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Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4721, 23 February 1884, Page 3

Presbyterian and Congregational Assemblies.

'(Per Pbsss Association.) Wellington, Yesterday

; At the Pre?byterian Assembly tlii? morning, the Rev. Mr Cairns believed it would be wise to increase the number of the: Church Extension Committee by hating one representative member from all the Presbyteries, for the purpofo' of considering the various cases that come before it. This would interest the whole Church. The motion was lost.—-The Eev. McKenzie E. Fraser read a report, on the new hymn book called "The Church," and spoke highly as to the excellence of the work, and strongly recommended the Assembly to adopt it. The motion was seconded by the Bey. J. Paterson, who also spoke in admiration of the hymn book. After a lengthy conversation on the subject, the Assembly came to the following finding ;—•" The Assembly receives the. report with thanks of the committee, and especially the Eev. McKenzie Fraser, who prepared the report, and adopts the edition of the book of psalms and hymns styled • Church Praise,' which gives the full number of psalms and hymns, as suitable for use in service of praise in the Church, and as a great improvement in every respect on the book now in use; • and cordially recommends its introduction whenever practicable, and enjoins congregations to be careful in introducing the book so. as to combine harmony and avoid pressing unduly on the circumstances of individuals and congregations. The Assembly further instructs the Clerk to ask Messrs Wisher and Co., publishers, to issue a complete edition, leaving a title page suitable to thiß church." There was a general increase as compared with last year, there being 86 schools, 742 teachers, (322 males and 420 females), 6094. scholars, with an average attendance of 5140. The school libraries amount to 1248 volumes, 683 scholars attend week night Bible class, and there are 4 preparation classes for teachers. At the meeting of the Congregational Union the Eev. W. ?H. West moved, ",That this Assembly records its disapproval of any attempt to alter the present educational system of this colony in the direciion of returning to denominationßlism, and this Assembly pledges itself to use legitimate means at the coming elections to give effect to their views on this question." This was carried after an animated debate. Thereupon Capt. Daldy moved, "That Mr West's motion re Education be referred to the Executive Cemmittee of the Union to take such action as they may think necessary to carry out the spirit of the resolution." Carried unanimously. The question of kße legal incorporation of the churches with a view to security of the present trust WBs introduced by Capt. Daldy, and was remitted to the churches for consideration and suggestion —A progress report of the Finance Committe was given by Dr. ■Rosehyy -^ V/'-Vr.;.^.- ■ -. ..■•.■■■-

kern I don't rcm. mber a fight in the Gully, except in course a friendly, shkrimmage whin the wbishky was inside, but that makes things all the more pleasant when we " kissed an' made friends " next day. But now there was nothing but sour looks an' fights over them gurls. I've since seen it just the same on a station OTer on the Murrumbidgee. There were some thirteen of us in all, young devil-may-care fellows as happy as the day was long, and as lovin' as grass parrots on a tree. .But whin the young' boss got switched an' brought up his wife an' two spankin' girls from Deniliquin, Moses.' wasn't there ructions and black eyes, broken beads and bloody noses." v "My dear Mick," said Harry Thorncroft, our learned man and geological student, "the explanation of such phe* n omen a has been given long ago by the illustrious Charles Darwin; it's the old battle of the survival of the fittest. It is by means of this fighting among the males for the females that animals have pro-' gressed to their present form, espioially j man, the noblest of animals. The weak hare been crushed ont, and those alone re* mained to mate." " Well that may be,'/, said Mick with another dull' twinkle in his eye, " but it's a mighty unpleasant skhiance that is, an' I think it's seen it's day." "Not at all," pompously return the scientist; on the contrary, it is gaining strength- every day, and will soon be the faith of the world." " Perhaps, perhaps," replied Mick, " only I've me doubts, as the old women . said whin she smelt her husband's breath whin he came late. But its a poor rule that won't work both ways, and if Darwinism, : ~ as you caH it, is worked in the times be--yant to improve the breed by the survival; of the fittest; from what I see it must work the other way now, and bring us back until we're ourang outang or shampansies (chimpansee) '' " again. For it's this way you see. Now-a^days the big man, and the sthrong man, and the man that's got a head an him, stands no show at all. Apollo Belvidare might be coortin' Katie Quinn, but all his limbs and his looks, I'd wager a nugget if a skinny devil wid a hump on him and a squint eye and red hair an' not the height of me hip, kern along, wid plenty iv money, she'd have him offhand. An' that sem Apollo, the shkamer, would turn-up his nose at Vanus. I know what . you mane (Anodymene) if there was aa ould hag handy who had a bit ir money; So if we kirn from monkeys, be sure we'll go back to worst." Harry shook his head in Lord Burleigh style and did not reply. " Well resumed Mick, relighting his pipe, " there was a dead set made on them gurls, and iv course, they were too cute to show who they liked. Their cue was to let us all think we had a chance, an' you may imagine Mulligan did well. 'But by-an'-bye, it was seen that only tWo had a chance wid the purtiest of them, shy Julia, and them two was myself and Tim. The other' fellows, soon found 'thi» r out, an' gaev her Hp, an' fought over Biddy. By-the Bye she married an ould fellow iv sixty, who'd struck a rich reef, an left all the A polios to drown themselves if they plased. Well, Tim an'l were powerful bad

—we would hardly eat a bite. An* all the Jove that was betune us seemed to die

out all iv a sudden*. We hardly shpoke, and we frowned; at ache other as if we meant murdber. Tim was the worst, or, rayther, the most onrajsonable. What do you think—he took it so bad that he wouldn't come into bed, but shlept in a corner'- * b j ß 'possum rug! As for me I*" ck ; e off me chump I though* f but Julia, and I looked ' ,ri i ,fv a ft o into which I - -, at. sever. a f l hl e]l ff* 3 ' But wh-' rtrould 3umPlf she sald no* f-iu- .is the use of describing me .ings—haven't they been felt since Adam had a fair look at Aye, and won't they be felt ages after this—whin we go back to the original not that some of us is near that already." " Well, to make a long story short, I , began ,to tbjnk and to think, and I thought all this business was nonsense. I didn't believe in the survival of the .fittest business. I thought we were sensible men, and should act as sensible men. An' I knew I had the most sense, at lashte that I was the coolesht, so T made up tne mind th shpake to Tim. As \ for the colleen, the shly rogue, do you think she'd let .us know-when we were both there —whom she liked besht. So one. eteniti' when we'd returned from work an' sal as far apart as the little lent would let us I opens up an' I sez :

" Tim."

" Well," said he, as if he'd jump down me throat if it had been big enough. " Tim, I think it's time this thing had an end," sez I. " I think it is," sez he.

" Well," sez I, " let's end it." "Oh, that's asy," sez he, " lookin' as if the fire 'd burn up his eyes; if you shtep outside we'll see who's the beat man." " That's not the way I mean," sez I; " that's a fool's way." " If you shpake. much more to me," sez he, "I'll shthrike you." '• Well, Tim," said I, " be raisonable. Just think. Suppose we fought an' you won, an' thin you wint.an' asked Julie to have you, an' she turned roun' an' said " she'd have neither of us—what fools we'd look. Now, I've a betther thing to propose. You go to Mulligans this night an' ask her if she'll have you. If she. sez yis, then, I give in an we're as bjgfrienda as ever. If she sez no, then I'll have a " j^o \" cried Tim, " no man shall have her except me ; I'll kill him first." I saw the crathur was very bad, so I . didn't press him. ".At all events, Tim, sez I, " will you

go." " I will, sez he, an' out ho wint.'' "Well, late that-night he kern back, pretty full of. whisky, an' I saw the moment Least eyes on his face that she'd take him, an' I shwallowed me grief and took his hand and hoped,- an' from my heart too that they'd bo happy. He told me the happy fellow, that she loved and would hare him, though sez she, he was not as good a man as I. Well, that rather reconciled me to it." "I was besht man an had forgot all about it when the weddin' kern off; indade I was head over ears in love wid ■ one of the bridesmaids, a new arriv 1." •••I're saw Tim an his family before I kern to these diggins. A big hearty farmer • he is now, a thrifle too fond of liquor, and Julie's aa fat as well never nnnd, ™ there's nine childher. I wouldn t marry her now if she was rolling in diamonds. Tim's been a happier man than I; but he has had more throuble—that s the diiterence between married and single.