CHAP. iv.J CHURCH AND PARISH 31 



a donation of books of her own choosing to the Lending 

 Library, Bethnal Green, London, she was greatly pleased 

 to hear that the boys and girls had passed the word round 

 amongst the factories of the entertaining books that had 

 arrived. Those we found suited best (for I was in some 

 degree her assistant) were accounts of real incidents made 

 into narratives. Ballantyne's earlier books with accounts of 

 the fire brigade, post office, lighthouse and the like were 

 great favourites, perhaps none the less for the conversations 

 being at times a trifle vulgar ; but when a writer took up 

 some special view, as of teetotalism, high-churchism, or any 

 other specialism, we dropped him. Stories of olden times, 

 such as the Plague in London, or the Great Fire ; risings in 

 Henry the Eighth's time ; wars of the time of Charles the 

 First and Cromwell ; forest troubles of the time of William 

 Rufus, and the like told as stories, with the facts correct 

 although the thread on which they were strung was 

 imaginary were always favourites. We seldom lent abso- 

 lutely religious books unless they were asked for, and 

 then we took care that they should be of a solid and inter- 

 esting sort ; but whether sacred or secular the number of 

 . books lent or given for lending in the course of the year 

 was very great. 



My sister was a highly accomplished woman, a good 

 linguist and historian, and a careful scriptural student. As 

 a scientific entomologist and a Fellow of the Entomological 

 Society of London, she was a co-operator with me in my 

 work. She devoted her artistic talent for many years to the 

 execution of excellent diagrams, serviceable for agricultural 

 purposes, of insects injurious to farm and orchard produce, 

 some of which she made over to the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, but the greater number she presented to friends 

 interested in lessening the amount of loss through insect 

 injury, and to Agricultural Colleges. From girlhood to old 

 age she unceasingly carried on her chosen work of distri- 

 bution of useful healthy literature. She asked no aid, nor 

 made the considerable sums she expended, and the careful 

 cordial thought she gave to this work, matter of public 

 notoriety, but in her last moments it brought a smile to her 

 face when I told her that I purposed to continue her work. 



My father when living near Chester had the first news on 

 a Sunday morning before church time, of the Duke of 

 Wellington's success, and that the battle of Waterloo had 

 been fought and won. After service he mounted on a 



