Short Notices of Books.

Third Annual Report of the Oxford Churchmen's Union, adopted at the General Meeting held in the Rooms of the Association, Broad Street, January, 1863. Oxford: VINCENT.

On the face of this Report appears a well-executed emblem, with its motto "That they all may be one.' From a perusal of the Report, and from our own observation of the practical working of the Association, we concur that this Divinely-breathed prayer seems illustrative both of the object and the experience of its Founders. A great feature is the periodical opportunity afforded for united worship, and the recognition in common of the religious faith and unity on which the Association is based. An Evening Service was held in Oxford on the Anniversary of the Foundation, the Holy Communion having been celebrated on the previous morning; and again on last New Year's Eve, Holy Communion following on the morning of the Circumcision. The Report speaks of the warm-hearted Sermons delivered at both these Evening Services, the latter illustrating the fact that the Union is but a means towards restoring and maintaining old truths and principles. It is to be regretted, however, that these Sermons are not placed within the reach of those Members who from many causes may not have heard them delivered; such periodical reasonings, hitherto received by the few only who attend, might surely and advisedly be preserved in the home of every Member of the Union. The successful Meetings of Parish Choirs for Divine Service in Oxford during recent years originated with the Union, although not indentified with it or under its direction, and have resulted in the establishment of an Oxford Diocesan Choral Union. Other religious and social aims and ends seem to have been so successfully carried out that we shall not be surprised in course of time to hear that the O. C. U., with its 670 Members and 138 Associates, is creditably working its own Provident and Friendly Societies, and circulating its special periodical of Church literature and information. The very limited sale of last year's Reports would suggest that they be freely circulated if printed at all.

"The Sussex Chant Book: a Selection of Single and Double Chants, &c. London: Wertheim, Macintosh, and Hunt. Price 2s."

This is a very useful and nicely-printed collection of Chants, 156 in number. The Compiler has carefully excluded those of a modern florid character, and specially favoured the well-known Chants of the Anglican Church: but we miss Elvey's and other favourites which surely deserve a place amongst the standard Chants of our Church. Although we cannot indorse what the Compiler says

about Gregorian Chants, we recommend his book as a useful addition to Church Music beyond its local adaptation.

"Sussex Tracts for Churchmen. 1. Sunday: its Observance. 2. The Church of England considered as a State-established Church, with reference to the Bible. 3. A Warning to Churchmen. 4. Inconsistency, and what comes of it. 5. A few Facts bearing on the Bicentenary Movement. 6. The Outward Order of the Church of England not at variance with the Bible, addressed to Friend and Foe. 7. Statistics relating to the Church and the Sects in England. 8. The Church Defence Movement. 9. The Episcopate, and the Necessity of Increasing it. London: Wertheim, Macintosh, and Hunt.

This is a series of Church Tracts, showing much zeal in their production, and admirably adapted for broadcast distribution. The reasoning is carefully rendered, and the proofs conclusive. They are attractively printed, at a very low price.

ABOUT OUR VILLAGE "MATRIMONIAL."

I have much to say about our village beyond what I have already said. The coming season suggests the heading of my present paper, but the matrimonial proceedings of the poor always offer many and serious thoughts. The season we are now passing through, in which few if any marriages take place, is, I think, no unfit time to meditate on a rite which after Easter will again take its place amongst the ordinances of the Church. Our poor especially demand our attention in this respect, for they need teaching and advice where many of ourselves want but feeling and good taste.

First, then, I shall speak of engagements, and then of marriages themselves; of engagements, because they are the necessary forerunners of marriage; of marriages, because they are the chief and most awful events in our lives here on earth. My remarks will be, as usual, brief and desultory, both because of the length the importance of the subject requires, and the space allowed me for my article.

The way in which the poor girl or man now looks upon an engagement of this kind is far from what we could wish. Ignorance, of course, has much to do with this; the want of advice and kindly words have more to do with it; the want of interest taken in such things, and the absence of ladies in our country parishes to influence and advise, have most to do with it. The poor girl now does not much care if she have two lovers on at the same time; when one is gone the other comes on. To such an extent does this influence them, that if a man deserts them to day they are ready to 'walk' with a perfect stranger to-morrow. Servants in the country are, however, the

worst to deal with, for they have the opportunity of giving their "followers" beer and meat: this ensures plenty of young men, be the cook or housemaid ever so ill-looking. We had a housemaid once who had a mason in the kitchen, a labourer in the yard, and a groom who came three miles to see her, in the garden; all waiting, unconscious of each other's propinquity, at the same time. In the end they wish to get married, and the expedient they adopt is not a bad one. Having got some man in the village to promise them, if he be any way backward in fulfilling his promise, they threaten to leave their situation, and go to a distant place of service; this brings things to an issue; if he cares for them he marries them directly, if he does not, for all he cares, they may go at once.

Why should not an arrangement be made by which an engagement be recognized? It is now nothing but an anomalous thing between a friend and a husband, at least as far as the lower order of people are concerned. An engaged man or woman, as things are now-adays, reckon as a nuisance by their friends and those with whom they have to associate; they are looked on as a couple of geese, who for the time have taken leave of their senses, and instead of living on their natural food, have taken for a while, love, or something called so, as a substitute: The lower classes, too, when engaged, have not the privilege of being at the man's or woman's house to spend their evenings; they are in the way there, and so have to go out into the dark and cold nights for a walk. It is not necessary to point out the ills arising from such a plan as this.

Then, again, with regard to domestic servants; some people object to followers. Now as long as a woman continues a human being she will have one, and so vice versa: if he is not allowed to come into the house, or she to go and see him, it is evident something wrong will happen, for see one another some way they will. I, for my part, think that a man is much to blame if he refuses admittance into his kitchen to a proper person; and that the charge be on his shoulders, not on his maid's, if she come to any harm. Why not have some ceremony binding two such engaged persons together? Why not have some sort of betrothal, which those who liked might engage in? There are, I know, objections to this. People say that the lower orders would look on this, almost, if not quite, in the light of marriage. From what I know of them, I do not think they would; but be this as it may, things in that respect, if we look through our baptismal registers, cannot be much worse. Many I know would be glad of some such ceremony as this; it would appear to bind them closer together; to tie the links of love and respect closer round them; to teach them the honour and reverence and obedience which was to come after, with deeper force; to foster the love for themselves more completely with the love for their God. And then as to the village wedding. I wonder if any one of those, who, walking in the upper and richer paths of life, have their grand weddings, and their still grander breakfasts, their carriages, their grey horses, their six or twelve bridesmaids, carpet from the