UNDER THE OAK TREES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 6

UNDER THE OAK TREES.

. IMPEESSIONS OF THE. BISHOP. . . [BT ONE WHO Knew'Hm.] An affable, lovable figure has been . removed - from, among us by the "calling away; of Bishop Lenihan. .'' There : are many who could have,been better spared; few who will be missed more in Auck-land-city, of which :he had become a spiritual part—"a light unto its feet."' It was.- only on. Friday week . last the writer'had the privilege-of/a 'talk with the groat man who' has' passed' froni. us. Like many noted clergymen, he-was an admirer of goo 3 cricket, and.-when I met him last he was:wafching the OtagoAuckland cricket match" on the Auckland Domain, and wb just dropped into one of those -idle conversations which seeih to suit a'summer's day. Yet was it idle? ■The ; weather .was very hot—all AucHand, and even visitors from Sydney,'were complaining. The bishop had remarked that it was .beautiful weather. He looked as if he meant it, too;;: said he could nqt make out how so many people complained —the weather 'was, to nim,'only pleasantly warm, better that than on the cold side. We passed beneath-a wide-spreading oak, whose; branches: shaded' the path, and the writer, took occasion to , remark on . the 'ease ' with, which ' the' ."brave old oak"

grow in Auckland. -. - . "Indeed, yes," said the bishop, "everybody .admixes-onr oaks.i. They; spring up everywhere—plant -.themselves—and _in -,a year or two are casting long shadows." ' . "Tho,; oak is my favourite tree," said his . Lordship, as he smiled' amiably at the' delicate , green leaves: twittering in" the lazy breeze. . - ~ ~ . ,

"I had ono cut down once, and. after seasoning it for: a time engaged a carpenter ; to out.- it-up. ..We .wanted."'-an : altar. ; , at the time, . and I, thought it a nice idea ito_ have it .made of our own oak. B.ut • I did .not know; • then .whether the guality of. our, oak was as; good as 'English/, as. it. seemed >to. grow v so much quicker . hero. But the carpenter 'assn»d me,it. was the .hardest 'oak he had , ever worked, and there was nothing at' all wrong with the.quality, ..: ■ "Seeing how,, readily, it -grows. I- have O fU. wondered at >the-.' authorities not planting, oak. trees' on the/Government plantations.".

t At the .time. Bishop Lenihan was speaking he looked the picture of health, aid remarked how. well he felt—ivell enough; he . said jokingly, to plav. a . gameof cricket, hot'as it .was. : 'His was-an' Untimely death, surely. . ' .