LIXXEAK" SOCIETY OF LOXD02T. 



XXXV 



one sharp rebuke addressed to the farmers, which informed them 

 of his intention of abiding by his own resolves, and declining their 

 dictation. The success of the allotments is now complete, and the 

 Hitcham allottees have on several occasions distanced all compe- 

 titors in the excellence of their produce. 



" We cannot here do more than allude to the various well-organ- 

 ized methods by which Professor Henslow gradually raised the 

 condition of the people committed to his charge, and which, with- 

 out one exception, were nourishing at the period of his decease. 

 Of these the 'Becreation Fund' has naturally been the most 

 popular; it originated in his suppression of the annual tithe 

 dinner given by the rector to the farmers in one of the public- 

 houses, and which was always a scene of disgraceful drunkenness. 

 In 1849 he announced his determination to withhold the money 

 for this purpose, and to emplo} r it in giving an excursion in which 

 the best-conducted of his parishioners should join : short excur- 

 sions in the neighbourhood excited a desire for more distant ones, 

 and by means of a small subscription amongst themselves, aided by 

 larger ones from the rector's family and some well-wishers to his 

 plans, journeys to Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, the Exhibition 

 of 1851, Kew, Harwich, and Felixstow, were organized^and car- 

 ried out at the expense of a few shillings per head. On these 

 occasions Professor Henslow often printed and circulated plans of 

 the route, with illustrations that should serve for reminiscences of 

 the chief objects worth seeing : he arranged with the railway 

 directors for cheap trains, and with public and private individuals 

 for admission to interesting places ; and most generously were his 

 exertions everywhere seconded by all parties. The plans all 

 arranged, time-tables opened, and, with tickets in their hats, nearly 

 two hundred villagers would assemble at dawn to enjoy through- 

 out the day the simple and instructive discourse of one whose 

 engaging voice never failed to draw a crowd of hearers of all ages. 

 It is a well-authenticated fact, that, though the rustics were on all 

 such occasions unfettered in action throughout the day, and often 

 thirsty and exposed to temptation, there never occurred an inci- 

 dent of which any could be ashamed ; at the termination of the 

 day, or perhaps deep in the summer night, they would return 

 orderly and happy to their homes, without an absentee. After 

 one of these trips (that to Cambridge), the farmers of the parish, 

 unable to withhold any longer some expression of admiration, 

 united in presenting him with a silver cup. 



" We need not further refer to the village festivals and horticul* 



c2 



