ood opening," remarked the shoemaker.

"A nice-looking fellow," said the fiery-faced woman, "I should like to
kiss him."

"He's too civil by half," grumbled Mrs. Sowler; "I wish I had my
sixpence back in my pocket."

"Give him time." whispered Jervy, "and he'll warm up. I say, Phoebe,
he doesn't begin like a man who is going to break down. I don't expect
there will be much to laugh at to-night."

"What an admirable speaker!" said Mrs. Farnaby to her husband. "Fancy
such a man as that, being married to such an idiot as Regina!"

"There's always a chance for him," returned Mr. Farnaby, savagely, "as
long as he's not married to such a woman as You!"

In the mean time, Amelius had claimed national kindred with his audience
as an Englishman, and had rapidly sketched his life at Tadmor, in its
most noteworthy points. This done, he put the question whether they
would hear him. His frankness and freshness had already won the public:
they answered by a general shout of applause.

"Very well," Amelius proceeded, "now let us get on. Suppose we take
a glance (we have no time to do more) at the present state of our
religious system, first. What is the public aspect of the thing called
Christianity, in the England of our day? A hundred different sects
all at variance with each other. An established church, rent in every
direction by incessant wrangling--disputes about black gowns or white;
about having candlesticks on tables, or off tables; about bowing to
the east or bowing to the west; about which doctrine collects the most
respectable support and possesses the largest sum of money, the doctrine
in my church, or the doctrine in your church, or the doctrine in the
church over the way. Look up, if you like, from this multitudinous and
incessant squabbling among the rank and file, to the high regions in
which the right reverend representatives of state religion sit apart.
Are they Christians? If they are, show me the Bishop who dare assert his
Christianity in the House of Lords, when the ministry of the day happens
to see its advantage in engaging in a war! Where is that Bishop, and how
many supporters does he count among his own order? Do you blame me for
using intemperate language--language which I cannot justify? Take a
fair test, and try me by that. The result of the Christianity of the
New Testament is to make men true, humane, gentle, modest, strictly
scrupulous and strictly considerate in their dealings with their
neigh