Page:Letters from New Zealand (Harper).djvu/241

Rh The foundation stone of the nave was laid, with all due ceremony, but, to the great regret of all, the Bishop of Christchurch, through illness, was unable to attend, the Dean taking his place. It was a great day for Church people, and, indeed, for many others, as the interest taken in the Church is very general; a largely attended Social gathering was held in the evening, when the visiting Clergy and others bestowed much commendation on the enterprise of St. Mary's people. "If you can tackle such a building, and complete it," said one, "in future years they will say, 'there were giants in the land in those days. Well—our reply is the zeal of the parishioners, and the inspiration that comes from the ideal of a noble building to the Glory of God, such as may be a possession for ever for future generations; difficult, I allow, of achievement, and not to be built in a day, needing much patience, but—

sings Spenser, and I do not doubt our success. You will make allowance for my sanguine enthusiasm, when you think of the unique conditions of our work. In a new country, and such as New Zealand, full of promise of a great future, there is a special romance in all pioneer work; one does not build on another man's foundation. Here there is the privilege and responsibility of beginning, with its own charm and powerful incentive, which no one, I think, can quite realize as they do who leave the old world to begin a new life in the uttermost parts of the earth.

The question of finance was serious, and by way of supplementing subscriptions, it was resolved to