w
stitching for life far into the early morning in her wretched garret, and
the pauper in his still more wretched cellar, ate their untaxed loaf. As
the 'Publicola' of the _Weekly Dispatch_, Mr. Fox laboured to the end of
his life in the good cause of Peace, Retrenchment, and Reform. It is not
right that his memory should remain unrecorded--his life assuredly was an
interesting one. Harriet Martineau writes in her autobiography that 'his
editorial correspondence with me was unquestionably the reason, and in
great measure the cause, of the greatest intellectual progress I ever
made before the age of thirty.'

But it was not from William Johnson Fox that at that time came to our
small village the grain of light that was to leaven the lump around.
Lecturing and oratory, and even public tea-meetings, were things almost
unknown. Now and then a deputation from the London Missionary Society
came to Wrentham, and in this way I remember William Ellis, then a
missionary from Madagascar, and Mr. George Bennett, who, in conjunction
with the Rev. Mr. Tyerman, had been on a tour of inspection to the
islands of the South Seas, and to whose tales of travel rustic audiences
listened with delight. Once upon a time--but that was later--the
Religious Tract Society sent a deputation in the shape of a well-known
travelling secretary, Mr. Jones. This Mr. Jones was inclined to
corpulency, and I can well remember how we all laughed when, on one
occasion, the daughter of a neighbouring minister, having opened the door
in reply to his knock, ran delightedly into her papa's study to announce
the arrival of the Tract Society!

A great impression was also made in all parts of the country by the
occasional appearances of the Anti-Slavery Society's lecturers. In 1831,
as Sir G. Stephen tells us, the younger section of the Anti-Slavery body
resolved to stir up the country by sending lecturers to the villages and
towns of the country. The M.P.'s did not much like it. The idea was
novel to them. 'Trust to Parliament,' said they; the outsiders replied,
'Trust to the people.' This scheme of agitation, however, was rejected,
and would have fallen to the ground had not a benevolent Quaker of the
name of Cropper come forward. 'Friend S., what money dost thou want?'
'I want 20,000 pounds, but I will begin if I can get one.' 'Then, I will
give thee 500 pounds.' Joseph Sturge immediately followed with a promise
of 250 pounds, and Mr. Wilberforce t