VIEWS ON QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 245 



my limits. It may be stated, however, that he 

 was generally in favour of children doing a mode- 

 rate amount well, rather than unduly multiplying 

 subjects, which tended only to a smattering of 

 learning, and did little or no permanent good. 

 Even such a subject as drawing he rather looked 

 at askance, and doubted whether for country lads, 

 the majority of whom would be eventually called 

 to agricultural work, the time spent on it might 

 not be better employed. 



It is hardly to be expected that one of his time 

 of life would have very much sympathy with the 

 movement that took effect shortly before his death 

 with regard to free education. He held that it 

 was uncalled for and unnecessary ; that the parents 

 saved far more than the small weekly fee of a 

 penny or twopence in children's clothing and in 

 doctors' bills through their being kept for six hours 

 of the day in a dry and warm school ; and that, 

 therefore, on that ground alone they would get 

 their money's worth, independently of any instruc- 

 tion they received. 



On many other matters connected with his work 

 as a clergyman he was wont to express himself 

 freely when occasion seemed to call for it, though 

 it must be confessed his ideas did not always take 

 a practical shape. For instance, he would say that, 

 of all a clergyman's duties, there were few which 

 distressed him more than the difficulty which was 

 so often experienced in rinding good sponsors for 

 the children of the poor, even when the parents 



