256 DECEMBER 



people. They have the religious instinct to a very 

 remarkable degree, but they can endure no human 

 interference between the soul and its Creator. This 

 stern individualism is a remnant of Puritanism. 



Their religion is peculiar, and varies with the 

 circumstances of life ; the tenets are few but marked. 

 In early years quietness is the chief characteristic of 

 the virtuous person. It is the test by which he is 

 judged. A quiet man is almost of necessity on the 

 right road, unless he be an Irishman or a Roman 

 Catholic, in which case salvation is hardly considered 

 even a remote possibility for him. If the quiet 

 man goes to a place of worship, the case is a clear 

 one ; if he goes to half a dozen, it is clearer still. 

 He is on the right road. The rustic does not talk 

 of being saved nowadays, except in bigoted circles ; 

 quietness is the essential for the young man who is 

 credited with having "got religion," and it would 

 be unreasonable to look for much more from him. 



The next step comes about middle age, and may, 

 for want of a better word, be termed Respectedness, 

 or Dignification, as Isaac Walton would call it. The 

 man respects himself more than he respects any 

 other person of his acquaintance. He shows every- 

 body he meets how fit it is that he should be 

 respected. His behaviour under all circumstances 

 is admirable. He takes in a newspaper and spells 

 it out to his friends in the intervals of work. 

 He accumulates piles of household goods, and is 

 always a maximum subscriber to parochial clothing 

 clubs. He attends all the village entertainments, 

 provided the price of admission is not too low ; he 

 could not be seen in a penny seat without loss of 



