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
'I have been reading Helps again this voyage, a worthy book, and
specially interesting to me. How much there is I shall be glad to read
about. What an age it is! America, how is that to end? India, China,
Japan, Africa! I have Jowett's books and "Essays and Reviews." How much
I should like to talk with you and John, in an evening at Heath's Court,
about all that such books reveal of Intellectualism at home. One does
feel that there is conventionalism and unreality in the hereditary
passive acceptance of much that people think they believe. But how on
Jowett's system can we have positive teaching at all? Can the thing
denoted by "entering into the mind of Christ or St. Paul" be substituted
for teaching the Catechism?
'Not so, writes my dear Father in the depth of his humility and
simplicity, writing to me what a father could scarcely say to a son!
But our peculiar circumstances have brought this blessing to me, that I
think he has often so "reamed out" his heart to me in the warmth of his
love to a son he was never again to see in the body, that I know him
better even than I should have done had I remained at home.
'So wonderful was my dearest Father's calmness when he wrote on the 24th
of April, that if he was alive to write again in May, I think it not
impossible that he may allude to these matters. If so, what golden words
to be treasured up by me! I have all his letters. You will see, or have
seen him laid by my dear Mother's side. They dwell together now with Him
in Paradise.
'Good-bye, my dearest Uncle. Should God spare your life, my letters will
be more frequent to you now.
'My kindest love to Aunt.
'Your affectionate and grateful Nephew,
'J. C. PATTESON, Missionary Bishop.'
There is little more record of this voyage. There was less heart and
spirit than usual for the regular journalizing letter; but the five
weeks' voyage had been most beneficial in restoring health and energy,
and it had one very important effect upon the Mission, for it was here
that Lieutenant Capel Tilly, R.N., became so interested in the Mission
and its head, as to undertake the charge of the future 'Southern Cross.'
The 'Cordelia' was about to return to England, where, after she was
paid off, Mr. Tilly would watch over the building of the new vessel on a
slightly larger scale than the first, would bring her out to Kohimarama,
and act as her captain.
So great a boon as his assistance did much to cheer and encourage the
Bishop, who was quite well again when he landed at Mota on September 17,
and found Mr. Pritt convalescent after a touch of ague, and Mr. Kerr so
ill as to be glad to avail himself of Captain Hume's kind offer to take
him back to Auckland in the 'Cordelia.'
Probably all were acclimatised by this time, for we hear of no more
illness before the 'Sea Breeze,' with Mr. Dudley, came, on the 10th of
October, to take the party off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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