New-York tribune., 1873-04-14
THE REVFREND MR.. ANCIENT

THE REVEREND MR.. ANCIENT
There is a well known contemporary writer
of fiction who is very fond of illustrating the
weaknesses and the virtues-far more the vir-
tues than the weaknesses-Of the clergy OF
the Anglican Establishment. TO him are we
indebted, not only for the Bishop and Mrs.
Proudie, but for the sanity precentor of
Barset, for Dean Arabin, poor Mr.. Crawley,
and that model of manly ecclesasticism, Arch
deacon Grantley. But it never entered Mr.
TrolOpe's imagination to fancy so heroic
specimen of clerical manhood as the ghastly
realities of the last few weeks have revealed
to us. We need hardly say we refer to the
humble missionary priest on the coast OF
Nova-Scotia who periled his own life, without
thought of it, to rescue more than one of the vic
tins of the Atlantic. When, and for some time
after the ship went on shore, we read that
Mr.. Ancient-his first name, so obscure is he,
is not knOwn-was on the shore watching
those who, dead or alive, reached it, ready
and active to give succor and relief. lie was
no sailor, no Wrecker, no cOast-guardsman.
At last, he saw there was need of something
more. There were men and children, no
women, clinging to the rigging, and the
selfish, frightened sailors were leaving them,
and saving their own worthless lives Then
was the time to act. He called for q boat,
which cowardce readily yielded to him, and
with two, or at most three, hands, in that
boiling surf, whose very lulls were perilous,
pulled of to the wreck. He reached it, clam
bered Up the side, and rescued more
than one human life. The contrast with
off Ba
lated by Tud TRIBUNE correspondent, is
picturesque, with a tinge of the ludicrous.
The man complained that "h his shins were
"broken," and the quick reply was Never
"mind your shnsn (were there not clergy
man in the case we could fancy stronger
expression); "it's your life we re after"
And he dragged him into the boat and
carried him and others to the shore, and
nursed and tended them kindly and, when
all rescue of the living was over, cared for
the bodies that were brought ashore, helped
with his own strong arms to dig their graves
not in trenches, but separately-and, as a
minister of the church, gave them Christian
burial in the forms Of that classic liturgy
which all of every denomination who speak
the English language love. All honor then, to
the poor parish priest Of Terence Bay
And is it, we ask, to stop here Is this all
that is to reach him in that secluded and des-
olate corner of creatiOnf For the sake of
humanity and Christian sympathy-so much
vaunted-we hope not. For the sake of Amer
lean sentiment, easily enough aroused, we
hope not. The sailor who saves wrecked or
abandoned ship has his salvage. The wrecker
gets his liberal pay, and often his plunder too.
Cbronometers are voted to gallant captains
and mates, and deservedly so. Grace Darling
is embalmed in poetry and painting. And is
nothing to be said or rather done, for this
modest, retiring man, who has the mis-
fortune to be a Clergyman Were he
a soldier, he would have the Victoria
cross. 1t is not for us to indicate now
what mode of acknowledgment should be
adopted. That in England something will be
done we doubt not. She never neglects her
heroes. But there were on board that ship
American men and women and children, and
we of America, we of commercial New-YOrk
whittier this wretched craft was destined
should do something. A movement we no.
tice, is on foot among the clergy of the de-
nomination to which Mr.. Ancient belongs, and
already one of his brethren-whom from his
initials we recognize as among the most en-
inent--has contributed of his means. But it
must not be a mere professional or sectarian
recognition. What form it should take we
leave to others to determine.
We are so in the habit of thinking and talk
ing of the Establishment with its privileges
and pluralities, its pensions and its palaces as
something prosperous and splendid, that we
shut our eyes to the sight and our hearts to
sympathy with the poor parish and missionary
clergy, especially in the Colonies. Take such
case as this. and we refer to it as no proof
of merit, but as claim on sympathy. Can
anything be imagined more desOlate, more
penury- stricken, than sea-coast parish on
the iron bound coast of Nova Scotaf Here,
in his function, does this poor clergyman
thankessly labor. Here, on less than fifty
pounds year, he lives and will die Here he
may be cheered by our liberalty. His heroism
on that dark night of despair shines forth
very brightly; and it was bright, too, to
save, over those wild waters.