HIS DUTY DONE.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1918, Page 4

HIS DUTY DONE.

MEMORIAL TO CAPTAIN SEDDON. IMPRESSIVE DEDICATION SERVICE AT MARITAL A notable event in fclie history of the Mnvitai Anglican Cliurclt took place on Friday afternoon, says the New Zealand “Times,” when the Bishop of Wellington officiated at the dedication of a memorial hell to the late Captain Richard John Seddon. The picturesque little church was filled to overflowing, those present at the ceremony including Mrs Seddon, Miss Mary Seddon, Captain and Airs Knox Gilmer, Colonel and MrsMorice and Miss Morice, Air and Airs Dyer and'Aliss Dyer, Airs Bean (members of the deceased soldier’s family), Sir John Findlay, Sir William Hall-Jones, the Hons G. W. Russell, J. A. Hanan, and D, Bnddo, Surgeon-General Henderson and Major A, A. Corrigan.

Friends of the deceased soldier assembled in large numbers, several motoring ronnd from the city. The service was conducted by the Rev Mr Stent, vicar of Eastbourne. The bell, which was donated to the church by Captain and Airs lvnox Gilmer, bore the following inscription :—“ln memory of Captain R. J. S. Seddon, killed in action, 1918.” The dedication ceremony having been

performed, Captain Knox Gilmer tolled the hell thirty-six times, this representing the number of years of Captain Seddon’s life. In the course of a simple bat striking address, Dr Sprott said that those of the present generation did not realise ihe price that had been paid for the heritage loft them. It was more the custom to take things for granted hut it was well for those who stood in that church in all peacefulness and happiness to remember those

who had made sacrifices for them. One way of remembering the men who had given their lives in so sacred a cause, was the erection of memorials such as that •placed in the church that day, and His Lordship trusted that the example would be followed. He also hoped and trusted that there would be

founded some great Imperial memorial that would perpetuate the memory of those brave men. But there was another way of commemorating the dead, and that was by seeing that they did not die in vain. It was hoped that out of the awful war here would come to the world a good that would compensate the cost, and that the new age would be happier, brighter and nobler than the past age. There could be no thought of retrogression or error, and if it was to be said that the heroes had not died in vain all must bestir themselves. There could be no better memorial than a brighter and purer world. Hr Sprott, continuing, said that when they lost their loved ones they j found solace in the Bible. When old 1 people passed away the relatives did I not sorrow unduly because they realised that the life’s work was done. It was most consoling to conjure up in one’s mind that the dead -were going to a place of rest, but those who had been reflecting on such things must think that the term “rest” was hardly applicable to young men in the prime of life, stroug and resolute men who seemed to have it in them to do much good work in future years. They felt that these young men did not want to rest hut that they were anxious to accomplish some useful and noble work. Blit there was a life for them not merely of rest, but of higher and nobler activity and service. Somewhere in God’s great universe they had been taken as God’s Servants. Dr Sprott concluded: “I think we do those brave souls a wrong if we allow them to pass away from our memories.”