R. T. PLAYFORD (now the Hon. T. Playford, and Agent-General for South Australia) called on September 18, 1873, and informed me of his father's death, and the arrangements that had been made for the funeral. On the following day we committed the remains of this venerable soldier and servant of Jesus Christ to the grave, in Mitcham Cemetery, in the presence [358] of a large assembly, Mr. G. Prince assisting me at the service. Pastor Playford died at seventy-eight years of age, and from the time of his arrival in South Australia in 1844, had continued to preach and teach, with the exception of a few intervals of illness, till within a few days of his decease. Shortly after this mournful event, I wrote a short sketch of Mr. Playford's eventful life, which, after appearing in the Register, was published in pamphlet form. I shall only attempt a brief resume of the contents of this pamphlet, and express the opinion that a much more extended notice than that I gave would be interesting and instructive.

      Mr. Playford's parents occupied a small farm by the River Don, in Yorkshire; and he states, in his autobiographical notes, that they "were both religiously disposed," and that their piety was throughout his life "a living fact before his eyes." In early life he was of a studious and contemplative turn of mind, and seldom joined the village boys in their sports and amusements. He was employed on the farm till he was about sixteen years of age, when, a captain of the Guards visiting the neighborhood, he enlisted in the army. At this time he was upwards of six feet in height, and stoutly built, and was considered just suited for this squadron of heavy cavalry. Placed in this position, home influences lost their power; and in course of time his scruples were overcome, and he accompanied his comrades to the theatre, and sometimes acted a part on the stage. He was ordered to Lisbon, and assisted the Portuguese in resisting the encroachments of the French under Napoleon. The first battle in which Mr. Playford took part was that of Vittoria, on June 21, 1813, and the scenes of carnage witnessed there led him to the conclusion that the life of a soldier was not one that he could continue in. He was at the Battle of Toulouse, on April 10, 1814; but on this occasion the Guards were only called upon to pursue the broken ranks of the French army. In June, 1815, the Guards were quartered in Flanders, ready for action when their services should be required. At 2 or 3 o'clock on the morning of June 16, Mr. Playford says they were awakened by the sound of the English bugle, followed soon after by that of their own trumpets calling them to horse and to arms. They did not see much service, however, on June 16 or 17; but on the 18th were in the throes of the Battle of Waterloo. After giving a graphic description of this terrible conflict, he says that the day after the battle the loss of his comrades had been so great that only about twenty could be mustered of the hundreds that had formed time after time to confront the enemy. Great, however, as was the loss [359] sustained by the Guards, the destruction of the foe was awful in the extreme. Mr. Playford considered that his life had been providentially preserved, and some time after his return to England he began to reflect that he had been spared to engage in other work than killing men--though, strange to say, he was not conscious of having destroyed a fellow-creature while fighting with all his might. In 1824, having received £5 for painting a picture entitled "Perseverance," Mr. Playford was granted a month's leave of absence, and re-visited his parents. This visit to the country seems to have revived the love of solitude which he indulged in when a youth, and his reflections upon the scenes which he had passed through since then prepared the way for those deep religious impressions of which he shortly afterwards became the subject. On Mr. Playford's return to London it appears that his duties were chiefly if not entirely of a clerical character, for he states that his employment as clerk left much time on his hands, which he devoted to exercise, to private prayer, and to reading the Scriptures. At this period he was about 32 or 33 years of age, and had no clearly defined views of religion. He generally attended the services of the Church of England in the morning, and went to Wesleyan or other dissenting places of worship in the evening. Some zealous Wesleyans took him by the hand, and he became more interested in the services of that Church than of any other it had been his lot to become acquainted with. The preaching of the Rev. Edward Irving attracted his attention for a time, but he concluded that there was too much error mixed up with truth in Mr. Irvine's teaching, and therefore felt that he could not become an Irvingite. A deep impression was made upon his mind that he ought to devote himself to the preaching of the Gospel, but instead of entering on this work he undertook to prepare the history of his regiment (which there was some difficulty in getting anyone to do), provided the Colonel would obtain permission for him to have access to such State papers as were necessary for the purpose. The records he prepared were shown to His Majesty William IV., who not only expressed his approval of them, but wished for additional particulars. To furnish these, Mr. Playford had recourse to the Library of the British Museum, and when he had completed the task assigned to him, he received a monetary return for his services. Having obtained a grant of land in Canada, he proceeded there; but he was unable to reach the land in consequence of a dense forest that intervened. On his return to England in 1835, after a serious illness in New York, caused through exposure and hardship [360] in Canada, he obtained employment in connection with the Adjutant-General's department, and was engaged for several years in preparing military records of the British Army. In this employment he says he took delight, and that up to that period it proved to him to be the happiest part of his life.

      In 1837 Mr. Playford went to hear the Rev. Robert Aitken, who had seceded from the Church of England, and formed what he termed a Christian Society in London. The enquirer after truth was so well pleased with what he heard that he soon joined the society, and became a very useful member of it. He was appointed a class-leader, and so successful was he in this sphere that his class, which was begun with three members, increased in a short space of time to 110. He also became an elder and an acceptable preacher in the society, and in this capacity he gave prominence to those portions of Scripture which treat of the pre-millennial personal advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mr. Aitken wished Mr. Playford to give up writing military history and devote himself to the work of the ministry; but he did not feel that he was called at that time to do so. In 1841 some dissensions arose in the Christian Society, in consequence of which it was reduced to a few small congregations, and over one of these Mr. Playford presided for about three years. In 1844 Mr. Playford arrived in South Australia, having purchased some land here as early as 1836. Soon after his arrival he began to preach regularly in a small chapel in Hindley Street, extending his labors to the suburbs as opportunity offered. In 1848 the Christian Church he formed in Hindley Street removed to Bentham Street Chapel, and for this Church he labored as an unpaid pastor for upwards of twenty years. Mr. Playford published two or three volumes of his sermons, and a collection of hymns, many of which are original. He intended that the Church he was instrumental in forming should be undenominational, and should have no other name than that of "Christian." Several other Churches in the Colony have adopted the name, but have not formed themselves into an organised association.

      On October 28, 1873, there was a special meeting of the Church in Bentham Street to take into consideration the appointment of a pastor; and as I had for several years occupied the position of co-pastor, I was asked to fill the vacancy occasioned in the pastorate of the Church by the death of Mr. Playford. After conferring with Mr. Angas, and stating that I would continue to render him all possible assistance, I found that he was willing for me to accept the position. Under these circumstances [361] I allowed myself to be nominated for the honorary office, and was unanimously elected, and thanked for my past services. I pointed out that, with my numerous engagements, I could devote only a small portion of time to pastoral visitation; but the Church did not deem this to be a great objection, as individual members would assist in that work. As for several years past Mr. Playford had been unable to attend to visitation, I had relieved him largely of the duty, and the only difference now was the increased responsibility. I am of opinion that it is impossible for any pastor to gauge the exact spiritual state of each member of his flock without personal converse in the home, and that this is equally indispensable to the maintenance of a healthy condition in any Christian Church. A physician must see his patients and personally diagnose each case before he can prescribe a remedy, and would only in extreme necessity do otherwise; how necessary, then, is an accurate individual knowledge to one who has the care of souls! The Church at Bentham Street at the time under notice was fairly vigorous; the attendances at the Lord's-day services (including the Lord's Supper) were satisfactory; and the other meetings were well attended. Besides the ordinary work of the Church I had accepted for a season the superintendence of the Sunday-school, and also continued to conduct a class of young men. Some of my readers might imagine that I was greedy for work; but it is the fact that I did not seek for it, and only entered upon a labor when there appeared to be no one else to undertake it. Pastor Playford, though holding what are termed Baptist principles, did not during the latter part of his ministry fraternise with the Baptists. As a minister of the Gospel he occupied an almost isolated position, a course which did not altogether meet with my approval; consequently I took an early opportunity to show a more fraternal feeling both towards the Baptists and the Disciples, or Church of Christ. I became a personal member of the Baptist Association, and was placed on the committee of the Baptist Missionary Society--for several years taking an active part in the work of the latter, though I was by no means an enthusiast in the missionary cause. It may be supposed that my views on the Second Advent of Christ militated against any display of missionary ardor; but this cannot be said as regards some of the most zealous and successful missionaries of the present day. Dr. John Hudson Taylor (of the China Inland Mission), Pastor George Muller, Grattan Guinness, and other ardent advocates of missions to the heathen, are thorough believers in [362] the Second Advent; and this rather acts as a stimulus to the propagation of the Gospel than otherwise. The chief reason for my withdrawal from the committee above-mentioned was that the work was sometimes carried on by means of a bank overdraft, and this I considered to be at variance with the teaching of the New Testament. At the close of 1873 I accompanied my mother on her usual summer excursion to Port Victor for the last time. At this seaside resort I was afforded a little rest and recreation, though even here some work was found for me; and on the Lord's-day I conducted two services at Glenford, a few miles distant. My last entry for 1873 runs thus:--"This year has been a very trying one for me, the early part of it especially, when I had to take over the agencies of my late brother till the appointment of a successor. I felt at times that I must sink under the weight of my many engagements; but the Lord gave me strength sufficient for the day. After the death of Pastor Playford, fresh anxieties and responsibilities came upon me, and these probably had something to do with the attack of fever and dysentery which laid me low for two or three weeks. The active part I had taken in the inauguration of the Second Advent services was an important addition to my regular and irregular work; all of which contributed to tax my mental and physical powers to the utmost. While thus actively engaged, I frequently consoled myself with the thought that I 'there's resting by-and-by."'

      In the early part of 1874 I went up to Lindsay House for a few days to confer with Mr. Angas on family affairs and various matters of business. I was treated as a confidential friend and adviser, and in this position I was able, by correspondence and personal intercourse, to render such advice and assistance as lay in my power. Mr. Angas found that with increasing age he was not able to travel to and fro as in former years; this led me to go more frequently to his country residence at Lindsay House. These visits were a pleasanter change to me than to Mr. Angas, because he found that during my stay there were so many matters to talk over that the strain was too much for him, causing frequent headaches. He found that there were many things left undone which he had wanted to do; moreover, the way did not seem clear to him to carry them out satisfactorily. And procrastination tended rather to increase than to remove these difficulties. This will account for many of Mr. Angas's benevolent ideas never getting beyond the embryo stage. He did not like the system of endowments, and this feeling probably influenced [363] him in great measure to give largely during his lifetime. In July and August I again went up to Lindsay House for a few days to render Mr. Angas the assistance which he needed in making up his private ledger and attending to such other private matters as pertained to the department which was specially entrusted to me. As on previous occasions, no progress was made in respect to the various plans and schemes for doing good, and postponement was again the order of the day.

      At the end of May, 1874, my mother became very unwell and had to be confined to bed. Though she rallied once or twice, she became weaker and weaker, leaving us little hope of her recovery. For two or three weeks I was in almost constant attendance upon her, getting only a few snatches of sleep occasionally. Her mind was calm, and she appeared to be quite prepared for the issue. In reply to an inquiry by one who visited her when she neared the end, she replied: "I am weak in body, but strong in mind." This remark correctly represented my mother's life-long experience--so long, at least, as I can remember--though I do not think that such would apply to her early days. On June 8, 1874, she ended a long and a useful career, dying in the eighty-second year of her age. My mother's death was a great grief to me. As she had attained to such a ripe age, however, and had the good hope of eternal life, I could not sorrow as those bereaved who were destitute of any such hope. As she was much respected by those who knew her, there were many expressions of sympathy and regret. I have mentioned the summer trips that she took to the seaside during the last few years of her life. While staying there she collected specimens of seaweed and thousands of shells, which she intended to put to practical use. With these she made a number of grottoes of different sizes and design, and the proceeds of the sale were to be devoted to a benevolent object. In the construction of these my mother displayed surprising ingenuity; a vast amount of patience, too, was necessary to complete the various designs. One of these was disposed of for £5; the others realised sufficient to make up between £20 and £30, which was handed over to the Benevolent and Strangers' Friends' Society. My mother never seemed to grow weary of such work, and the placing of thousands of these tiny shells in position was a task that few would have attempted, at any rate at her age. Nothing was more irksome to my mother than to be unable to do anything, and she devoted herself, till within a short period of her death, to the self-imposed task of fixing shells, coral, and seaweed on the various grottoes that she [364] made, engaging, at intervals, in reading and writing. The following extract which she made from the Governor's Speech at the opening of Parliament in May, 1874, appears to have struck her as a recognition of God in the Government:--"I earnestly pray that it may please Almighty God to bless all your efforts for advancing the moral, social, and material progress, of this Province."

      Towards the close of 1874 it occurred to me that the knowledge I possessed of the past history of the Colony, and my political training for several years while with Mr. Angas, qualified me to some extent for the position of a member of Parliament. I may say that some of my friends had encouraged, if they had not actually originated, the idea; and as a preliminary step I communicated it to Mr. Angas. In a letter dated January 14, 1875, that gentleman said:--"I care not whether you are returned an M.P. or not; though, of the two, I would rather you were not for I often need your help in my private affairs. I fear I should have little of it, if you were an M.P. I am feeling the effects of age, sometimes very painfully; still, act out your own convictions and sense of duty, and may God guide you." On the following day a letter from Mr. Angas intimated that I could not expect any help from him, as he found that his mental and physical powers were declining; and that he needed more help, instead of less, while sliding down the hill of life. These intimations were by no means encouraging, and I felt sorry on account of Mr. Angas, that there was the possibility of being unable to render him the assistance he so much required; but still it appeared to me that I ought to offer myself as a candidate for Parliament.

      As may be supposed, it was soon noised abroad among my friends that I intended to enter the political arena; and the addition was naturally made that I purposed tendering a resignation of the pastorate of the Bentham Street Church. A very faithful friend, on hearing the report, wrote to me as follows: "My dear brother--I have been informed (which I hope is a mistake) that you have resigned the pastorship, with the intention of seeking membership of another kind, namely, of Parliament. If this is true, I would ask, dear brother, have you found the good fight of faith so easy that you must add to your trouble by entering the arena of political warfare; and be mixed up voluntarily with worldly men? Is the preaching and teaching of the things of Christ of no more moment than to be given up for the things of this world? How many Christian ministers [365] have entered the House, thinking, no doubt, to do good, and where are they now? What warrant have you in the New Testament for seeking power on earth? 'My Kingdom is not of this world,' said Jesus. We shall reign, no doubt; but it will be when His Kingdom comes. My dear brother, 'feed the Church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood,' and leave the State to those men who see it to be their calling to fill its offices. Yours is one infinitely higher. I will not say any more; if I have written from misinformation, forgive me.--I am, dear brother, yours in Christ, (Signed) Wm. Finlayson." This kind and faithful letter, though written before I set out on my election campaign, did not reach me till after my return. Had I received it at an earlier stage, it is possible that I would have abandoned the idea of putting myself forward as a candidate; especially as I found that the pastors of other Christian Churches with whom I was more or less associated, entertained similar views to those of Pastor W. Finlayson. The fact is, that so soon as the thought took possession of me, my time was so fully taken up with correspondence with leading men in the district I had selected to represent, if elected, that I seemed to be carried forward by an almost irresistible impulse.

      My reason for selecting the District of Encounter Bay was that, at the time of deciding to offer my services, only one candidate (Mr. A. F. Lindsay) had been nominated for re-election; and I found that this gentleman was not averse to me contesting the seat. Meetings were arranged for us mutually to attend and expound our views on the questions of the day; and on January 25 I set out on my first electoral campaign. On the evening of that day I attended a meeting at Port Elliot, and met with a fairly favorable reception; but the meeting decided not to commit itself to either of the candidates. I answered several questions--among them one with reference to my connection with Mr. Angas, which appeared to hint that I was put forward by him. Such, of course, was not the case; but I considered that, if this report were allowed to circulate, it would militate greatly against my chances. Next day, while musing on the rocks of Port Elliot, and thinking over the events of the previous evening, a bill was placed in my hand which announced that Mr. J. P. Boucaut intended to offer himself as a candidate with "a broad and comprehensive policy"--which almost took my breath away, and nearly "all the wind out of my sails." As Mr. Boucaut's policy embraced the expenditure of a large sum of money on a breakwater at Victor Harbor, with a view to facilitate the shipment of [366] produce brought down the Murray via Goolwa, I began to think that my prospects were not very bright-looking. However, I determined to visit the other parts of the district, as had been arranged and announced. On January 26 I started for Yankalilla by way of Myponga, leaving the mail-cart at the nearest place that would enable me to intercept the mail running to my destination. Whilst walking on my solitary way, the only living creature I saw was a snake, which sought the shelter of some bushes; and the incident turned my attention for a time from politics to the subject of serpents and their ways. In due time the coach came along, and I pursued my journey southward by it. On arrival at Yankalilla, the landlord came out and enquired if I were aboard, and appeared pleased to welcome the new aspirant for legislative honors. After supper I was somewhat surprised to find that my host had been an officer and active worker in a Congregational Church on Yorke Peninsula. The burden of our conversation till a late hour was, religion and politics; and from my friend's experience in the "public" line, I discovered that his new sphere of labor had deprived him of much of the peace of mind he formerly enjoyed. This was not very encouraging to me, and I retired to rest with some misgivings as to the course I was pursuing. The next morning mine host went round with me to several of the electors, and introduced me--as if I was the man of his choice, whatever their opinions might be. After arranging for a meeting at Yankalilla on Thursday, he put a pair of horses in his trap and drove me to Bullaparinga, where a meeting was to be held in the evening. The ride was a charming one for scenery, though rather rough travelling. It was partly along the sea-beach from. Normanville, till passing through the Gap; then on the main road to Second Valley, through the well-cultivated country bordering Rapid Bay. On arrival at the place of meeting we found a large number assembled; and as Mr. Lindsay was the former member for the district, he was first asked to speak. He met with a warm reception; but a warmer one was accorded me, possibly for my encouragement as a stranger among them. The views which I enunciated appeared to take well with the rural population I had the honor of addressing. At the close a vote of thanks was passed, in the first place, to Mr. Lindsay and myself for attending; but this was not considered sufficient in my case, and an additional motion was carried unanimously in my favor. At about 11 o'clock we began the return journey, reaching Yankalilla at 1.30 in the morning. The moon favored us with sufficient light, and when. [367] we again drove along the shore, the breakers sounded their wild music and the welcome luminary shed her silvery rays over the dark waters of the Gulf. That was a memorable night to me, and the conflicting thoughts passing through my mind were somewhat in harmony with the ocean along whose verge we were journeying. At the aforesaid meeting there was much to encourage me; but there were serious misgivings in my inmost soul.

      On the following day I was present at an election meeting at Yankalilla, which was not largely attended. As it was announced that Mr. Boucaut was a candidate for the district, the people appeared disposed to wait till they had heard his views before coming to any conclusion. The meeting was lengthy, and after it was over I was entertained by my host till a late hour; and as I had to rise soon after 3 o'clock a.m., in order to go by the mail, this was something like turning night into day, as I had so often done when connected with the Press. I may here state that the political programme of my rival was totally different to mine, especially with reference to borrowing large sums of money for public works. The amount named was upwards of a million pounds. In fairness to Mr. Boucaut it should be understood that his borrowing policy was only partially adopted, leaving the imposition of additional taxation to pay the interest till the debt accumulated to an enormous amount. If the taxes had been levied with each loan there would not have been such a free hand in borrowing; and not only would the total indebtedness have been much less than it is, but the burden of taxation would have fallen much lighter. The plan that I suggested was an economical one: instead of borrowing large sums of money for the construction of railways, I considered that it would be safer and wiser to appropriate part of the proceeds arising from the sale of lands to the construction of light railways and tramways; also to keep the main roads, where there was neither of the above facilities for traffic, in a good state of repair. By this means the purchasers of land in any direction would have secured prompt communication with the nearest market for their produce without the necessity of burdening the whole colony unnecessarily with millions of debt. The tampering with the proceeds of the sale of land, and allowing such to find their way into the general revenue, appears to me to have been a vicious way of dealing with this portion of the finances of the Colony. I was a strong advocate for upholding the principles of the "Real Property Act," and was a member of the league formed for this purpose. I was also strongly in favor of maintaining Bible-reading in our [368] State schools, and other measures that I considered would be for the welfare of the community. On returning home after nearly a week of electioneering, I finally decided to withdraw from the contest; and not to enter upon another. It was publicly reported "that Mr. Boucaut had scared Mr. Hussey, who intended to retire into private life." This, like many other reports that appear in print, was only partially correct; as my primary reason for withdrawing was the fact of a second (or third) candidate coming forward. I certainly concluded that Mr. Boucaut was sure to be returned, and I did not like to run the risk of displacing the old member (Mr. Lindsay) who had served the district well. That there was the prospect of such a contingency, I have little doubt; in fact, the new member returned told me that I was a fool for retiring, as I would certainly have gone in with him. When it became known that Mr. Boucaut had offered himself for Encounter Bay, I received a pressing invitation from more than one quarter to stand for the District of Wooroora. One writer, after mentioning the names of the two candidates that were already in the field, said:--"We feel convinced that if you only came forward and made your views known, you would stand a better chance than either; and several of us have already pledged ourselves to work for you." I felt rather sorry to disappoint these kind friends, but having fully determined to abide by the decision I had arrived at, the most flattering and encouraging promises of support would not tempt me to alter it. Besides, I was strengthened and confirmed in the resolution made, by the letter of Pastor W. Finlayson, who, I found, voiced the opinion of other pastors whom I respected and esteemed. Mr. Angas, under date January 30, writes:--"From the position in which I see you are placed by the inroad of Mr. Boucaut, I fear you will have no chance of success: for if you go to the poll, Boucaut is sure to get in as one, and for the other either Lindsay or you will get in. Now, I do not think you wish Lindsay to be thrown out, nor do I; so then your best plan will be to retire, and not go to the poll. The present occasion will pave your way for a future contest, and you will be better known then. My wish is, that God will direct you as to your present course. I trust you will still continue to work with me in the cause of Christ."

      My electioneering freak proved to be a more serious affair than I had expected, and I consider that I richly deserved all the trouble it caused me. It somewhat unsettled Mr. Angas, and still more so the Church in Bentham Street, of which I was the [369] pastor. Had I been returned, as a matter of course I would have resigned the pastorate, but until the matter was finally settled I determined to take no action so far as the Church was concerned. I was aware that there were a few dissatisfied persons, and the step that I had taken afforded them an opportunity of attempting to carry out certain plans which they considered would be for the welfare of the Church. They assumed the role of reformers, and it was their intention to commence operations with the diaconate, which they thought needed to be re-organised. It was generally understood that, according to the trust-deed, the deacons were to hold office for an indefinite period, and there was no provision for removal or re-election. This fact placed a difficulty in the way of the reformers, and they then fell back upon the invalidity of the election of these officers, and all that they could discover was that there was nothing to show their having been elected in the prescribed form. The stand taken by me was that this negative point was not sufficient to prove invalidity, especially as they had been recognised for several years as properly authorised officers of the Church. Legal opinion was obtained, both by the deacons and the reformers; but this left the matter just about where it was before. Still the contention continued, and kept us in a disturbed state, with little prospect of a satisfactory settlement. To some extent my sympathies were with the reformers, but on constitutional and conservative grounds I felt that I ought to stand up for the diaconate. Ultimately a compromise was effected, and it was arranged that any who were elected to office should only hold it for three years, subject to re-election. The position which I took in this affair gave offence to the small, but strong and energetic, band of those who desired a change, and they left the other officers alone for a season and made a personal attack upon me. This had the effect of thoroughly arousing the Church, and as I felt quite sure that a large majority of the members wished me to continue my ministrations, I determined not to be put down or turned out by a mere handful of dissentients, however roughly they might handle me. I stated my willingness to resign at any time at the request of three--fourths of the members of the Church, but I would not do so in consequence of abuse or intimidation. This had the effect of allaying the fears of those who were apprehensive that the insults to which I was subjected were more than I could bear. I was told repeatedly by some that they failed to understand how I could pursue the even tenor of my way in and out of the pulpit under such circumstances. The fact is that I felt the Lord to be [370] on my side, and that I was not to fear what man could do. A meeting of the Church was specially called to consider the matter, and when the vote was taken to decide whether I should continue to occupy the pastoral office, 73 voted that I should still act, and 13 recorded their votes in favor of securing the services of a paid pastor. In addition to this vote a testimonial was presented to me signed by 92 members out of a total of about 116 in fairly regular attendance. This virtually settled the matter, but it did not silence my adversaries, who continued to indulge freely in their animadversions whenever opportunity offered. After passing through this ordeal for several months the officers and members of the Church determined to give me a substantial proof of their appreciation of the services that I had rendered. As I declined to accept any monetary consideration, they presented me with a handsome gold watch, suitably inscribed, as a token of their esteem and affection. Strangely, not one of the dissentients left us, and I think that they had a better opinion of me after the battle than they had before, when they saw that I could stand fire without returning it. There is such a thing as doing a right action in a wrong way and I concluded that there was good ground for an alteration in the constitution of the diaconate; and if the dissentients had set about the work in a kind, conciliatory way I would have assisted them to effect an alteration. Regarding the action against myself I felt that I deserved all I got for allowing politics to draw me aside from the path of duty. I determined thenceforth to have nothing whatever to do with Parliament, politics and the secular press; a resolution which I have rigidly adhered to ever since. Through the adoption of this course I have frequently been charged with neglect of duty; but not one of those who have brought this accusation against me have been able to point to a single passage where any such duty is enjoined upon me. I am willing to pay tribute or taxes, as in duty bound so to do; but I will not take any active part in laying them upon others. Then, as to assisting to put Christian men into place and power, I am so well aware that Christian voters form a very small minority, becoming smaller every year, that I consider it a waste of time and energy to attempt to do so; leaving other considerations out of the question.

      On May 1, 1875, Mr. Angas reached his eighty-sixth birthday, and I took the liberty of sending him the following lines, setting forth the various works in which he had been engaged: [371]

      During 1875 I paid two or three prolonged visits to Lindsay House, as Mr. Angas required my assistance more than ever; and he was very pleased at the thought that my services were not to be claimed in the Legislature. One of the above visits was in the month of August, and my aged friend was taken very ill during my stay. We had been sitting on the balcony till rather late in the evening, and Mr. Angas after a time remarked that he was afraid he had caught a chill. The next day confirmed his fears, and he was not well enough to write the usual English letters, but requested me to undertake this task. After he had retired to rest (as we supposed), Mrs. Parsons thoughtfully went to his room to see if all was right; and it was well that she did, as she found Mr. Angas kneeling by the bed-side unable to rise. She called to me, and we succeeded in getting the invalid to his resting-place; and I sat up with him that night. The local physician prescribed for him, but as there was scarcely any improvement, Dr. Campbell was telegraphed for on Saturday, the 7th, arriving in the evening. After examining the patient, the doctor stood and looked thoughtfully in his face, which led Mr. Angas to remark, with a smile, "Do not let the old house fall, doctor, for want of some repairs!" Mr. Angas, being of a highly sensitive and nervous temperament, seemed instinctively to shrink from the dissolution of his earthly tabernacle, and was pleased to hear a few cheering words from his medical attendant. His case, however, was considered so serious that Mr. J. H. Angas was sent for by telegram, and arrived at Freeling by special train on Sunday afternoon, being driven thence to Lindsay House. I remained several days longer, taking turn in the night-watches; till, seeing a little improvement, I returned to town. Mr. Angas's illness proved to be of a protracted character, and for a time he was unable to keep up his correspondence with me; so that, instead of receiving three or four letters each week, I had no direct communications from him. This gave me more time to attend to my pastoral duties, and I was needed at Bentham Street, where eight persons whom I had immersed were to be received into fellowship. This accession to our number somewhat compensated for the annoyances emanating from the band of would-be reformers in our midst. I have often noticed through life that, with any special trouble, there has been something of an opposite character to operate as a kind of counterpoise; and no doubt many fellow-Christians have had similar experiences.

      In October, 1875, a Bill was passed in the Legislature, virtually excluding the Bible from the State schools; which I [373] consider was the worst piece of legislation that had been enacted in the Colony. Instead of Bible-reading in school hours, permission was given for it to be read before the opening of the school, provided a certain number of parents signified their desire for such reading. If this was not a device of the devil, it certainly was of the enemies of the Bible, because its effect was to practically ostracise the Book. Was it at all likely that parents would make such an absurd request, or that children would voluntarily forego their play, and make themselves singular by any such means? If any valid reason had been adduced, to show that the practice of Bible-reading in school hours, which had prevailed for a quarter of a century, had not worked satisfactorily, there would have been some cause why it should be discontinued. No such reason, however, was assigned, and both parents and teachers were generally favorable to what had thus far worked without friction and dissatisfaction. The Roman Catholics, of course, would not be content with anything short of the dogmatic teaching of their Church; but even some of these have stated that they would prefer Bible-reading to a thoroughly godless system. Among the silly reasons that have been given for the exclusion of the Bible from the State schools, one is that portions of the Book are unfit to be read, and another, that some teachers could not be trusted to read it--and yet these very teachers are to be the instructors of the rising generation! From the worldly proclivities and practices of many of these guardians of our youth, I can quite understand that they would rather the Bible should not be read by them nor in their hearing. They would prefer getting up floral displays, operettas, and even dances, to having anything to do with Bible-reading. Probably they are not aware that by these means a feeling of pride and ostentation is being fostered in the youthful mind; and a taste given for the opera and the stage. I have before me a notice of an entertainment in one of our State schools, at which it is said "there was a large and enthusiastic audience"; and no wonder, when there were "part-songs, choruses, figure-marching, and physical and pole-drill; and the amusement concluded with dancing." This is only a sample of the way in which the young idea of the Colony is developed; but some children are literally "taught to shoot," or to carry muskets and perform military drill. It is said that morality is taught in our State schools. This must be a second-rate article, for the great and good in the present and past ages unite in affirming the Holy Scriptures to exhibit the only perfect standard of morality. Upon the supposition that it is inexpedient that the [374] Bible in its entirety should be read in the State schools, suitable selections have been prepared by the Irish National School Board, and by other bodies, to which no exception could possibly be taken by any but Jews, Mahommedans, pagans, and infidels. The suggestion to adopt even these has, alas! not met with favorable consideration. "Half a loaf" would be "better than no bread"; but the fact stands that God has provided bread for the children, and the State, withholding this, offers them a stone. In the course of a recent official enquiry as to the causes of juvenile depravity, an inspector of police gave, as one of the reasons, "the lack of religious training." The State, in the action under review, is responsible for not practically supplying that knowledge which one of its own officers declares would largely prevent the increase of crime among the young.

      Our position as a professedly Christian community is an exceedingly anomalous one. Our laws, to a large extent, are avowedly based on the Bible; the oaths taken in our courts of law and ceremonials are, with few exceptions, sworn on the Bible--and yet, strange to say, the very first time that thousands are brought into direct contact with the Book is on occasions such as are here mentioned! It is a gross and glaring piece of inconsistency to banish the Bible from the State schools, and yet retain it in our courts of law and other places and instances where an oath is to be taken. I suppose, when the extreme secularists see this palpable inconsistency, they will clamor for its disuse in the administration of oaths and in every other way. This would be more reasonable and rational, in my opinion, than to exclude the Book from the schools. So long as it continues to be used in our courts of law, the State-school children ought, in common fairness, to be taught what the Bible is and why it is so used; but if the taking of an oath on the Bible is an unmeaning ceremony, for which no good reason can be assigned, then the sooner it ceases to be so used the better. I have no doubt but that, as secularism progresses, and becomes more and more rampant, not only will the Bible be thrust out of our courts of law, but the recognition of God by the State in any way whatever will be utterly ignored. From a moral and religious point of view, I consider that our national system of education is about as bad as any to be found in the British dominions, and bids fair to sustain this character in the future. It has been said that the Sunday-school is the proper place for teaching the Bible, and I presume few will deny this; but how much more good might be done if this despised Book was read daily in the State schools and taught in the Sunday-schools? [375] The most serious phase of this question appears to me to be the indignity done to the Divine Majesty of Heaven by the rejection of the Bible by the State. It is said that God has "magnified His Word above all His name"; and He also says that "those who honor Me, I will honor; while those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." The Sovereign of the British Empire recognises this fact; for in reply to a question on one occasion, as to the cause of England's greatness, she replied (pointing to a Bible), "This is the secret of England's greatness and of England's power." A conviction has settled solidly in my mind that we have, as a community, been suffering for years on account of having excluded the Bible from the State schools. In the year following the action of the Legislature in practically shutting the Bible out, we had the smallest rainfall that has occurred since the foundation of the Colony. This expulsion was the act of the Legislature, and since then frequent attempts have been made to have it re-instated. I was a member of the Bible in State schools Society, and attended numerous committee meetings, besides being present at deputations to the Government. In this action I was associated with a few earnest and energetic advocates of Bible-reading in State schools, among whom were the Revs. Dean Marryat, Canon Farr, S. Mead, M.A., LL.B, J. McEwin, J. C. Kirby, J. Nicholson, C. H. Goldsmith; Lieut.-Col. Fergusson; Messrs. T. J. Gore, M.A., D. Nock, and our indefatigable hon. secretary, A. T. Magarey. The gentleman last named is worthy of all praise for the patience and perseverance which he displayed in rallying us up time after time to renew the attack on the secular citadel. We succeeded in taking a poll of the parents, the result showing that nine to one were in favor of Bible-reading during school hours, but those who of all others ought to have been allowed to settle the question were denied the right. At length a general referendum was adopted, and many hundreds who had no children, and the whole force of the secularists, availed themselves of the opportunity to vote against what the majority of the parents desired. This was the verdict of the people--the vox populi of the Colony; and, like the cry raised against One of old, "Away with Him," so this was, in like manner, "Away with the Bible." The referendum was as gross an act of injustice to the parents as could well be imagined; in fact it was a masterpiece of State craft, because it robbed that section of the people which had the best right to decide the question, and placed the power in the hands of thousands who had no children to educate, and of those who were opposed to [376] the teaching of the Bible. Dr. Clifford, who recently visited the Colony, is considered an authority regarding education, and he advocates Bible-reading in State schools. He stated that the Council of Churches in England, with which he was connected, "worked for the adoption of a system of education, free, compulsory, but Biblical and not denominational." This is just what we have been working and contending for here in vain. After the result was made known, a friend remarked to me, "We shall suffer for this." What is the fact? The smallest average yield of wheat that we have ever had and the greatest distress in the agricultural districts yet known. The withholding of rain has been God's method of punishing nations in the past for national sins, and the Bible teaches that He will adopt the same means even during the millennium reign of future blessedness. The facts I have mentioned with reference to the driest year following the expulsion of the Bible by the Legislature, and the lowest wheat average succeeding the referendum of 1896, will be regarded by many as merely co-incidences: to me they are remarkable ones. I shall not be at all surprised if we still have to suffer a deficient rainfall for the popular rejection of the Bible in the State schools, as well as for the recent refusal of the Federal Convention to recognise the Divine Sovereignty in any way in its deliberations. As the last-named determination not to seek Divine guidance in the affairs of the nation was the joint action of the international framers of the new Constitution, I am of opinion that the other colonies, as well as this, will incur the Divine displeasure. The dicta of scientists have been sought in vain as to the cause of droughts, and their theory of periodicity has proved fallacious. It appears to me that sceptics are disposed to trace the cause to anything else but a recognition of the Divine Sovereignty in mundane affairs. I may be derided by secularists for holding these opinions, but I care not for that: a man should have the courage of his convictions, whatever they may be.

      Leaving the Bible-reading question, I shall take the liberty of pointing out two or three inconsistencies in our State system of education. Its advocates desire to secure uniformity, and, as far as possible, universality; but, while succeeding in the former, they have signally failed in the latter. Taking the community as a whole, there is the greatest possible divergence in the education imparted to the youth of the Colony. Besides those instructed according to the uniform State school system, there are thousands of children taught in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and private schools (to say nothing of the colleges). While the [377] State properly refuses to give financial help to these various schools, parents suffer the injustice of having to contribute to the support of the State schools and likewise to those to which, for conscientious or private reasons, they send their children. This is palpably unjust; but there is an absurd phase of the system which should also be noticed, namely, that the very class of children which the State ought to educate--if it educates any are practically debarred from entering the national schools. I refer to the ragged and shoeless children, of whom, alas! there is a great number; and many of these neglected ones are ultimately sentenced to the Reformatory. There is quite as much class distinction under the present system, perhaps more, than if the State left the education of the young to the parents who can afford to pay for it. The State has voluntarily undertaken work that it was not asked to do, and has failed to perform the most important part of any education that is worth imparting. It has "sown to the wind," and will, sooner or later, assuredly "reap the whirlwind." It has omitted the first item of the revolutionary motto "Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!"--and has not succeeded in bringing about the other two. Where is the "equality" or "fraternity" between the college youth, the State-school boy, and the ragged, shoeless urchin? The State might, in an amended Education Act, remove one of these classes by providing shoes and stockings and decent clothing for those who are destitute of these necessary qualifications for admission to the State-schools. Instead of the injustice of fining or imprisoning poor people for not sending their children to school, when they are needed at home or to go out to earn a few shillings to assist in supporting the family, it would be more just and reasonable to grant rations to parents so situated than to punish them for adopting means to supply the natural wants of themselves and their families. I shall conclude my animadversions on our State-school system by remarking that it is another illustration of the advance of Secularism and Socialism in our midst, which has already wrought incalculable mischief, and is likely in the near future to work much more.

      In concluding my summary for 1875, I find I was anticipating the time when my services would no longer be required by Mr. Angas; and when I should be in a position to give myself more entirely to the Word of God and to prayer. Notwithstanding the trying ordeal we had passed through as a Church, the congregations kept up, and I entertained the hope that the year 1876 would prove a more peaceful and prosperous one than the [378] last. As some of our young people contemplated wedlock, and desired me to officiate, I was advised to take the necessary steps for enrolment under the Marriage Act which I assisted in preparing for the Legislature in 1867. I was at once numbered with the officiating ministers of the Colony, but have not been favored with much business in this line, though it has proved lucrative to some. For a period of nearly twenty years I have only had an average of four or five marriages per annum; but probably some have not averaged this. One of my most novel experiences was in the case of an aged couple who made application to me to put them in the way of obtaining a separation. I gave them to understand that this was not a branch of my business, and that I certainly would be no party to such a transaction. The reason urged for wishing the marriage dissolved was incompatibility of temperament: the woman was very talkative, and the man very quiet, and she could not draw him into conversation. I thought it rather an unreasonable complaint on the part of the wife, as she seemed quite capable of doing his share of the talking as well as her own. I succeeded in bringing matters to a satisfactory conclusion by enquiring how they fared when first they were married, and was informed that for several years they lived happily together. I then suggested that they should come again to me and go through the marriage ceremony once more. After this, they were advised to re-commence life just as they did when first they were man and wife. This suggestion savored so much of the ridiculous that I think they felt ashamed of themselves, and went home a little wiser than when they came to me upon such a fool's errand.

      During 1876 I was asked to take part in the work of the Aborigines' Friends' Association, and with pleasure agreed to the request. I was appointed as one of the speakers at the annual meeting, which was presided over by His Excellency the Governor. On this occasion I made use too freely of my "h's." One or two kind and faithful friends had informed me of this failing, and encouraged me to persevere in overcoming it; but I found it, like other bad habits, difficult to master. In the course of my address I urged upon the Christian public to aid the Association, which had done so much good for the temporal and spiritual welfare of the aborigines; and to emphasise this point I put the letter h before the word aid. The quick and cultured ear of the Governor's A.D.C. caught the sound of that naughty h, and the look that he gave rather disconcerted me in my appeal, as I was conscious of the mistake I had made. It was too late, [379] however, to recall the offending letter, and all that I could do was to resolve that I would be more watchful and careful in future not to transgress. I may just add, for the encouragement of any who may be troubled with a weakness of this kind, that by patient perseverance and watchfulness the h difficulty has been to a great extent overcome by me, and its proper place assigned to it. I entered heartily into the work of the Association, and was appointed during one year, in conjunction with my friend, Mr. H. Hammond, to pay the annual visit of inspection to the native location at Point McLeay and report to the committee. In connection with the "h's" already referred to, it is rather a singular co-incidence that the initials of the deputation were all H.'s I had seen the aborigines in their almost wild state, and this trip afforded me an opportunity of seeing them in a civilised condition, which plainly showed them mentally capable of receiving a fair ordinary education, and of becoming consistent Christians. The inhabitants of Reid Town appeared to be a happy community, and the children educated in the school showed a remarkable aptitude in learning the various lessons which they were taught. The visit included a steamboat trip across Lake Alexandrina, and a journey through Mr. Bowman's sheep-run, where kangaroos and emus were sharing with the sheep the rich pasture land. The sheep-station at The Needles, on the Coorong, leased to the Association, was also visited; and altogether I added to my small stock of knowledge of the topography of the Colony.

      As the health of Mr. Angas did not improve sufficiently to enable him to attend to his various works of benevolence as formerly, my services were not required; and I was in a position to devote my time and energies to the building-up of the Church in Bentham Street. The prospect of leaving Prospect Villa, where I had resided for upwards of ten years, led me to erect a two-story house on an allotment in Victoria Square, which had been unoccupied from the year 1853. Having had a little experience in the building line, I undertook the position of architect and clerk of works for this structure, and introduced two or three new ideas in the way of ventilation, heating, etc., which answered very well. After keeping very close to writing for several years, this change of occupation was not only pleasing, but beneficial to my health. I also considered that a residence in the City would enable me to attend better than I had done to my pastoral duties; that it would be more convenient for my son, who was employed at a large mercantile house in Adelaide, and was often detained until very late--an occurrence so usual that [380] the establishment became known as "The Lighthouse"; that my daughters could more easily attend to their scholastic work; and lastly, that I could be more useful in various ways if in a more central position. In anticipation of leaving Prospect Villa, I took the liberty of asking Mr. Angas's permission for Mr. R. Berry, city missionary, to occupy the house rent free, as he was in want of a residence. This application was favorably entertained, and while Mr. Berry was gratified at receiving such a concession, I was pleased to have been the means of obtaining it for the mere asking.

      Having made a start in the building line, I took another job in hand, and carried it to completion. We had long felt the want of a suitable room for our Sunday-school, and having established a building fund with a view of erecting one when in a position to do so, we had a few hundreds of pounds in hand. In setting this fund in motion I had a two-fold object in view, namely, in the first place, to induce the members of the Church to adopt the practice of contributing regularly (and, as they were not required to pay their pastor, they could very well do this); and secondly, by laying up in store I was hopeful that we would, sooner or later, get the necessary school accommodation. The process was rather tedious, and we were so far from obtaining sufficient for the purpose that our patience was becoming exhausted. It then occurred to me that, by cutting off the transept from the main part of the building, an excellent schoolroom would be provided; and an extension of the front of the chapel would compensate for what had been taken from its rear, besides improving its appearance. This plan being approved, a building committee was appointed; and our architect having prepared the necessary preliminaries, tenders were invited for the work. Those sent in ranged from £730 to £938, and as the lowest was above our mark, it was decided to exercise a little more patience. During this delay some of our people conceived the idea of procuring a pipe-organ, the cost of which, it was stated, would be about £200. The funds for this were to be raised independently of the money contributed towards building; and to carry out this idea as well, it was estimated that we would require altogether about £1,000. By waiting a little longer we did not despair of raising the whole of this amount; but it was decided that no contract should be entered into till there was a reasonable prospect of payment being made on completion of the work.

      The year 1877 had been one of great changes to me and mine in various ways, especially as regards our removal to the [381] city and the additional duties that I had undertaken in connection with the Church in Bentham Street. In addition to the building operations in which I had been engaged, there had been an increase of committee work that demanded much of my time and attention. My labor in the Lord had not been in vain, for I had the pleasure of immersing several--about twenty having been added to the Church. In order to make the week-night services interesting I prepared about forty lectures on the Book of Revelation, and did a much larger amount of pastoral visitation than I had previously done. I also continued to superintend the Sunday-school, and frequently delivered addresses to the scholars, as well as taking a class occasionally. My time, as usual, was fully occupied, and my strength was at times tried to the utmost. I was, however, able to conclude my annual summary as follows: "I know not how sufficiently to thank God for all His mercies during the year that is past--for giving me strength in weakness to attend to my Church and other duties, for the generally good health I have enjoyed, and for preserving me from the temptation to resign the pastorate to enter the arena of politics." [382]

[CLACE 358-382]