CATHEDRAL BELLS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 85, 4 January 1919, Page 5

CATHEDRAL BELLS

TO RING IN WELLINGTON. Among the charms of many of the cities and towns of Belgium and A'ortnern France, which attracted visitors in the days before the war were the beautiful peals of bells, which rang. out "from their cathedral belfries. 'There nevor were such balls as those.of Malihes,'tor example;, and their destruction deeply stirred ull thwe people who had evur listened to their musical responses to the" mastor hands that, rang them. Wonderful and solemn and 6weet are tlio tones of true cathedral bells! the people of Wellington have never, heard them in their own city, never heard their own cathedral bells chiming with a cheery, uplifting ' clamour or swinging ■ steadily to send their deep notes quivering across the waters and out o,ver the hills. Some day they will, though, and whether it be soon or late,' will depend upon the support given to the scheme, which is now well under way, to build an Anglican Cathedral in Wellington. Throughout those wrecked areas of France and Flanders, men will be busy building and rebuilding their houses of God which the Huns have shattered. To the people of those lands the idea of living without their beautiful ' buildings, and their wonderful bells, would be unthinkable. Individually these people are pooror than New' _ealandei'S, yet they will rebuild their cathedrals as thankofferings for peace. So that the reasons why we in New Zealand should build a great cath-. edral in our capital city, as a thank offering too, are much more urgent and real. They know, those wise folk who have suffered untold . torments during past four years, they know that life without things and thoughts that are beautiful, is a crude nnd unsatisfying existence. We in: Wellington do not realise this:because we have never heard our city's cathedral bells ringing overhead, or possessed a cathedral of (ho kind that, such bells:-would, belong to. But the time is coming when we. shall, and you can hasten it by subscribing to the cathedral building , fund. . Donations or. promises (which may be spread over five years) will be welcomed, nnd should lie sent to the lion, organising secretary,. Ecv. C. N F. Askew, St. Mark's Vicarago, Wellington.—Advt.