ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1973, 28 February 1885, Page 4

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

TsUP groat excitement just now ii volun tetnng for active service in the Souriau No do\ibt this js a very patriotic thing to do, hut not for us in New Zetland though there may lie a surplus population in England theie is nono heie, with the exception of the puhlic-house loafers, and, they will not volunteer, and if they did their services would uot be accepted. ojfy*tt>fig&bl«r bodied yoUng men fit to fight, we hive none to spate, and I am quite sure thftt those who now evpiess fit'ir willingness to go to the Soudan 1 tally do not Unow the hardships they ,wouiU have to undeigo. Altnost ull of 'them' know absolutely noth'isg niiout id.li ching aeiobs the desert, scorched by a tiopieal him. Mine of them would die fiom the clFects of the climate than from the weapons of the followers of fclu Mahdi. Our climate is like that of Paradise when compaied \\ith the climate ot tin' S6ud.in, but we Unow what was the insult of the young men of Auckland {,'oim,' out to fight ngiinst the .Maons dm 1114 tl^e WaiLaio war. Few, if any, of them dn>d fi"m the effects of the hullits of the Maoris, but htimluds of tlicni di oil from diarrluiM, dys-eutiy, &c , or tame back to Auckland with health impaired, to such an extent that they weie never ieally well afterwards. I uotiee that "Tim" Bennett, who led th" Wellington N.ivals to bloodless victory at Puuhika, has made an ofF?r to Sir Julius Vogel te raise a contingent for the Soudan fi( Auckland. I have no doubt but that his ofler will be declined with thanks, and I sincerely hope that it will be. Another old Auckland landmark will roou disappear, St Paul's Church, at the top of Shortland street (the Crescent it used to be called in the old days) being m process of demolition, and, " tell it not in Oath,' the mate. ial is to be used for building a coin stoic. Of course, sentiment has to give place to utilitj now a days, but there will Ie a stood many people who have hallowed nieinoiies in connection with old St Paul's who will look upon this as little short of sauil.go Seeing that the building lias been consecrated, should there not hay c been something done ill the way ofiennvmg the blessing? It is vriy cert.nn that the consecration of an Anglieau Bishop would not enhance the value of the "bricks and mortar " in the estimation of the Piesby terian elder who bought them, so that lie w ould not have objected to the removal of the blessing, but the difficulty would base been how to doit. The only practical suggestion that I have heard is that the consecration service should bave been read b.ick wards. Whatever iegiets may be felt with regard to the old church, no one will be disposed to mourn it on account of its architectural beauties. It may have been, and probably was, a pretty little chinch when it was first erected, but the numerous alterations and additions have made it almost as ugly as the Piesbyteiian Church near the Supreme Court, familiarly know as the "old stone barn," used to be, bcfoie the new front and tower were added to it. It is truly wOiideiful the desire that English people have to conveit the heathen m distant lands, while they too often neglect the heathen at their own door 3, and even omit to perform their duty to theii own families. Everyone who has lead Dickens' " Bleak House " (and ever} one who has not done so should repair the deficiency soon as possible) must lemember Mis JelLiby, who neglected her own family, and her household duties, and devot'id her whole lime -md attention to the tempoial and spiritual vvelf-ue of the benighted in habitants of Uoiioboola-fxhn. Many people will a33ert tint D.ckens' pictuie of Mis Jellaby is a ca«ioatuie. Well, it may be, but there is suflicicnt tiuth in it to make us wondei whctln'i it is worth the while of English people to neglect the white heathens lound them and devote their energies to the conversion of the black heathens nt a distance. I have long been doubtful whether there was an adequate return for the loss of many useful lives and the ann.ial expenditure of many thousands of pounds in the endeavour to convert the heathen. My doubts have been confirmed by statements made by a lady who has recently come from India. Shortly bcfoie she left there she heard a missionary talking about the small results accruing ftom the woik done. He said that it was only those' actually engaged in missionary labours who could realise the utter futility of them. She told a very good stoiy about 0112 of those who went out to China to convert the people of tint countiy to Christianity. Ho had laboured hard for a long time without any appaient result, but at hit, his heart was gladdemd by seeing one man very regular in his attendance at service. He felt sure that he had succeeded in con vim ting him, and so one evening spoke to him about the pleasure it gave him to see him po )t _rul,ir in his attetultnce at the mtvtings. His sat sfactio 1 did not list long, for the nun t< h\ tutu that his wife made the house " too hot to hold him" and that lie was glad to have a place where he could \>o (jiuvjl fo\ jw hottv ov two. The missionary said that he was suipnseii that Up did not, like Mr Bumble, "assert his preiogatue " and show his wife that he was master in his own house. The man pioba)ily did so, tor he did not nppeir the following evening, but about twenty or thirty women came instead and it was so evident that they intended to punish the missionary for having incited the man to mutiny that he had to flee for his life. ♦ *

To come nearer liome, we know that many good men laboured for years, endeavouring to convert the Maons to Christianity, but it is wry doubtful whether much good resulted. One of lh<' Mi-ioioiiauos who lived down on the East Co.ibt had a veiy large number of comerti, wlio were a souice of gieat pleasure to him. He had some visitors irom England whom he told about these dear child! en of his, how they attended sci vice in their Church every morning and how, if thcic was no clergyman there they went through the service by thum•ehes. lie told his \isitors that, if they ■vvonlr! make an early stai t on tlie following morning they would reach the church while the service was going on. Of com so, this was ngreed to. They made an early stait and anived at the proper turn-, They fastened their horses at some little distance fiom the church and walked quietly up to it. As they approiehr-rl they wow somewhat surprised at the noiar tiiry heard, hut surprise Mas tinned into dismay when they uaehrd the door, looked in and saw the Maom all standing on their heads, jabbering at tlip top of their voices trying who could finish Hie eeivice quickest. The poor old missionary wns nearly heart broken at s<-(-in^ mich a result for the labours of the best yo.iis of his life ♦ •* It wonl'l rt-iHy seiMii a.l if the diifcfc in ul sim vice wa« piov iiiLf ,') oncci'ss aft«T all, as tlie TiiiiL'iruo delnered In r mails in London r>f P.-)»iiniy 2') th, tlnrty oight days fio'n TiVtfhton, thiify nine day.s frr>,n \V Uti>'jt,n in ! D'liicd n, and fortyoiif frrmi Vuci'.inl This is really a capital p'-rfoim,ui'v, and what a rcmaikclih fa^t boat the Tongaiiro must he. as it w the turn-* allowed for tl.e San Finricisco mail, with all the vh.intiges of a moi e diuct route, and tin con-v<-yaPco of the mnil acio^s the Ani' ncan nf;"ti'.e ,f liy t'j-n It will furiu h Sn J'lli ii< \*i/_" ' \\ ][',) a veiy |/o\v)fiil ftujM m< nt to iw in f.non of sliorfei iii^' vniy coiiiidei ibly Hie time in the new San Francisco ma'l service. Talking about thf Tong&riro's pas<ngo to u t!«-ntleman who came out here hv sailing ship two years ago, he said that it was evident that he hnd lo«t eighty days of his life, ns lvi voyage out hid occupied .1 hundred and eighteen days, whereas it might havo beeu made' in thirty-eipht. If that genMemnn'» time is worth £1000 a, yV< r he lost upwards of 0200 by com1 Ing'cut by ■*tting j vcs»el, les« the differ-

cnce in passage monej , winch would notbeveiygic.it In futuie no one will tiavel by sailing ship, unless he does so by his doctoi'a oideis, or hU time is of no \alue. vSt Mc.vgo.