VALEDICTORY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 255, 5 January 1911, Page 7

VALEDICTORY

PRESENTATION TO REV. F. G. EVANS. At St. Marys Vicarage on Saturday! evening a deputation of members of the Vestry and representative churchmen waited upon the Rev. F. G. Evans on the eve of his retirement through indifferent health from the position ol vicar of the parish. Mr. YV. H. Skinner, people's warden, in addressing the vicar, said it was fourteen years the preceding month since he (Mr. Evans) arrived in New Plymouth to take up the <luties ot vicar of the parish. "It had come," said the speaker, "to the last day in the year, and the last day of the vicar's official connection with the parish," a change which had unfortunately been brought about by his failing health. At the last vestry meeting it had been intended to give an official farewell to the viear, and a parish gathering before Mr. Evans severed his official connection with the parish had also been thought, of, but with consideration for the vicar's state of health, the present quiet function had been decided upon. A little later on a larger gathering would be held. They were all glad that Mr. Evans and his family would be remaining amongst them. With the rest and freedom from official duties, they hoped he ' would be restored to health to enjoy many years of happiness. They would , also be delighted to see him, and they , hoped, hear him from the pulpit in j the future. Mr. Skinner then asked Mr. Evans' acceptance of a small token • of esteem and affection from his par- , ishioners in the form of a purse of ( sovereigns with which to purchase some , article of furniture for his study, or anything he would like to obtain'with it. In making the presentation Mr. < Skinner said that they desired Mr. i Evans to know that subscriptions ban ] been limited to a small amount, and '■ there had been no canvassing whatever, < the amounts having been voluntarily 1 subscribed by over 21)0 persons. , '

Mr. C. E. Baker said he wished to emphasise the fact that no one had been ajsked or canvassed for subscriptions. The committee had issued a small circular, with the result that over 200 subscriptions were sent in. The vicar, in receiving the gift, could feel thai no one had been asked to subscribe, and the individual subscriptions had been limited to a small amount. He concluded by expressing the hope that Mr. Evans would live to enjoy many new years. Mr. S. Lush said that as one who came to the parish a comparative stranger, he would like to say how much he appreciated the kindly interest always shown him by Mr. Evans. He was not only speaking for himself, but for many others who had spoken, to him. He therefore took the opportunity, on behalf of many other parishioners and himself, of thanking Mr. Evans for his many past kindnesses.

In returning his deep thanks for the kind remarks and for the presentation and the kindly feeling which had prompted it, Mr. Evans said that it was particularly hard for a man in the prime of life to be compelled through indifferent health to sever even his official connection with a work he loved so much. For more than three years his health had troubled him, but it had only been during the last twelve months that it had become so serious a matter, and he had realised that it was his duty to the parish and to himself to relinquish active work and the responsibility attaching to his position. Continuing, the vicar said he would always take a deep interest in the church and the parish, and lie hoped that later on, by God's mercy, he would be able to assist in the works not only in St. Mary's parish but also further'afield. Looking back over the past years he knew that he had not done all he might have done, but he felt that he had given faithful service as far as he had been able. Had it not been for the very efficient help rendered by the Rev. Mr. Wilkinson, he would not have been able to have carried on so long. He could not tell them how distressed and disappointed he had been when, practically at the end of his U>rm of office, his health again broke down, and he had for ten long days to lie on his back, being allowed hardly a particle of food. At the time he thought a more inhuman moMster than his medical man could not be found, but lie now saw that it was imperative that the treatment should have been, carried out. H was impossible to say, said the vicar, what the future held in store, but he looked forward ,to ag-iin assisting in the work he loved so much. He concluded by again thanking the parishioners for the tanj gible expression of their goodwill.