Life of John Coleridge Patteson, Missionary Bishop the Melanesian Islands | Page 5

Psalms
and Lessons for the day with the four children, and after these a portion
of some book of religious instruction, such as 'Horne on the Psalms' or
'Daubeny on the Catechism.' The ensuing studies were in charge of
Miss Neill, the governess, and the life-long friend of her pupils; but the
mother made the religious instruction her individual care, and thus
upheld its pre-eminence. Sunday was likewise kept distinct in reading,
teaching, employment, and whole tone of conversation, and the effect
was assuredly not that weariness which such observance is often
supposed to produce, but rather lasting benefit and happy associations.
Coley really enjoyed Bible- reading, and entered into explanations, and
even then often picked up a passage in the sermons he heard at St.
Giles's-in-the-Fields from the Rev. J. Endell Tyler, and would give his
home-oracles no peace till they had made it as clear to his
comprehension as was possible.
The love of his home may be gathered from the fact that his letters have

been preserved in an unbroken series, beginning from a country visit in
1834, after a slight attack of scarlet fever, written in the round-hand of
a boy of seven years old, and finished off with the big Roman capitals
FINIS, AMEN, and ending with the uncompleted sheets, bearing as
their last date September 19, 1871.
The boy's first school was at Ottery St. Mary, in Devonshire, of which
his great-grandfather and great-uncle had both been head- masters.
There was much to make Ottery homelike to Coley, for his
grandparents lived at Heath's Court, close to the church, and in the
manor-house near at hand their third son, Francis George Coleridge, a
solicitor, whose three boys were near contemporaries of Coley, and two
of them already in the school.
From first to last his letters to his parents show no symptom of
carelessness; they are full of ease and confidence, outpourings of
whatever interested him, whether small or great, but always respectful
as well as affectionate, and written with care and pains, being evidently
his very best; nor does the good old formula, 'Your affectionate and
dutiful son,' ever fail or ever produce stiffness.
The shrinking from rough companions, and the desire to be with the
homelike relatives around, proved a temptation, and the little boy was
guilty of making false excuses to obtain leave of absence. We cannot
refrain from giving his letter of penitence, chiefly for the sake of the
good sense and kindness of his uncle's treatment:--
'April 26, 1836.
'My dear Papa,--I am very sorry for having told so many falsehoods,
which Uncle Frank has told mamma of. I am very sorry for having
done so many bad things, I mean falsehoods, and I heartily beg your
pardon; and Uncle Frank says that he thinks, if I stay, in a month's time
Mr. Cornish will begin to trust me again. Uncle Frank to-day had me
into his house and told me to reflect upon what I had done. He also
lectured me in the Bible, and asked me different questions about it. He
told me that if I ever told another falsehood he should that instant

march into the school and ask Mr. Cornish to strip and birch me; and if
I followed the same course I did now and did not amend it, if the
birching did not do, he should not let me go home for the holidays; but
I will not catch the birching...
'So believe me your dear Son,
'J. C. PATTESON.'
On the flap of the letter 'Uncle Frank' writes to the mother:--
'My dear Fanny,--I had Coley in my room to-day, and talked to him
seriously about his misdeeds, and I hope good has been done. But I
could scarcely keep my countenance grave when he began to reduce by
calculation the exact number of fibs he had told. He did not think it was
more than two or three at the utmost: and when I brought him to book, I
had much to do to prevent the feeling that the sin consisted in telling
many lies. However the dear boy's confession was as free as could be
expected, and I have impressed on his mind the meanness, cowardice,
and wickedness of the habit, and what it will end in here and hereafter.
He has promised that he will never offend in future in like manner, and
I really believe that his desire to be away from the school and at ease
among his friends induced him to trump up the invitations, &c., to Mr.
Cornish, in which consisted his first fibs. I shall watch him closely, as I
would my own child; and Cornish has done wisely, I think, by giving
the proper punishment of confining him to the school-court, &c., and
not letting