Parson on Horse-back

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 125, 14 November 1941, Page 5

Parson on Horse-back

REMEMBER one trip I made some years ago to a coastal district of a parish. We went up by launch for some hours-spent a night in a country (very country) hotel en route-on again the next morning to our destination. Then a spot of visiting, and a day’s sea fishing (very good) and then a long

trip in a buggy-the back full of fish, which we distributed on the journey of about 20 ‘miles, during which we crossed the ‘river-bed about 30 times. This j}was a Sunday -and we had a service in the afternoon in a sheep station house, to which folk had come in from all over the district on horseback, and so back to our temporary home. The next day I got on ae horse

(something I hadn’t done for years) and began the ride back. How it rained, and how wet I got. How the horse slid down tracks on to the beach-with me clinging on for dear life. However, I landed at a house where they were total strangers-and had no claim on my services as they didn’t belong to our Church. The good people insisted on my staying till the storm cleared, and dried my clothes and fed .me. Then we found the launch had missed its timetable because the owner had seen a whale and had collected his pals to go and have a stab at it-so on I stayed for a day or two-till the launch did come. When it arrived it only took me a few miles, and dropped me again for a night. I borrowed another horse, and went on to a schoolhouse for hospitality.

On again the next day---and the sea was roughand, after all. that, we were anchored for an hour and a-half outside the river bar waiting for the tide to rise. All a great experience-and very good for the country parson.-(" The Parson in Town and Country," 1YA, November 6.)