may be given credit for excellent inten- in January of 1887 that the parson had
tions in organizing this Biblical drama; never contributed more than eighteen shil-
but the contrast between the simple vil- lings' worth in a year. Several times he
lagers of Ober-Ammergau and the semi-pretended that he had gone beyond the
barbarians of this South Staffordshire pound in order to get a desirable book,
hamlet of miners is not sufficiently in our but Mr. Frobisher, the banker, who buys
favor to induce us to recommend the peo- a magazine called the Athenæum once
ple of Gornal to go a step further and every year (namely, when he takes his trip
inaugurate a Passion Play also.
to London), learned therefrom that the
parson must have falsified his prices.
With the help of a magnifying glass we
saw that where, say, "75." was marked on
the parson's books, he had at least added,
"6d.," and at worst changed the 7 into 10.
A letter, beginning "Reverend sir," was
sent him on the subject, and an acrimoni-
ous meeting was held thereafter, at which
he charged young Mr. Turnbull with buy-
ing books from Mudie's at half-price, and
the Misses Timbs with only reading the
novels. The affair was hushed up, on the
understanding that in future everybody
should keep a sharper eye than ever on
his fellow-members.

From The Speaker.

OUR VILLAGE BOOK CLUB.

NEVER have there been more than nine members in our book club at a time, and at present there are only six. This is less because the village is small than on account of our unwritten rule against trade. The grocer's two sisters would give their ears to join, and so would the draper's wife, but if they were admitted we should no longer be select. The All the books, I have said, are bought chemist, it is true, is one of us, but he is in January, and thus the club is perhaps a semi-scientific, and a bachelor; and we little behind the reading public of London. have also passed (after four meetings of For instance, one of the 1891 books is to committee) young Mr. Turnbull, who, be "In Darkest Africa," of which we have though himself a lawyer, is son of the old as yet only read in newspapers. It is by wright and undertaker. However, young Mr. H. M. Stanley, the celebrated exMr. Turnbull, to do him justice, is ashamed plorer, and contains a full account of his of his relations, and dodges up back streets travels in search of Emin Pasha. Mr. when he sees his father coming. I need Frobisher and the chemist are to give this not say that we always Mister each other, work between them, rather to the annoyexcept in letters, when we begin, "Dearance of the other members, for undoubt sir." The club has no rooms, but it has a motto, of which we are all proud. The motto is, "Culture: the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world." The author of this is Mr. Matthew Arnold, and it was found originally by the chemist on the back of a prescription.

Each of us buys a pound's worth of books in the beginning of January, and by the 31st December we have read them all. They are passed from member to member, as the common people of the village are said (but we know little about them) to lend a cradle when required. At the end of the year each member becomes exclusive owner of his own books, or her own books; for the exciting thing about the club is that it is composed of both sexes. A member may buy one book at a pound or several books for a pound, or two members may combine for a two-pound book, and decide the ultimate ownership between themselves. These arrangements have led to some tremendous scandals, of which perhaps the worst was the discovery

edly "In Darkest Africa" will be the great work of 1891, and there is always rivalry among us as to which should secure "the book of the season." The new book I am to buy is the "Life of W. E. Forster, M.P.," and the Misses Timbs are down for novels by Annie S. Swan. Young Mr. Turnbull has heard of a book called "Rudyard Kipling," by Q, but it is in paper covers, and if he buys it he must bind it in cloth before putting it into the hands of the club. Paper-covered and pasteboard-covered books are not eligible, as they have an immoral tendency. Dr. Littlejohn has not yet handed in his list of books. He has written, however, as usual to "Aunt Christina," who answers corre. spondents in the Parent's Help, and she will tell him doubtless what to buy.

The present, of course, is an anxious time for us for though, as an aid to selection, we read the newspaper reviews, we cannot depend absolutely on them. Young Mr. Turnbull once risked buying a work called "The Egoist" (which he is suspected of having got cheap) on the recom

mendation of a respectable journal; and while admitting the power of this lady's of all the books! That was the way we books, think she is too advanced, while spoke of it, for not one of us could dis- the parson cannot read them without cover what it was about. Poor Mr. Turn-being agitated violently, and it is well bull, who sat up three nights with it, known that they changed the religious exchanged it and one-and-sixpence for views of John James Paterson, an excelMiss Swan's new work; but the parson lent young man of weak intellect. took him to task severely for the bargain, The question of oaths in books is a the other party to it being a poor though yearly trouble; indeed, what is to be made honest person who soon afterwards com- of a certain word beginning with d and mitted suicide. Another dreadful novel ending with n, has been more discussed was one called "A Pair of Blue Eyes," among us than any other topic. Young by, I think, Mr. Thomas Besant, in which | Mr. Turnbull, who would never have got the heroine, after having allowed one man into the club had he asserted himself as to kiss her repeatedly, allows herself to audaciously in his pre-membership days become engaged to another. This also as now, maintains that this word is justiwas introduced into the club by young Mr. | fiable in certain cases. How to print it, Turnbull, and nearly led to the resignation however, is the chief difficulty. Young of the Misses Timbs. It is credited by Mr. Turnbull, who is without a supporter some that young Mr. Turnbull still has in this matter, says, perhaps merely from this book in his possession, and that he a malicious desire to frighten the ladies, keeps it in a drawer, except when bor- that it should be spelt, as pronounced, rowed by the brothers McCallummore, DAMN. A middle course is favored by the who take it home in the leg of their trou- chemist, who has been courting the sec sers, or by Miss Jay, a frightfully fast girl, ond Miss Timbs since 1876. He holds who carries it about openly. The novel- that we should taboo books which print ist, who, on the whole, gives us most that word in all its naked horror, but satisfaction is Miss Annie S. Swan, whom make allowance for authors who veil it the Misses Timbs consider very like thus: "d-n." The parson is naturally George Eliot. Some of the male mem- more particular. He has corresponded on bers of the club do not care so much for the subject with the editors of all the magMiss Swan's stories, but they know that azines, and insists that the only Christian she is the most distinguished novelist of way of spelling damn is " In this the day, and that to speak slightingly of way, he is confident, ladies may encounter her would be a reflection on their own the word without trembling; indeed, the literary taste. Another popular novelist | Misses Timbs have told him this is so, and with us is Miss Edna Lyall, whom both that when they find the word thus spelled, Mr. Frobisher and the chemist consider they read "Oh, stroke it," or "You be helpful. The Misses Timbs, however, stroked!"

scene

THE wren is generally supposed to be a gentle little bird; yet on occasion it seems capable of displaying anything but an amiable temper. In the current number of the Selborne Society's magazine, Mr. Aubrey Edwards gives from his note-book the following account of what he calls "a disgraceful "between two male wrens: April 15, 1889. I have just been watching two goldencrested wrens fighting. They first attracted my attention by getting up from the ground almost under my feet, and engaging again and falling to the ground. Then rising again one chased the other into a yew-tree near, where I had a good close view of them as they challenged each other, ruffling their feathers, shaking their bodies, singing and dancing about with crests erected, the sun shining on the

orange-colored crests-such a pretty sight. After they had been talking big at each other for some minutes, the hen arrived on the scene, and a desperate fight ensued, the two cocks falling to the ground in fierce embrace, rolling over each other occasionally, but for the most part lying still on the ground with their claws buried in each other's feathers for about a minute. The hen was close by them on the ground, moving about and looking very much concerned at the affray. Her pale yellow crest contrasted notably with the rich orange of the males. After getting up, renewing the combat in a currant bush, falling again and struggling on the ground, they rose and had a chase round the yew-trees, the hen following to see the fun, and presently went off and were lost to view."

Nature.

edt

I. JOHN WESLEY,

CONTENTS.

II. MY OLD DRAWING-MASTER,
III. A SUFFOLK PARSON,

IV. THE ANABAPTISTS

DESCENDANTS,

AND THEIR ENGLISH

V. A VILLAGE OBITUARY,

Nineteenth Century,
Macmillan's Magazine,
Blackwood's Magazine,

Contemporary Review,
Gentleman's Magazine,

Blackwood's Magazine,

VII. THE FAIR OPHELIA OF A HIGHLAND GLEN, National Review,

VIII. BUTTER-MAKING IN JUTLAND,
IX. THE BABOO'S ENGLISH,

195

205

210

251

For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks, and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & Co.

Single Numbers of THE LIVING AGE, 18 cents.

From The Nineteenth Century.
JOHN WESLEY.

swiftly and on so gigantic a scale. I happened once to express my surprise to the late Mark Pattison, when he was rector of Lincoln College, that even his college had no adequate memorial of the most illustrious fellow that ever adorned its common room. What other fellow of Lincoln, I added, or indeed of any Oxford college, had twenty millions of avowed disciples in all parts of the world, within less than a century of his death? "Twenty millions!" exclaimed Mr. Pattison, with a start; "twenty millions! you mean twenty thousand ?" And I had to repeat it three times over, before I could persuade him that I meant it. "I had not the faintest conception," said the illustrious rector of Lincoln, positively gasping with astonishment, "that there were so many Methodists." As a matter of fact, the figures I gave him were much below the mark. In 1881 the first Ecumenical Methodist Conference met in City Road. It represented every branch of Methodism throughout the world, and included among its appointed delegates a yellow Chinaman from the far East and a Red Indian from the far West. Advantage was taken of this unique opportunity to form an approximate estimate of the total number. of Methodist adherents; and those who had most carefully collected statistics from all

DURING the first week of March, the well-known Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and burial-ground in City Road, London, will be the scenes of such representative Christian gatherings as have never previously been witnessed in this island since the outward unity of the Western Church was shattered at the Reformation. The Established Episcopal Church will be represented by the Ven. Archdeacon Farrar, chaplain of the House of Commons. The Presbyterian Churches of Great Britain will speak through the lips of Principal Rainy and Principal Cairns. Dr. Dale and Dr. Allon on behalf of the Congregationalists, Dr. Clifford on behalf of the Baptists, and Mr. J. B. Braithwaite on behalf of the Society of Friends, will represent the ancient Dissenting communities of the realm. The Rev. W. Taylor, a bishop of the Moravian Church, the Rev. J. B. Figgis, of the Countess of Huntingdon's Connection, and the presidents of all the Methodist Churches in Great Britain and Ireland, will complete the representation of Evangelical Christendom. Every variety of Christian theology, and every form of ecclesiastical polity, except Roman Catholicism and Oriental Catholicism, will for the first time heartily combine in an octave of public services. lands were of opinion that "the people What is the occasion of this unprecedented called Methodists" numbered at least exhibition of Evangelical Catholicism? On the second of March, 1791, John Wesley, at the great age of eighty-eight, after exclaiming: "The best of all is, God is with us," fell asleep in the house adjoining City Road Chapel, and on the following Wednesday was laid in the burial-ground behind the chapel. A hundred years, the most wonderful hundred in human history, have passed away, and the representatives of all the Evangelical Churches meet around the dust of John Wesley to pay an almost unparalleled tribute to his memory. Similar services will be held in every part of the world. It is very astonishing that so little is yet known, even by educated men, about one of the most influential Englishmen that ever lived. The University of Oxford has not yet realized that no son of hers ever "made history" so

twenty-five million. Whitaker's invalua ble "Almanack" is the statistical vade mecum of the British citizen, and I am therefore glad to have this conspicuous. opportunity of correcting a gross inaccuracy which Mr. Whitaker unconsciously reprints year after year, and which I have seen quoted again and again. In giving the "estimated numbers of religious denominations among English-speaking communities throughout the world," he puts the Episcopalians at the head of the poll with twenty-three million, the Methodists second with sixteen million, nine hundred and sixty thousand, and the Roman Catholics third with fifteen million two hundred thousand. I do not know by what process Mr. Whitaker makes out that there are twenty-three million Episcopalians. Does he include those who, like a famous lord