'A Good Bishop"

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 June 1910, Page 4

'A Good Bishop"

The death of Hishop King, of Lincoln, removes one of the most familiar figures on the English ICpiscopnil Meneh. Hiis dlose ,sy'mpa)Lih,v for the , poor ami the uiiin.strucle'd .showed itself in, lii.s .singular faculty lor raising their understanding hy means o-f the simplest teaching, couched, in •the .sini'plewt of language His o>wn simplicity <i>f mind has given him an iii.iit'iul advantage in >tliiis respect'; hint tllif gift h'iis always been as:-id-iKjiisly en Hi] \ n tt'.il with the deliiber.-ite object of cnaildiiig even the k-ast learned of lii.s hearers to grasp his meaning.

Mr (J. W. K. Russell, in a hook published .su-ine years n.;o, tells a char.iciteristie sl.ory of the bise.op'.s ivin:?:iii.'ss of i:cait: "K:.rly :r. his episcopate,' , he wvi'les, "a young man w.is cindetuned I a t!r |i li at Lincoln for the murder of his sweetheart. The chaplain of the gaol, new to his work, liroke dowih undei the terrible duty of preparing the murderer for dea'th. a'lid the bishop healing of his <Ksit.iv.ss, took the duty on himself. The guilty man was an absolute heathen. lie had been a lishcr-la-.'l from Grimshy; his wlude life hiid been passed at fieri, nnd he was as ignorant cf religion ■ - even of right and wrong 'is a Saut'.h S;-i i.4:iiider. The hi.shoip baptised him, confirmed him. and gave lni'in h:s first 'and ConimuniiMi in the condemned cell. On the night h.'.l'nre the execution he slept in the j>. , i- :>n. anl on the fatal morning. u-liked hy Hie culprit to Pile s< -.;ifFii'ltl-. l>]i:iying with him nnd supparting him till the drop went down.

A lint her story from I lie s;Miie S'Mirce is unrtil ree'illinir. "When Or Kiiuj;. \vh ! n wns m leiehelor, w:is IVoltv-sur (rf Piislnnil Theiil'iKjy at o\-|'ord, liis indoor ficti-il :is keeper. As Icx'.'inio ]io,r na-e. Mrs Kill"; U':i- ;t Indv ;if the old selmol. •1 !'•'! sill' 111 1 fit' it :l lr>;l c t 'fll'.ht she loiind. nn (!iffictiliy in jotting 01 <;(';!(! servants, nHlioimli ,c!»e----lm:l novcr (1; l-'irtt'd from the s.-ile of u-tmi's Avliicili prevniled in liei rnrlier <' iy<. The truth \v.ik U'lleil sll;> offered '1 11 ;m\'" e(;:>k L"2f< •i ye:ir. Or Kill"; used to serrotlv ;rltl tlit l promise nf mni f' 1> it C2O, t.'iyiii'T; '-Hut don't 'tell Ahs Kintj. for f-'-lio likes to think tint thines ,'ll'e lIS t.ill'V \V:T;> wlleil she wis it.ill ymni-f." Mollie Venl'S V? 0 \\ hill lit' WIS Well over ''event'.', Mte -iftrn^ltvl :l C')ll fi I'llKl t.IV-11. MM'] llnMl'd tl'lf ("Ihti" \v:is ii prvir criptil:>'! <_rirl ulio wn* ton ill to he 1 j rrillallt to the <'erviee. Without more 'i r 'o, t'i<> l)is'::ii> «et out mid wiilked, in n l\!in:'iiii'i - st'>rui of uind <;ind rriin, the tiro miles tleit rnted the clnirri'i from tie ' rtt"T' wVert't!i:* penr live'!, and ♦ here. in Iter simple bedroom. n >rt'erined tli:> selennt serri'-e. 'P'lf M.shon used to .tell a iieo'l «itorv e-f :i ti'ip he oiee toe.k ill tlie nidil:r!'' 1 s of >' 'otl;iitd in eonip'iny with ■i l>i<r. hurlv Cliureluinn. While fi'nssinjr o locli in n small 11o:it n '•eavv storm o'-'-rtrt'ik tliem. Ttniiiedeitely Dr Kind's comnnirinii hen"in to nr:iv. Hut tins Aid tto;i nli»:ist> till" tinh'-iT of f.T't liii't :i>iti. who evnef.lulntod in lend f"t:"s: 1"' I'v','line I. |v»ii>tin<r te Dr lv Ino-. "ilii-' wee infl11 f"| -proy, lint the l,i,c •>!!•> iiiiiii row!"