CHAP, iv.] CHURCH AND PARISH 29 



and I was perfectly happy to forward my father's wishes, so 

 thenceforward for many a week I went to church with a 

 round ruler in my pocket, and slipping this into the hanging 

 bit of ironwork, I easily raised the latch and gave my 

 mother and sisters entrance to church. I did not object "to 

 my part of the ceremony in the least rather liked it, in fact 

 but looking back from graver age it seems to me that it 

 would have been better if the vicar had not driven the squire 

 to defend the rights of the congregation by such forcible 

 measures. After a while the latch (or the vicar's view on 

 the subject) was loosened, and we obtained entrance 

 without, like the violent, being obliged to take it by force. 



The real troubles of the times were endless. It was 

 even possible for a sincerely religious man to absent himself 

 from the reception of communion on the ground that he 

 was not able to participate with Christian comfort and in a 

 charitable frame of mind. Within the church building 

 itself the condition of things was not satisfactory. The 

 openings beneath the very " open " seats, whereby was 

 secured free circulation for dogs and draughts, were un- 

 pleasant in various ways. 



The appointment of our skilled and accomplished vicar, 

 Dr. Armstrong, to the Bishopric of Grahamstown in South 

 Africa, for which he was eminently fitted, was hailed by 

 many of us with heartfelt gratitude. In later years, under 

 the kindly care of the Rev. Percy Burd (successor in 1862 

 of the Rev. Alan Cowburn) who, without thinking it neces- 

 sary to push everything to extremities, attended with the 

 utmost care to proprieties of detail of worship in church, to 

 social friendliness, and to care of the poor, we passed along 

 in paths of comfort and peace, for which some of us were 

 deeply grateful. 



Amongst various parish or local matters, of which the 

 bodily presence has, to a great degree, passed away, and the 

 remembrance that at one time such things were has 

 probably faded from most of the minds in which they ever 

 held a place, are turnpike gates, with their adjoining toll- 

 houses ; also the parish stocks and the parish pound. 



In parochial arrangements in my day two great improve- 

 ments arose, one of which has now long been a regular part 

 of parish work, but was new at least to us. This was a 

 women's clothing club. The other was the commencement 

 of the plan of lending books to those who otherwise would 

 rarely have seen them. It was introduced by my sister, 



