WEDDING BELLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 8, 21 February 1901, Page 15

WEDDING BELLS.

KNIGHT— WHITE. A QUIET but pretty wedding (writes a correspondent) took place in the Churoh of the Sacred Heart, Timaru, on the 14th inst., when Mr C. E. Knight, of Timaru, was united in the bonds of matrimony to Miss L. White, formerly of Oamaru. A Nuptial Mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Tubman, who also performed the marriage ceremony. The bridegroom was supported by his brother, Mr A. Knight, as groomsman, and the bride was attended by Miss L. Knight as bridesmaid. The bride was attired in a costume of soft white foulard material, with floral hat, and the bridesmaid wore a pretty salmon-colored embroidered dress with cream-trimmed hat. At the conclusion of the ceremony the party adjourned to the residence of the bridegroom's parents, where the wedding breakfast was laid. Mr and Mrs Knight were the recipients of many useful and handsome presents as expressive of the high esteem and kindly feeling entertained by numerous friends towards them. The happy couple left in the afternoon by the express for the North. o'buikn— shanks. A marriage which attracted much attention took place recently in the Sacred Heart Church Reefton, when Miss M. A. Shanks, niece of Mr. J. Nagle, was married to Mr. J. O'Brien, the ceremony

being performed by the Rev. Father Hickson. The bride (says the Inangahua Times} was given away by her uncle and looked very attractive in a drees of cream nun's veiling with cream broche bodice, richly embroidered. The bridesmaids, Miss Celia Morris, and Miss Molly Gilbertson (cousin of the bride), were also attired most becomingly. Both bride and bridesmaids carried handsome bouquets ; that of the bride composed of orange blossom and maiden hair fern, together with a gold bar brooch set with pearls being the gift of the bridegroom, who also presented a gold bar brooch to each of the bridesmaids. Mr. J. McSherry acted as best man. After the ceremony the bridal party were entertained at afternoon +*>» at thp residence of Mrs. Nagle. The young couple were the recipients of a large number of valuable presents, not thu least among whifh were two or three cheques for hubatantial amounts from relatives in Australia. EVANS — BURROWS. At the Pro-Cathedral, Christchurch, on January 30 (writes our own correspondent), a wedding took place which occasioned more than ordinary interest. The Very Rev. Dean Foley, S.M.. officiated, and the contracting parties were Mr. C. H. Evans, of the firm of Messrs. Lees and Evans, and Miss M. A. Burrows, only daughter of Mr. Samuel Burrows, of Halswell. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a handsome costume of cream brocaded silk, trimmed with chiffon and orange blossoms. Misses Marion and Frances Evans and Delia Mannix attended as bridesmaids, wearing dainty white silk dresses, trimmed with lemon-colored ribbon, with picture hata to correspond. The bridesmaids wore massive gold bangles, the gift of the bridegroom. His gift to the bride was a bangle set with diamonds and sapphires, and the bride's gift to the bridegroom, a pair of handsome gold sleeve links suitably inscribedThe bridegroom was attended by Mr. 11. Burrows and Mr. B. Evans* After the ceremony the guests were entertained at breakfast by Mrand Mrs. Burrows at their residence, Halswell. The Very Rev. Dean Foley presided, and the happy couple were the recipients of many good wishes. A social was given in the evening at the Art Gallery, attended by upwards of 1 50 guests, Mr. and Mrs. Evans leaving subsequently for Auckland, where the honeymoon was to be spent. Amongst the numerous and costly presents was a beautiful one to the bride from the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Mount Magdala, and cheques from Mr. and Mrs. Burrows and Mr. H. Burrowß.

Messrs Herbert, Haynes, and Co., Princes street, Dunedin, are now making their first autumn Hhow of the latest novelties received from the principal manufacturing- centres of the world. Every department is stocked with the be.st and most up-to-date goods in the market. Visitors to Dunediu should not miss calling at the establishment and inspecting the very superior stock. — ,% The proprietors of the Melbourne Arfmrati have much pleasure in announcing that they have purchased the sole right of publishing the new ami interesting book. For Land and Pt oplc \ or, the Bmr Story oj tin War, by Mr. Michael Davitt. Thp tirst chapter will appear in the Ad r orate on an early date. Many people are anxious to hear what Mr. Davitt ha 1 * to say on the origin of the struggle in South Africa, and they can gratify their wish by becoming subscribers to our Melbourne contemporary. The subscription ia 15a per annum, posted to any part of Australia. — # %

from the Catholic standpoint, by one who is sure to be listened to with respect in every one of the seven colonies of Australasia. We refer to the distinguished prelate, the Archbishop of Melbourne, who on last Monday left our shores. We were privileged to publish his views on the education problem in our last is«ue, and this week we pnnl a further statement made by him upon the same burning theme in the course of his reply to the address of thecleigy and laity of j)inieuin. 10 i-> ut^piuialjie, o<iul liv m the course of his remarks, ' that non-Catholics will not take up the question of Christian education.' ' They have time and again given expression to the pain which they feel at viewing the decay of Christian ideals. They admit that the Churches are neglecting their duty, and that there is a great deal of profanity and vice amongst the rising generation. But in this matter they take no steps to counteract a tendency which will be ultimately fatal to family and national life. They will not co-operate with Catholics in trying to introduce a system of education which is an absolutely necessary means of inducing a Christian character in any country.'

The hard secularism of the present system of public instruction is a blow at every Christian creed. Thanks to their splendid spirit of self-sacrifice, Catholics experience its natural and calculable results in the least degree. But it is dealing the various non-Catholic Christian denominations a staggering blow. And hence from pulpit and platform and from the midst of synods and assemblies and conventions rises the alarm-cry that the denominations arc losing their hold on the young, that attendance at church services is becoming sparse, and that religion generally is showing signs of dry-rot. And coupled with this melancholy plaint is the attempt to abdicate one of the chief functions of a Christian Church — the religious instruction of youth — and to fling it upon the shoulders of the State. But, as we have frequently shown, the solution of the difficulty does not lie that way. What is required of our Protestant fellow-colonists is less of helpless complaint about the natural results of a state of things in which they have too long acquiesced ; less of portentous head-shakings and of profitless resolutions that lead to nothing practical ; and more of that self-sacri-fice of which their less wealthy Catholic neighbors aiv giving them year in yeai out such a moviug example. Let the Presbyterians or Anglicans of Ken Zealand, or any considerable section of either of their., set seriously about building, equipping, and maintaining Christian schools for the upbringing of their children in accordance with their respective ideals of religious instruction, and the education problem will soon solve itself. And in due course thereafter we shall hear fewer wailings about diminished attendance at religious services and the relaxing hold of the Churches upon the masses of the people. As for Catholics : let them keep their hearts up and persevere in the good work, for — in the words of the First Napolkon — ' victory belongs to the most persevering.'