58 FIELD AND HEDGEROW. 



and the pastor fills his tumbler half full of spirit, and 

 but lightly dashes it with water. It is cognac and not 

 brandy, for your chapel minister thinks it an affront it 

 anything more common than the best French liquor is 

 put before him ; he likes it strong, and with it his long 

 clay pipe. Very frequently another minister, sometimes 

 two or three, come in at the same time, and take the 

 same dinner, and afterwards form a genial circle with 

 cognac and tobacco, when the room speedily becomes 

 full of smoke and the bottle of brandy soon disappears. 

 In these family parties there is not the least approach to 

 over-conviviality ; it is merely the custom, no one thinks 

 anything of a glass and a pipe ; it is perfectly innocent ; 

 it is not a local thing, but common and understood. 

 The consumption of brandy and tobacco and the good 

 things of dinner, tea, and supper (for the party generally 

 sit out the three meals), must in a month cost the host 

 a good deal of money, but all things are cheerfully borne 

 for the good of the church. Never were men feasted 

 with such honest good-will as these pastors ; and if a 

 budding Paul or Silas happens to come along who has 

 scarce yet passed his ordination, the youthful divine may 

 stay a week if he likes, and lick the platter clean. In 

 fact, so constant is this hospitality, that in certain houses 

 it is impossible to pay a visit at any time of the year 

 without finding one of these young brothers reposing 

 amid the fat of the land, and doubtless indulging in 

 pleasant spiritual communion with the daughters of the 

 mansion. Something in this system of household 

 ministers of religion reminds one of the welcome and 

 reverence said to be extended in the East to the priests, 

 who take up their residence indefinitely, and are treated 

 as visible incarnations of the Deity whose appetites it is 

 meritorious to satisfy. Indeed, these young men, who 



