, I removed them, with ourselves, to the island m the middle of the lake. They were permitted to rest quietly here for another year, at the close of which, a new site having been purchased for our station, they were again transplanted to where they now stand.

This year one of them has a few pears on it — the first, The second tree bore a few blossoms, which soon perished, and the third has hitherto shown me nothing but leaves. Yet the fruit upon the first gives rrie hope concerning the future bloom of the second, and the bloom 1 of the second gives nte hope concerning the leaves of the third. The first bloomed for two successive years without fruit. The third year's bloom produced fruit. See the vicissitudes of these trees. Were they once as dead 1 Have they been five times transplanted 1 Did they escape the ravages of war ? And, after a lapse of twelve years, has only one of them borne fruit 1 The same wisdom which gave them such preserving qualities, and the human instrument to tend and watch over them, may yet produce the same result m each \ the reward of patient perseverance and hope. Yes, my pear trees have read me many a lesson. Not unf requently, when my mind has been exercised, m the midst of this once entirely savage people, to its utmost stretch, I have silently retired to my orchard, and communed with my inoffensive trees; traced them through all their states and stages, rejoiced m their growth, however slow, and returned to my difficulties, fully impressed with the conviction that my paramount duty was still to labour m faith and patience m that vineyard m which it has pleased the Master to place me," — Church Missionary Record, June, 18$.