Sister Simpson is going to marry Brother Wilkins the sidesman of our Reading Chapel. At present she’s suffering from boils, but hopes to be well enough for the marriage next month. The Bellinghams at Cross Corner, Reading, Bakers and Fancy Confectioners, are in a bad way—going bankrupt they say. There’s been a sad scandal about Pastor Brown at Bewdly wanting to marry his deceased wife’s sister. It’s forbidden I know in Holy Writ, though at time of writing I can’t remember where, but see Leviticus xviii. and xx. Emily Langhorn has gone to London to learn dressmaking. Time she did and good behaviour likewise. I never listen to scandal, otherwise I should say it was all on account of her goings on with young Gilchrist. She took it very hard when he suddenly married Priscilla Lamb of Lamb’s Boot Emporium, Abbey Road, Reading. I’m very glad I wouldn’t have her here to the Dorcas meetings. She’d got her eye on you, I’m pretty sure. Sam Gildersleeves and Polly Scatcherd’s got married, just in time it seems, to save her good name. People was beginning to cut her. Clara Josling, your wife’s sister, is engaged to young Harden, a good-for-nothing cricketer. Plays with his brother and friends on Sunday afternoons. But I suppose you won’t think the worse of him for that, now you’ve come under Lucy’s influence. But oh what wickedness is coming on the world. Well, it can’t last much longer. The vials of the Almighty’s wrath are about to be opened and the Last Day is at hand—I feel and hope. I’ve advised your father to spend no more money on repairs at the Manufactory—It will last our time. Meanwhile may God have you in his holy keeping. Father sends love. He’s taken up with this new drink Zoedone and expects to make a lot of money out of it. Money, money, money and eat, eat, eat is all he thinks about. Still, that’s better than breaking the Sabbath and running after strange women, which is what most of his neighbours is doing. And as to the women, it’s dress, dress, dress and play acting. Mrs. Garrett’s bustle was right down shocking last Sunday. I couldn’t keep my eyes off it during Chapel. They’ve been making so much money lately out of sanding the sugar and selling dried tea-leaves for Best Family Blend Afternoon tea that they don’t know how to spend it, so Mrs. G. has begun to dress fashionable—at _her_ age too—and Mr. G. goes to St. Michael’s instead of coming to Salem chapel where his parents worshipped before him. And as to this play acting, its one of the signs of the times. They’ve opened a theatre at Reading and have afternoon performances.—Several of our Tilehurst folk have been seen there and Pastor Mullins spoke about it in last Sunday’s sermon. Your loving mother, SARAH BAINES. _From Mrs. Spencer Bazzard to Mr. Bennet Molyneux, Foreign Office._ H.B.M. Vice-Consulate, Unguja, _Novr._ 1, 1887. DEAR MR. MOLYNEUX,—