144 The Country Parson. 



university education, but are not gentlemen in manner or 

 feeling, and who are wholly incompetent for country 

 parsons. Some of these clip the Queen's English and talk 

 about 'oliness and 'eaven ; some of them, especially in 

 suburban parishes, make cliques among rich, vulgar people, 

 who live for show and originate mission meetings and 

 temperance meetings, and pepper people with stupid tracts 

 — all one-sided — with reference to the immorality of the 

 poor, whose ways and manners they never understood, and 

 whose amusements they don't support, though at their own 

 homes they are not above lawn tennis and claret cup, which 

 answer to the " beer and skittles " of the poor. They are 

 ready to go to extravagant stupid parties, and insist on all 

 people being very good on "the sabbath," and are horrified 

 at a parson playing a quiet rubber, or enjoying a run with 

 the hounds, or dancing, or going to the theatre. And why ? 

 Because they are muffs who can do nothing and have no 

 taste. What would they have said to the late Bishop 

 Selwyn's wish for the clergy to start theatres in large towns 

 for bringing out good plays for the edification of the 

 people ? 



They are always wanting to start something new, but 

 won't use the materials they have. They will wake up 

 some fine morning and discover the Church to be in real 

 danger, and will be surprised to find that people will put 

 their hands quietly in their pockets and tell them it is their 

 own doing and they must save themselves, and that the only 

 places in which the real support will come, and /rowi which 

 it will take a hard fight to drive Mother Church, are 

 those in which the parson is the friend of rich and 

 poor, one of themselves, and living amongst them 

 r9C0gnising and taking part in all, which, properly en- 

 joyed, is harmless, and setting the example of goodness 

 and toleration. 



