148 I Preach to the Parson, 



volume novels, let me say that the news was that a match 

 was made, that an eleven was wanted, and, according to 

 ancient custom, a gallon of shandy-gafF was ordered in and 

 paid for to drink success to the eleven; and that being 

 done, the writer, having arranged the match, returned to 

 the vicarage to report as promised. 



In this article I shall make the parson wholly a listener. 

 It must be understood that the Vicar and Mrs. Vicar too 

 were bombarding me with hot shot all the time, but conver- 

 sations in print are tedious. The talk, or whatever it may 

 be called, is a repetition of arguments which I have had 

 with very good men, who were cut the wrong way of the 

 stuff — I fear with no great success — in hopes of inducing 

 them to see the urgent necessity of looking after the village 

 sports, and getting at the people who delight in them. 



" You are quite right, vicar," I said on entering; '' most 

 of the cricketers are there drinking, smoking, and playing 

 cards, and I have stood them a gallon of shandy-gafi, and 

 of course you say I set them a terrible example. The com- 

 pany present were, the landlord, the keeper, the bailiff's son, 

 and the beadle, who were playing four-handed cribbage, a 

 penny a corner and fourpence on the rubber ; which means 

 sixpence for a rubber of two games won, fivepence for a 

 rubber of three games, and the stakes w^ere all s^Dent on 

 shandy-gaff. The others are talking cricket, and some of 

 them watching the card-players, and bets of a j)int, or even 

 so much as a pot, were given and taken whilst I was there. 

 I know all the company, and they were very pleased to see 

 me ; they are all most respectable men, who work hard and 

 are sober and well-conducted ; and what you say is true, 

 they are always there every Saturday night, and probably 

 will be there for many a year as long as the present land- 

 lord goes on. It is quite true, as you say, that few of them 

 ever come to church, and that they hardly recognise you 



