THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 203 



the clerk of the parish (Wm. Chappie) to the 

 palace to-day, paid her tare, and here she is. 

 But, otherwise, I have not said one word to her 

 on the subject of the present inquiry. Your 

 lordship can put any question you please to 

 her." 



The bishop then asked her if the charge 

 were true. 



" Nit a word o't, my lord," she answered, 

 unhesitatingly. 



He then requested her to state what had 

 taken place on the occasion, and given rise to 

 such a report. 



She replied that her husband had asked Mr. 

 Russell to bury the child on a Wednesday or 

 Thursday, on whichever dav was most convenient 

 to him ; that he chose the latter, and buried the 

 child on that day. 



"And pray," said the bishop, "were you at 

 all inconvenienced by keeping the body a day 

 longer ? " 



" Not a bit o't, my lord ; us might have kep' 

 un till these day — 'twas but a poor atomy thing;" 

 meaning it was quite a skeleton. 



The bishop, finding in this charge no prima 

 facie case made out against Russell, proceeded 

 at once to investigate other charges brought by 

 the same accuser ; who, as it turned out, had 

 been grossly misinformed on each and all ; and 

 as they, too, shared the like fate, falling to the 



