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Drink'S Doings At Dubbo.

By The Rev. R. W. Vanderkiste, Of Sydney.

Reader, you are about to ramble with me amongst the wilds of Australia. I introduce you to the year 1857, and to the Quarterly Meeting of the Bathurst Circuit, New South Wales. When the conversation turned upon the spiritual destitution of the interior, everyone appeared prepared to grant my request for three weeks leave of absence from the circuit, to make a flying visit to the regions beyond, where there were no churches or chapels, no ministers, and no religious services. A horse, for the special occasion, had for several months been doing nothing at his own sweet will, but eating and drinking, and sleeping and rolling in the paddock, and enjoying himself generally. So he left Bathurst, to return to it after seventeen days of incessant riding, almost a skeleton.

I pass by strange scenes and strange incidents, new gold fields visited, prayers for half hours in lordly squattages and shepherds' huts, the flooded Macquarie crossed now in a small boat, the horse swimming behind; crossed again in a small canoe made of bark, after the fashion of the aboriginals; at one time, by a harness mishap, pitched over the horse's head into a creek; at another having to ride ten miles, shoes and stockings in hand, getting wetted in crossing a river. The ascent of Gears with its extensive panorama; and one evening, as the sun was about to set, I approached Dubbo, then the furthest township in the western interior.

There was little time to be lost. Dubbo must be preached in that night, visited next morning, and then away for Dundullamel and Murrumbidgee, on the return route. No protestant minister had ever preached in Dubbo. The first house proved to be a public house, and three drunken men lay dozing in the verandah. To ride up and speak to them was the work of a moment; then I was off to the Court House. Glad you have come," said the courteous clerk of the Court. Now for a scamper from house to house in Dubbo, to invite attendance. When I went up to the Court House, everything was ready, as the obliging clerk of the Court had promised. Candles lit, forms and seats arranged, and all Dubbo, or the representatives of all Dubbo, assembled. The three drunken men and the landlord were there. They tried to sing when I sang, they paid the greatest attention to the service, and everybody appeared to vie with everybody in showing me every possible respect. Indeed this evident determination led to some little confusion, for stockmen and others, to whom a religious service was evidentiy a very strange scene, instead of spitting on the floor, as usual, went to the door to spit, and came back tiptoeing to their seats, with an air that evidently showed they had been doing so as an expression of profound respect.

There was a most blessed divine influence present, at least I felt it, and if I may judge from the attention and looks of my congregation, they felt it too. But the instant after I had pronounced the benediction, a plot was enacted, which had evidently been cut and dried beforehand by the drunken men. One rose to his feet, whilst the congregation sat still. This individual I afterwards found was page 40 "little F_____." He said, "This gentleman has come all the way from Bathurst to preach to us and" (then he asserted most vehemently that our Heavenly Father knew that they greatly needed it) "now," added he, "this gentleman must have been at expenses, and I propose that we make a collection for him." Before I had time to commence a reply, a hat was handed up to me containing some pounds in notes and coin. This, with many thanks I returned, assuring them that the Bathurst Circuit would see to it that I was not out of pocket; but as it was the first time we had everaided Dubbothus, I thought they would be better pleased with me on my return, if I did not accept a collection. The congregation did not appear disposed to leave, but awaited me under the verandah. "We want a minister and we want a doctor in Dubbo^*," said some; "try and get them for us, we can support them." I told the people it was my practice to be very careful respecting making promises, but added, "you may rely upon it I shall not readily forget Dubbo." Other conversation ensued, and amongst others the three drunken men received suitable admonition. Presently one of them, who was little F_____, said, "and as you won't have any money, you won't take anything from us?" An idea struck me, and I said, "well, as you so particularly wish it, I will." The people on the verandah closed round, and little F_____ placing his hand eagerly on his pocket, said, "let me give you a pound." "No," said I, producing my pocket book, "what I intend to take, is your pledge, never to drink another drop of intoxicating liquor." F_____ paused a moment, and then said very earnestly, "No, when I do that, I'll mean it." Another of the drunken men, a giant in comparison to little F_____, brushed him aside in a moment, and said, "Then if you won't, I will," and made a signature which occupied the whole available space of a page of the book.

Little F_____ received further exhortation from me, but I could not induce him to sign the pledge. "No," said he, "not now, when I do that, I'll mean it." He was, I afterwards found, a celebrity in Dubbo, celebrated for his drunkenness. In consideration for himself, and perhaps yet more for his hapless family, the magisterial bench—one of its number, at whose residence I stopped on my return journey, informed me—had long issued the order, which the act enabled them to do in extreme cases, forbidding all publicans to serve little F——with any kind of intoxicant, on certain pains and penalties; but so far as producing the desired effect was concerned, their worships might almost as well have whistled to the great cod fish of their own Macquarie river, for little F_____ still managed to continue as drunken a character as before.

* * * * * * *

About a year had elapsed and I had not heard from little F_____. It was evening; we were endeavouring to form a Bathurst Temperance League. The little committee of three persons had just commenced a preliminary meeting in my little study. We, of course, began with page 41 prayer; we were on our knees, pleading hard for the drunkard, praying too that our proposed League might be made useful to him. There was a tap at the door—it was the time of postal delivery in Bathurst—and when I went to the door, our man who, I presume, was not aware we were praying, handed me a letter. It was an odd one; there was no ink, it was written in pencil. I opened it, and found it was subscribed from Dubbo, and bore the signature of little F_____. I asked my companions' permission to read it, ere we proceeded with our prayers; and then I read this encouraging Godsend to them, and greatly did it stimulate our devotions. It was a long letter, and in it little F_____ informed us that he had at last signed the pledge. He said that he felt if he really meant to get to heaven, be must set about it. He had signed the pledge, he said, not expecting to keep it by his own strength, but as I had told him. He was looking to God for Christ's sake, by the Holy Spirit to enable him to keep it, and to enable him to serve God with all his heart. I can tell you, reader, the long letter written in pencil, because little F_____ 's nerves had suffered too much from strong drink to handle a pen, moved us greatly in that little study. Was it not an answer to prayer for the poor drunkard? And did it not come most opportunely with its encouragement? Verily it was, and verily it did.

Little F_____ lived for some ten years after this, and those who knew him spoke to me of his great change. He was considered to have lived and died a decided and consistent Christian. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good" (Eccl. xi).