THE BEDINGFIELD SCANDAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1232, 28 August 1884, Page 3

THE BEDINGFIELD SCANDAL.

The Dunedin Star has the following:— The relatives of the girl Bendall, whose elopement with “ Captain ” Bedingfield has caused such a stir in Salvationist circles, are indignant at the suggestion that they were in any way privy to what was going on lately at Christchurch and Ashburton. A “friend of the family” writes to us denying that the girl was ever in the employ of- Bedingfield as a domestic. She left her mother, who is now in Dunedin in a critical state of health, her father being employed in the neighborhood of Wellington, in order to take up work„ with the Army, who allowed her 15s a week, 10a of which was paid to the Bedingfields for her board. The mother wrote several letters to the latter insisting on the girl’s return to her home, but she alleges that she always put her off with fair promises. Mrs Bedingfield herself wrote in one of her letters to her friend :

“I am sorry I ahonld hare upset you by asking for -to stay. 1 can quits feel for you. I have often told' that were I in your place X could not bear having to live alone. Do not think lam selfish in asking you how long she can stay. I only thought it would be better for us all. You need not believe any of the reports, whatever they are, because you ought to know by this time how the Army is disliked. Best assured that should anything be wrong I would let you know directly, ... I promised you that I would look after , and I mean to ksep that promise. I love her as dearly as I love my own sister, and as such I treat her, ... I hope you will not worry yourself. ——’a heart is in the work ; you must not believe that she has changed. . , . . She is a dear, good girl, and will do what is right both in your sight and in God’s.” And the husband, prior to this, had written this precious letter ; “1 am afraid some of our Dunedin friends are very anxious to get our little lieutenant back again. She has been very well. Had she not been so I should have sent for you directly, for when I came away from Dunedin I promised you I would look after her and take care of her, and 1 can only say I have faithfully carried out my promise. Our little Sergeant L was kind enough to tell me that ha was going to tell you to take home. I suppose he did so, but l ean assure you I have not made her work very harden the meetings, although she is a great help to me. This station is heavy in debt—over £l2o—and when goes I am to do without any assistance. I shall miss her, but I suppose the Lord will give mo strength to do His work. But spare her as long as yhu can do without her. I was very ill on Sunday night after the meeting. I thought the dear Lord'was going to take me home to Heaven. . . . The work is hard

here, and the results small, but we are believing for great things. A Freethinker gave his heart to God on Good Friday at our hall, and has testified several times to what God has done for him. We get some rough work sometimes, and are generally honored by an escort of larrikins, who are kind enough to see us home, singing things which you may be sure are not Salvation hymns. May God bless you always,”