MOTUEKA

Nelson Evening Mail, 25 September 1916, Page 3

MOTUEKA

OLD PEOPLE'S GATHERING. Last Friday was a great day in the "history of the Val. Trigge Mission in Motueka. The weather was perfect for the "O'd Folks' At Home," and by the time appointed for starting the Methodist •Church, was -well filled with happy, expectant old ladies and gentlemen, a count of which, proved that over 80 had passed through at least 60 summers and winters. No less than 27 were over 70 ye3rs of ase, the ladies predominating, and Mrs Eglinton was presented -with a beautiful bouquet as being the very oldest, viz., 85. The lady claiming to have Ibeen- longest in the Dominion was Mrs Thomas Woolf. who arrived in the early forties. Messrs John Woolf and Meikle had. been longest in the district, having come in the same ship, the Martha Ridgkay, arriving in 1842. But no less than 36 ■persons in the room had stuck closely to the district for over 50 years, and for 70 years it had been the continued residence of 14 of those present. Mr and Mrs John,Woolf, who looked verv voung and happy, were congratulated as having lived in peaceful wedlock for 56 years, *v* Mr Farley was adjudged the one who had been longest a Christian, having been converted at 17 years of age. Mr Farley gave an interesting account of his Christian life, extolling God's goodness and faithfulness to him during their long companionship. ~ All the foregoing ladies and gentlemen were presented by Mrs Valmont Trigge with huge bouquets of beautiful flowers, and smaller Ibouquets were presented by the young ladies of the town to their mothers and grand-mothers, every gentleman present having a tosty buttonhole pinned to his coat. Attached to'each bouquet and buttonhole was a neatly-printed card with the text of ( the Melbourne Missioner's address, At evening-time it shall be light. (Zech. 14. verse 17). Mr TrWe spoke for a little wniie welcoming'the old folks and expressing the love of the younger generation to them for their pioneer work and, whilst deploring the growing tendency of the young to treat grey hairs with disrespect, drew a ibeautiful picture of the difference between sunrise and sunset, averring that though the glories of the sky were magnificent at break of day, it was the sunset which surpassed all other periods of the day and when the Christian was in tune with his Maker it was just a delightful sinking below the horizon in a blaze of glory to awake to a long eternity of rest and reward. During the afternoon many very interesting facts were 'brought out, the memory of many of the very oldest be- \ ing as keen as ever it was. Two of the veteran gentlemen essayed a duet very creditably, a silver-haired old lady stood and sang a verse of a hymn most sweetly, and yet another of the male oldsters i recited "The Last Hymn" acceptably. I After the tea and,cakes provided had been cleared away Mr R. P. Hudson, M.P., in a congratulatory speech, moved a vote of thanlcs to the ladies who had so generously provided the refreshments and waited on the guests, and at the same time Mr Hudson voiced the thanks of all present to Mr Trigge for his untiring work and self-sacrificing efforts to bring joy to his fellow-man. _ He expressed particularly his appreciation of the fact that Mr Trigge, while loyal to Christ, his attitude to members of other churches than the Methodist was broad--minded and liberal. He characterised the present function the finest of the kind he had ever attended. "Mr Newlands, as representing the Presbyterian element, seconded the resolution, and took occasion to thank the Missioner for the help many people in his Church had received from the week-night services, and said he felt sure the old folk present would ever be grateful for the kindly, words spoken by the Rev. Mr Trigge and for the tokens of love coming from the younger ladies of Motueka. The resolution was neatly commended by the pastor of the Methodist Church, Mr C. A. Foston, and carried by acclamation . Sincere thanks were expressed to the several gentlemen who had driven many of the more feeble of the guests to and from the festive gathering, those who generously loaned their motor cars being Mr R. P. Hudson, M.P., Messrs T. Brougham, J. A. Wallace, L. G. Duncan, S. Rowling, W. Hickworth, and S. Coppins. The ladies leading the foevy of enthusiastic workers were Mrs Harvey (in charge of refreshments), Mrs Young and Miss Wilkins (head of the flowers arrangements, and Miss Alexander, who supervised the issue of invitations and visiting. After a photograph was- taken the Doxology was sung and the benediction pronounced over what was certainly a unique gathering. A torch-light procession and open-air meeting precedes the last preaching ser-

vice on Monday night, and on Tuesday Mr Trigge gives his famed lecture on "Tho Story of My Life."