30 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



This time the offending clergy were solemnly pre- 

 sented to the Archbishop, and were summoned to 

 Addington Palace, where the proceedings which igno- 

 miniously collapsed in the end were enlivened by the 

 laughter which followed the reading of one clause in 

 the indictment : " offertory collectors in coloured bags." 

 After this little more was heard of the Erith " ritualism," 

 and the constantly increasing congregation testified to 

 the favour with which the services were generally 

 regarded. 



During the whole of the eleven years which elapsed 

 between his arrival at Belvedere and the death of Arch- 

 deacon Smith, my father rendered his services gratui- 

 tously, with two exceptions : the first for a period of 

 some .six months, during the prolonged absence of the 

 vicar, who left him in sole charge ; the second in 

 1869-70 for the space of a year, while the vicar, 

 owing to heavy family affliction, was travelling abroad. 



On December 28th, 1873, Archdeacon Smith died, 

 after only two days' serious illness ; and my father was 

 again left in sole charge until the appointment of his 

 successor. With this gentleman, unfortunately, he 

 found it quite impossible to work, and their views 

 indeed differed so radically and completely that he 

 ceased even to attend the parish church, and migrated 

 to a temporary district church which had lately been 

 erected in another part of the town. Here he occasion- 

 ally officiated ; but his regular clerical work had come 

 to an end for ever. 



To the end of his life, however, he constantlv exer- 



