. 42.] TO R. W. CHURCH. 395 



will not think me too presuming if I make bold to 

 do so, and if I ask you where your parish is, for I 

 would gladly form some idea of where your home is to 

 be. Pleasant and desirable on many accounts as an 

 Oxford life must be, yet I cannot but think you more 

 appropriately placed in the pleasant parsonage I can 

 fancy, the centre of a little world of your own, and 

 the spiritual guide of an attached body of parishion- 

 ers, where you will be very happy and very useful. 



Still let us hope that the visit to Cambridge, New 

 England, is only deferred, to afford us a double grati- 

 fication. I think you can sometimes leave your parish 

 for three months, or even more with special leave, and 

 the voyage is becoming shorter and cheaper every 

 year. 



I have looked through the " Times," which I see 

 regularly through the kindness of a friend, thinking 

 that I might perchance see your appointment, presen- 

 tation, or whatever it may be, mentioned ; but in 

 vain. 



By the way, I am glad to see that you have elected 

 Mr. Gladstone. Your name on the Oxford Commit- 

 tee makes me suppose you have not yet left Oxford. 



Dr. Albro has returned in restored health, and 

 speaks with much gratification of his visit to Oxford, 

 only regretting that your absence prevented his mak- 

 ing your acquaintance until the last moment of his 

 short stay. 



Mr. Clough brought me a letter from Maskelyne of 

 Wadham College. Circumstances, I am sorry to say, 

 have yet prevented me from seeing him here as much 

 as I could wish. I hope soon to know him better. 

 He has excellent and influential acquaintances ; but 

 one hardly sees what he is to do. 



