File 3: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 2, pp. 703-1164, 1825-1867

[MS 710]

consolations & support, being destitute of Christian society & fellowship &c. &c. You will find your present situation very trying on these accounts &c. but the Lord can & will make up to you for it and all other privations you may undergo for his cause sake. You are brought in providence to a place where your labours must be greatly wanted, & I trust it is not a trifle that will make you leave it. Perhaps there is no part of the Colony where you are more wanted. Labour to have a deep & an abiding sense of the importance of your work, the worth & value of immortal souls, and your accountableness to God: these impressed upon your mind will be of great benefit to you in the discharge of your ministry.

Do not confine yourself to writing your sermon but accustom yourself to speak in a free off hand way with only a few notes; and when as soon as you can, leave them aside also. This will be of great benefit to you in your future ministry. I could run on in this way for my heart goes out towards you and your partner too in very tender emotions of affection & esteem, but I must restrain myself. The state of things here are less favourable at present than formerly. Satan

[MS 711]

has been struggling very hard to impede the great work of the Lord, and to regain some of the ground he had lost; and because that inequity has more than usually abounded the love of too many seems to have waned cold. We much need the outpouring of the Spirit from on high to restrain Satans rage, & to revive us & his cause. My dear Friend, let us have your prayers! Be assured I do not nor shall not forget you. Since my last to you I have been favoured with another son; thus my family continues to increase altho' I am getting advanced in years; but it is the Lord's will & that is best. I trust your little one is doing well. You will doubtless both find him a great comfort to you in your secluded situation.

Mr. [Bleform?], whom you know, resides here & a  Mr. Armitage who are to carry on a cotton manufactury by way of inducing the natives to habits of industry. Mr. B. has been lately robed of sundry articles. Robberies were scarcely known here for years past until of late, that a gang of ill disposed fellows have settled near us on a piece of ground belonging to the king, & who are considered as under his protection; but perhaps Mr. B. will [indecipherable]. I am much concerned at your Father in law's declining to have anything further to do with the officers of the mission. His [indecipherable] sermons have been of great benefit to it; and the [indecipherable] are under peculiar obligations to him; and I am glad to see by their publications that they are very sensible of it. I wrote to him lately on the subject. I send you with this a copy of the presented report of these

[MS 712]

windward stations for last year; but perhaps you will have recd. one from Mr Marsden before this reaches you, this however may not be the case. The report will give a general view of the state of things in the different stations.

With affectionate regards to yourself & dear partner,  In which Mrs. Henry & Ellen unite, I remain, My dear Friend &c. most sincerely yours in the Best Bonds W. Henry

I think I shall take the liberty  of sending this open to your Father in law, as I must decline writing to him at present for want of time. It will give him an idea of the present state of things here.

Rev. Thos. Hassall Care of the Rev. Mr. Marsden Parramatta

[MS 713]

To Rev T Hassall 

                                                                    [Kiddee Kiddee?] New Zealand                                                                     Novbr 29th 1825

My very dear Friend

I am glad that another opportunity has offered of conversing with you in this poor Cold, and formal way, as I call letter writing conversation, how clad I should be to have but a few moments conversation with you face to face but for [wise] reasons this is forbidden at least for a season in your last letter which was dated Oct/24 I gratefully acknowledge but have not received a single sentance from you since. I believe I have embraced every opportunity of writing to you as I hope you have to me. 

     Your mentioning in our last, your many engagements. I fear they are too many for your Constitution, not too many for our gracious Master or for yourself for I think I can tell you [indecipherable] from my own feble desires, that you would give such a poor life as this and then thousand such if you had them to him who has done so much for you "ere the whole realm of Nature mine, that were a present far too small" is your language" well but my dear Brother we are yet in the body and perhaps it is rather selfish to die in, or with love, although it would be your gain in a certain sense "to depart", yet it may be far better to abide a little longer in the flesh for poor sinners sakes, as well as the Church, if your people are anxious to have you labour in the way you mention tell them they are like the man in the Fable whose Goose laid Golden Eggs you remember he killed her but he lost the eggs. I long to hear from you and to know how your message is received by the poor sons of 

[MS 714]

wretchedness and misery you daily preached. I have just heard some pleasing accounts from your labours in your Sunday school. 

     I am happy to inform you that our prospects of use - fulness are much brighter than I ever before have seen them the Nations are enquiring about our God our Mothers is living amongst them and into the great truths we endeavour to bring them acquainted with I have no doubt but that day will soon dawn upon the poor N Zealander which has dawned on other savage nations and brought them acquainted with themslves, and with the savour of poor Sinners I begin to stammer a little among the Natives but I have not made that proficiency in the language which I ought. My school which consists of 21 boys and girls takes up very much of my time, and is upon the whole for a New Zealand School in a flourishing state my two senior boy who have been with me only 15 months can read and write well I have sent a letter to Mr Marsden written by a little boy about 12 years of age, I did not so much as help him in a a Single word I have given the translation in English with it I have also sent a copy book written by an other, I have eight boys and girls that can read and with the dialogues contained in the grammar, two little girls about 5 or 6 years of age that read and write words of two syllables in the native tongue very correctly I think they have been with me only four months and several others that will soon commence reading the dialogues I think that up on the whole

[MS 715]

as much has been accomplished in the time as may be reasonable have been expected, as it respects the children. You will be pleased to hear that we are living together in unity but you know that this calls for mutual forbearance. it calls us to sacrifice many little petty interests however blessed be he Lord for that Grace which in any measure enables us to do it.

 Your Mrs Clarke is just getting about from the confinement of her third son who was born on the 14th of Novr 1825 the Lord has been better to her than the best of means in those seasons of nature trial so we have abundant cause for Gratitude. Little George is growing a fine boy but rather backward in his tongue he can just lisp your name. I hope little James is also doing well give him many kisses.  tell Mrs Hassel that Mrs Clarke often talks about her and desires very affectionately to remember to her  Mr and Mrs Kemp also desire their kind regards to you I must now close for I am almost asleep it being now very late on Sunday Night I am dear friend

affectionately yours  in the best of [indecipherable] George Clark

[Page 10]

To The Revd. T. Hassall Port Macquarry New South Wales

Mr Clark