"Dr Loewe then said he was sure the regret expressed by Sir Moses at being prevented attending this interesting ceremony was equalled by that of the company at being deprived of the presence of the great philanthropist. Sir Moses, whose heart always glowed with love and zeal for the cause of humanity, had watched with deep interest the great exertions and sacrifices made by that excellent lady, Mrs Tait, and her highly-esteemed husband, the Archbishop, for the purpose of calling this noble institution into existence.
"Dr Loewe then unveiled the bust, and concluded by calling down the blessings of heaven upon the Archbishop of Canterbury, upon his most excellent consort, and his most amiable family. 'May he enjoy perfect health, and be in possession of every prosperity that this world can possibly give; may he live to see the time "when the earth will be full with the knowledge of the Lord, even as the waters cover the sea," when truth, peace, and light will be the guardian angels of every man's house, when all will be united in enjoying happiness, sitting, as it were, under their own vine and fig tree, with all the blessing that God might bestow upon them. I believe, ladies and gentlemen, I have conveyed the sentiments of Sir Moses Montefiore. I need only say that I myself, and, I am sure, all of you cordially endorse the words which have fallen from my lips in the name of Sir Moses.'
"The Archbishop said—
"'I beg to express my best thanks to all who are here present for their kindness in coming to this Orphanage to-day, and I would return my very best thanks to Sir Moses for his great kindness, and for the very flattering opinion he has formed of our efforts here. Dr Loewe has most kindly represented him in his absence. This is not the first instance of his kind consideration for this charitable work which we have received. On the very first day when the foundation stone of this building was laid, Sir Moses Montefiore was present, though at his advanced age he might have well stayed away on a bleak, wintry day. Five years ago he was present here. Although prevented from joining our religious services, he showed that he was desirous of co-operating with us in every way in which he could do so conscientiously. In his carriage he drove close to where our Christian meeting was assembled, and joined in those Psalms of David which have been the solace of his life, and he ended that day by a large and handsome contribution to the charitable work which we were undertaking at that time. To-day he has kindly sent you this work by Mr Weekes, of which of course I can say nothing, except that I hope I may very faintly reflect the majestic appearance of that bust. (Laughter.) We have greatly to thank Mr Weekes for the pains and trouble he has taken with this work. We have greatly to thank Dr Loewe for the way in which he has performed his part as Sir Moses Montefiore's representative and friend of many years. But we have especially to thank the Great Giver of all good that He has so far prospered this work as to bring it to the degree of accomplishment it has now attained. I have said it was on a bleak, wintry day, five years ago, that the foundation stone was laid. I was not present, for it had pleased God to lay me on a bed of sickness, and I could hardly have expected I could live to be present five years after on such an occasion as this. Thank God, as I do with my household, this day for all His past mercies. Sir Moses Montefiore—and Dr Loewe, in expressing his sentiments—has been kind enough to speak of me in this matter. I am glad he has spoken of my wife, because I feel that it is to her that the whole prosperity of this institution is owing, and I will venture to say, though her husband, and in her presence, I believe there is scarcely another woman in England who, under the difficulties she has had to contend against, would have been able to bring the institution to that degree of accomplishment to which it has now attained. In England we still live under the barbarous law which makes the property of the married woman over to her husband, and therefore I cordially appropriate all that Dr Loewe has said of her virtues, and take them as if they were my own.
"'In conclusion I beg to return our best thanks to Sir Moses Montefiore for his kindness; tell him we shall certainly offer our prayers that his long life may be blessed, that as he has advanced far beyond the age which the Psalmist regards as the age of man, he may have comforts and blessings poured upon him, and may be kept in such health as his age allows.'"
Sir Moses, to whom I made a full report of the proceedings at the Orphanage, requested me to call on the Archbishop and express his gratitude to His Grace for his great kindness towards him, upon which the Archbishop addressed Sir Moses as follows:—
"Stonehouse, St Peter's, Thanet,
21st November 1874."My Dear Sir Moses,—Dr Loewe called yesterday to deliver your most kind message. Kindly and well as Dr Loewe performed his part on Tuesday, there was, I assure you, a universal feeling of regret that you were not present.
"You have heard from the published account, and privately, how happily the day passed.
"It was bright sunshine, and all things seemed propitious. Your absence and its cause were the only drawbacks.
"How different a day it was, through God's goodness, from that day five years ago when you kindly attended at the laying of the first stone of the Orphanage!
"Trusting that your health will be restored, and that all the best blessings from above may rest on you and yours.—I am, my dear Sir Moses, yours very truly,
"A.C. Cantuar."
"Mrs Tait joins in all best wishes and in thanks."
Some clergymen of the Church of England who were present at the ceremony called on Sir Moses, and, in the course of conversation, the question of the conversion of the Jews was raised.
As a proof of how carefully Sir Moses retained in his memory what he had once read, I will give the reader an opportunity of hearing Sir Moses' opinion on the subject:—
He said to his visitors: "I have once read a book entitled 'Three Letters humbly submitted to the consideration of His Grace the Most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England and Metropolitan, on the inexpediency and futility of any attempt to convert the Jews to the Christian faith in the way and manner hitherto practised, being a general discussion on the whole Jewish question.' The Rev. John Oxlee, Rector of Molesworth, Hunts, is the author. In it he asks: How can it have happened that for seventeen hundred years and more the Gospel should have been freely announced and offered to the acceptance of the Jewish people without any corresponding effect? what rational hopes may now be entertained of their speedy conversion by the enthronement of a Protestant Jewish bishop at Jerusalem; and what proper steps ought henceforth to be taken so as to lead to a happy consummation?