THE ABODE OF LOVE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10000, 22 March 1910, Page 7

THE ABODE OF LOVE.

SMYTH-PIGOTT'S SECRETARY. I Within the walls of the mysterious Abode of Love at Spaxton, near Bridgwater, Somerset, Mr Charles Stokes Read, private sncrttary to Mr J. H. Smyth-Pigutt, died on Wednesday, January 26th. Wiihout doubt trie connection of Mr Read with the self-ityled Messiah constitutes one* of the most remarkable chapters .in the history of the Agapemone. v In 1869 he graduated M.A. at Cambridge, where, by the way, he was a famous oarsman, rowing against Oxford threa years in succession, and in due course he came to be known as a shrewd business man. He interested himself early in philanthropic work, a.'id, after hi s marriage, both he and his wife became attached to the Salvation Army. One who knew Mr Read intimately, described him in the "Daily Chronicle" some time ago as a Hercules, and also as the embodiment of natural urbanity. The writer said: "When Smvth-Pigott crossed tiie path ot the Keads—then living in a snu'g villa at Romford—no home could have been brighter and happier. Man and wife were absorbed in the work ol the Salvation Army—he fighting its battles on the Stock Exchange during the day, and encountering the vilest and bitterest persecution at open-air gatherings at Romford at night, while Mrs was spreading the propaganda among thi rich.

"On the occasion of the open-air meeting the Hercules permitted a woman to cover his face wit dirt by means of a broom, and a rowdy to pelt him with rotten egtra, peasemeal and soot. Instead of retaliating, he shouted above tha yells of the mob, 'Victoty for God!' "Only once did the giant lose his self-possession, and that was when a Salvationist had her bonnet torn off by a bully as she was entering Read's grounds.

■'Read drew the line at that. He seized the buliy by the back of the enck, swung him round his head, and threw hiui into a yard adjoining tie marquee ground. His wife, with characteristic authority, sternly reproved her husband for his un-Chris-

tian conduct, quoted Scripture and the Army's regulations, and then ordered him to attend to the door! "Smytn-Pigoct was in charge uf the meeting which followed, at the close of which there was a fireside conference upon the position of affairs, it was at this gathering that .Siiiyth-Pigott announced to the Reads ihe revelation of Agapemone 'testii mony,' and that he was on the verge , of accepting ic." ! In due course ,Mr Read fell at the ; feet ot Smyth-Pigott, the self-ap--1 pointed successor of Brother Prince

toe Agapemone, and became one of ths most devoted followers. A little owtr four years ago, when te was ousted frdm the cirectjrate of the* V.V. Bread Copmany, Limited, he said : / 'lt is because I know that the Lord Jesus Christ has come again, and is now uwelling at the Agapemone, and , of my firm adherence to that j belief, in spite of the hatred and contempt poured on him, that I am cast out by my colleagues; but I am suie that the time will come when they will deeply regret thet action.' j After Mr Smyth-Pigott had been found guilty at, the Consistory Court at Wells, Mr Read said: "We shall : go on just as if nothing had hap- • p-.ned. We have nothing to do with I | the outside world, which doe 3 not i understand our belief?, and so can-! not enter into the truth of them." | Mr Read, who was 59 vears of age, had never recovered from the shock occasioned by the deaitb of gome montbs ago 'and thie effects of | tbe assault upon him when the I pemone . waa : raided in November. 1908.