y more. A
photographer published a portrait of me at eighteenpence, and no one
bought it." This conversation took place on the occasion of a week-night
service. At the close of the service the artist came up into the vestry
to show his sketch. "Yes," said Mr. Spurgeon, "it is all very well, but
I should like to hear what others say about it. They say women and fools
are the best judges of this kind of thing," and accordingly the likeness
was referred to a friend who happened to come into the room in the nick
of time.

It always seemed to me the great characteristic of Mr. Spurgeon was
good-natured jollity. He was as full of fun as a boy. I saw him once
before getting into a wagonette pitch all the rugs on his brother's head,
who naturally returned the compliment--much to the amusement of the
spectators. On one occasion I happened to be in the Tabernacle when the
Baptist Union dined there, as it always did at the time of the Baptist
anniversaries. I suppose there would be many hundreds present who
enjoyed the ample repast and the accompanying claret and sherry. After
the dinner was over Mr. Spurgeon came up to where I was sitting and,
laying his hand on my shoulder and pointing to the long rows of empty
bottles left standing on the table, with a twinkle in his eye, said,
"Teetotalism does not seem to flourish among the brethren, does it?" And
he was as kind as he was cheerful. Once and once only I had to write to
him. He returned me a reply addressed to me in my proper name, and
then--as I was writing weekly articles under a _nom de plume_ in a highly
popular journal--added, in a postscript, "Kind regards to ---"
(mentioning my _nom de plume_). The anecdote is trivial, but it shows
how genial and kind-hearted he was.

And to the last what crowds attended his ministry at the Tabernacle! One
Saturday I went to dine with a friend living on Clapham Common. Going
back to town early in the morning I got into an omnibus, and was amused
by hearing the conductor exclaim, "Any more for the Tabernacle!" "Now,
then, for the Tabernacle!" "This way for the Tabernacle!" and, sure
enough, I found all my fellow-passengers got out when we arrived at the
Tabernacle; nor was the 'bus in which I was riding the only one thus
utilised. There was no end of omnibuses from all quarters drawing up at
the entrance. According to the latest utterance of Mr. Herbert Beerbohm
Tree, in this age of ours faith is tinged with philosoph