The ultra-Protestant. No; let the pope, the high and mighty priest, CRABBE. CHAPTER VI. HAT reply Magdalen would have made to the observations recorded at the close of the last chapter, I have no means of knowing; for at that point our conversation was broken off by the sound of a ring at the door-bell, and the tones of a well-known voice in the passage, which I confess were not to myself personally either opportune or welcome. "Mrs. Sutton at home, young woman? Oh, gone to Yateshull, is she? Perhaps her niece-(ah, granddaughter is she?)-perhaps her granddaughter, Miss Furnival (Fernley?-yes, true)-Miss Fernley is in the house? Very well, young woman-(by the way, what's your own name? Susan Bennet. Bennets of Dilbury?-thought so)-then Susan Bennet, I'll trouble you to tell Miss Fernley that Mrs. Hopkins will be happy to wait on her, and rest till Mrs. Sutton comes home, for I'm just tired to death. Or stay; I'll tell her that myself. Clogs?-thank you; but I can take them off. And you may hang this cloak to the fire,-not too near, you know, or you'll scorch it, Susan. This way, to the right, up one step? Oh! what, in the blind gentleman's apartment? poor old creature! -Ah, my good friend, Mr. Lee," as soon as she was within the door, "happy to see you looking so well, sir.-Beg your pardon, ma'am, take it for granted you are Miss Fernley. Great pleasure in making your acquaintance-very sincere regard for your grandmother-should have waited on you sooner, but I caught a terrible cold on Tuesday at Chatterton annual meeting of the Reformation Society, you know -sad wet evening, but I make a point of attending; think it a duty in these times. Great crowd on the platform-very hot-didn't get home till midnightrained all the way.—Mr. Warlingham too? quite in luck to find so many of my friends,—really quite a congregation, -a vicar, and a curate, and the black cat for clerk-ha, ha, ha! and you, Miss Fernley, no doubt a very attentive listener.-Puss, puss, puss,come, pussy." But puss retreated; and so Mrs. Hopkins, finding the quadruped gave her no encouragement, fell back upon the bipeds, who had no option but to sit quiet and listen to her. The treachery of a thin partition before Mrs. Hopkins entered the room, and my own somewhat retentive memory, having thus enabled me to give my readers (though in a very condensed form) a fair sample of Mrs. Hopkins's manner of conversation, I believe they will readily excuse me for not following her through the mere ordinary gossip of a morning call. Indeed, to say truth, her visit being to Magdalen, I rather attended to Mr. Lee than to her, and only occasionally interposed a word now and then as civility required. By the by, Mrs. Hopkins," I said at last, when there was a pause (arising apparently from the good lady having exhausted herself with talking), you tell me whether my friend Mr. Dashwood is returned to Norton ?" can Oh, yes, poor man, he did his own duty last Sunday." "You say, poor man,' Mrs. Hopkins; is he ill, or has any misfortune happened to him?" 66 66 Oh, no, I was only thinking of his ministry," answered Mrs. Hopkins, with a sigh. What a pity it is that he should be such a dull, unedifying preacher as he is; for I really think he means well; I am sure (the sigh repeated), "I am sure, Mr. Warlingham, he means well." "I I can answer for that," was my rejoinder. have known Mr. Dashwood these twenty years, and I can honestly say, that I do not know a man who is more devoted to his sacred profession." 66 Oh, no doubt; I don't say any thing against that. He means well, I am convinced, and he is very kind to the poor, and very diligent in visiting them and attending to the schools; but he makes sad work in the pulpit, poor man." 66 His voice is weak," said I, and his delivery rather monotonous; but then his pronunciation is very distinct, so that he is sufficiently audible. Perhaps his manner in preaching might be more striking, but he is so much in earnest that he never tries (as, I fear, is the case with many) to produce what is called an effect.' Every thing is natural, every thing comes from the heart." 66 'Ah, but then his sermons are so dull." 'What do you mean by dull ?" "Just plain, simple, quiet, homely discourses, that any body might make. There is nothing about them, Mr. Warlingham, that is animating; no sudden pauses, no awful whispers, no tender appeals, no burst of fine speaking, or similes or tropes; nothing to excite the feelings, and kindle a fervour of devotion." Well," said I, "I do not undervalue the gifts of eloquence, nor any gifts which may contribute to the efficiency of a Christian minister. I think we are bound to avail ourselves of all human aids, and to cultivate every talent which may bring our teaching home to men's hearts and understandings. But although eloquence be a very desirable gift, it is by no means indispensable to the usefulness of a clergyman in his profession. Discourses which are plain, simple, homely, |