Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian IslandsYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Religion
Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Missions -- Melanesia; Patteson, John Coleridge, 1827-1871
'So you can fancy, Joan, now, the manner of life. My little room with my
books is my snuggery during the middle of the day, and at night I have
also a large working table at one end of the big school-room, covered
with books, papers, &c., and here I sit a good deal, my room being
too small to hold the number of books that I require to have open for
comparison of languages, and for working out grammatical puzzles. Then
I am in and out of the kitchen and store-room, and boys' rooms, seeing
that all things, clothes, blankets, floors, &c., are washed and kept
clean, and doing much what is done in every house.'
Snuggery no doubt it looked compared with the 'Zillah;' but what would
the 'Eton fellow' of fifteen years back have thought of the bare,
scantily furnished room, with nothing but the books, prints, and
photographs around to recall the tastes of old, and generally a sick
Melanesian on the floor? However, he was glad enough to return thither,
though with only sixteen scholars from ten places. Among them was
Taroniara from Bauro, who was to be his follower, faithful to death. The
following addition was made to the letter to Mr. Edward Coleridge, begun
in Banks Islands:--
'Kohimarama: Dec. 1, 1860.
'One line, my dear tutor, before I finish off my pile of hastily written
letters for this mail.
'Alas! alas! for the little schooner, that dear little vessel, our home
for so many months of each year, so admirably qualified for her work.
Whether she may be got off her sandy bed, no one can say. Great expense
would certainly be incurred, and the risk of success great also.
'I have not yet had time to talk to the Bishop, I only reached New
Zealand on November 28. We cannot, however, well do our work in
chartered vessels [then follows a full detail of the imperfections of
the 'Zillah' and all other Australian merchant craft; then--But, dear
old tutor, even the "Southern Cross" (though what would I give to
see her now at her usual anchorage from the window at which I am now
sitting!) for a time retires into the distance, as I think of what is to
take place (D.V.) in January next.
'I hoped that I had persuaded the Bishop that the meeting of the General
Synod in February 1862 would be a fit time. I do not see that the Duke's
despatch makes any difference in the choice of the time. But all was
settled in my absence; and now at the Feast of the Epiphany or of
the Conversion of St. Paul (as suits the convenience of the Southern
Bishops) the Consecration is to take place. I am heartily glad that the
principle of consecrating Missionary Bishops will be thus affirmed and
acted upon; but oh! if some one else was to be the Bishop!
'And yet I must not distrust God's grace, and the gift of the Holy
Spirit to enable me for this work. I try and pray to be calm and
resigned, and I am happy and cheerful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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