A "BREEZY" PARSON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1887, 23 October 1913, Page 6

A "BREEZY" PARSON.

BOUND FOR WELLINTGON. To judge by bis farewell letter to his parishioners, Devonshire is about to lose, and Now Zealand to gain, a somewhat original character in the- person of the Rev. H. l'\ Tracey, who has for some time past held the position of Vicar of Dartmouth (says the Dunodin "Star's" London correspondent). Through -the Parish Magazine ho announced his decision to leave the Old Country in this breezy fashion; — "I shall bo leaving you very shortly, at, any rate for a season. I mention this because otherwiso I might have tcc fall over a clilf to account for my disappearance—and that niigjit hurt morn than one bargained for. But tho fact is I have realised far some time that I have been hare too long to be good for either the parish pr myself. It aha , seemed time to earn one's own living. This has never been possible hero. Aa there seems no loom in England I am going to try my fortune iii New Zealand. The climate is said to be 'the best i«v the world, Mid I have friends and relatives there. If it proves a failure, you will see me back again. .So you will ' probably wish mo every success. I would have sought a curacy in England, but my wife says no vicar would stand t . mo more than three weeks, so it is noil worth wliilo to risk it;" . ! Mr. Tracey, who spent tho early! years of his clerical life as a curate m Hampshire and Devonshire, has been , vicar of Dartmouth for over twentythree years, having taken up his duties there in July, 1890. Ho lias served, coterminrtusly in the volunteer and territorial forces, and is senior chaplain,, of the Wessex division of the latter force. Mr. Tracey was to leave for New Zealand by tho Afric early in October, and is desirous of continuing his clerical career in tho Dominion, but, it is understood, he is quite prepared to strike out in a new direction if suitable ministerial work is not available. Ho will ill all probability try tile Wellington district, to begin with.