Nov. 16, 1875. In the spring of this year, and consequently before there could have been any idea of “De mortuis,” etc., I happened to find myself in company with two Morwenstow people, returning to their old home. One of them was a prosperous-looking clerk or shopman from Manchester, the other a nice, modest-looking servant girl. On recognising each other, which they did not do at once, their talk naturally turned to old days. The Sunday School, Morwenstow and its vicar were discussed; and it was very remarkable to see how lively was their remembrance of him, how much affection and reverence they entertained for him, how keen was their appreciation of the great qualities of his head and heart, and how much delight they testified in being able to see his honoured face and white head, and hear the well-remembered tones of his voice once more. It may seem but a trivial incident; but to those who know how constant is the complaint, and, indeed, how well founded, that our children, when they leave school, leave us altogether, such attestation to his work and influence is not without its value. I remain, etc., W. C——. “Talking of _appreciation_,” as Mr. Hawker said once, “the Scripture-reader, Mr. Bumpus,[*] at ——, came to me the other day, and said: ‘Please, sir, I have been visiting and advising Farmer Matthews, but he did not quite appreciate me. In fact, he kicked me downstairs.’” Mr. Hawker could not endure to hear the apostles or evangelists spoken of by name without their proper prefix or title of “Saint.” If he heard any one talk of Mark, or John, or Paul, he would say: “Look here. There was a professor at Oxford in my time who lectured on divinity. One day a pert student began to speak about ‘Paul’s opinion.’ ‘Paul’s opinion, sir!’ said the professor. ‘Paul is not here to speak for himself; but if Paul were, and heard you talk thus disrespectfully of him, it is my belief that Paul would take you by the scruff of your neck and chuck you out of the window. As I have Paul in honour, if I hear you speak of him disrespectfully again, I will kick you from the room.’” “Never boast,” was a favourite saying of the vicar’s. “The moment you boast, the Devil obtains power over you. You notice if it be not so. You say, ‘I now never catch cold,’ and within a week you have a sore throat. ‘I am always lucky in my money ventures’; and the next fails. So long as you do not boast, the Devil cannot touch you; but, the moment you have boasted, virtue has gone from you, and he obtains power. Nebuchadnezzar was prosperous till he said, ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ It was while the word was in the king’s mouth that the voice fell from heaven which took it from him.”