’But, my dear Cousin, often I think that I need more than ever your prayers that I may have the blessing for which we pray in our Collect for the First Sunday after Epiphany:  grace to use the present opportunities aright.  My time may be short; we are very few in number:  now the young English and Melanesian teachers ought to be completely trained, that so, by God’s blessing, the work may not come to nought.  Codrington’s coming ought to be a great gain in this way.  A right-minded man of age and experience may well be regarded as invaluable indeed.  I so often feel that I am distracted by multitudinous occupations, and can’t think and act out my method of dealing with the elder ones, so as to use them aright.  So many things distract—­social, domestic, industrial matters and general superintendence, and my time is of course always given to anyone who wants it.

’The change to Norfolk Island, too, brings many anxious thoughts and cares, and the state of the people there will be an additional cause of anxiety.  I think that we shall move en masse in April or May, making two or three trips in the schooner.  Palmer has sixteen now with him there.  I shall perhaps leave ten more for the winter school and then go on to the islands, and return (D.V.) in October, not to New Zealand, but to Norfolk Island; though, as it is the year of the meeting of the General Synod, i.e., February 1868, I shall have to be in New Zealand during that summer.  You shall have full information of all my and our movements, as soon as I know myself precisely the plan.

’And now good-bye, my dear Cousin; and may God ever bless and keep you.  I think much of you, and of how you must miss dear Mr. Keble.

’Your affectionate Cousin,

‘J.  C. P.’

’Sunday, February 10, 1867.

’My dear old Fan,—­No time to write at length.  We are pretty well, but coughs and colds abound, and I am a little anxious about one nice lad, Lelenga, but he is not very seriously ill.

’I have of course occasional difficulties, as who has not?  Irregularities, not (D.Gr.) of very serious nature, yet calling for reproof; a certain proportion of the boys, and a large proportion of the girls careless, and of course, like boys and girls such as you know of in Devonshire, not free from mischief.

’Indeed, it is a matter for great thankfulness that, as far as we know, no immorality has taken place with fifteen young girls in the school.  We take of course all precautions, rooms are carefully locked at night.  Still really evil-minded young persons could doubtless get into mischief, if they were determined to do so.  Only to-day I spoke severely, not on this point, but on account of some proof of want of real modesty and purity of feeling.  But how can I be surprised at that?

’All schoolmaster’s work is anxious work.  It is even more so than the ordinary clergyman’s work, because you are parent and schoolmaster at once.