THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 231 



incident occurred. Mr. Hocker was standing 

 at a shop-door in Barnstaple on a market-day, 

 when Will Chappie, the parish clerk of Sw^m- 

 bridge, entered the shop, and while his business 

 was being attended to, the grocer thus interro- 

 gated him : — 



"Well, Mr. Chappie, and have 'ee got a 

 coorate vet for Swymbridge ? " 



" Not vet, sir — master's nation partic'ler ; 

 'tisn't this man nor 'tisn't that as'll suit un ; but 

 here's his advertisement " (pulling out a copy 

 of the NortJi Devon Joiinial), " so I reckon he'll 

 soon get one now. 



"'Wanted, a curate for Swymbridge; must 

 be a gentleman of moderate and orthodox 

 views.' " 



" Orthodox I Mr. Chappie ; what doth he 

 mean by that?" inquired the grocer. 



"Well," said the clerk, in some perplexity, 

 knowing the double nature of the curate's work, 

 secular as well as sacred, " I can't exactly 

 sav ; but I reckon 'tis a man as can ride pretty 

 well." 



An old curate of his gives the following 

 grateful but very brief record of the kindness 

 and hospitality he received both from Mr. and 

 Mrs. Russell during his residence at Swym- 

 bridge : — " My first reception by Russell I shall 

 never forget. I had ridden a long distance, the 

 latter part of it by devious lanes and countless 



