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Mr. Stuart's Sermon in its present shape. It affords a full and candid enumeration of the evils at present bound up with the existence of Pews; while other subjects, as the Offertory, and existing irregularities of Church Endowments, are alluded to.

As advocating a sweeping Pew reform, Mr. Stewart recommends not only the total abolition of all appropriation of sittings, (at least in towns), but the substitution of chairs for benches. In this we cordially agree; benches, however moveable, are never in fact moved, but chairs may be piled up when not in use, and their removal strikes at the very idea, however lingering, of fixed and appropiated seats. If only on architectural principles, chairs, where they may be had, should be preferred, as preserving the clear area of a Church free from permanent obstructions. Benches, on the other hand, too commonly deprive us of one of the noblest features of our Churches, the vista of Gothic pillars standing out of a clear and unbroken space. Or when not occupied, as on week-days, what more cheerless than the sight of a Church filled with empty benches?

Perhaps the best arrangement for seats would be that which we have observed in many of the Churches in Italy, viz., to have a few benches at the upper end of the nave, leaving the rest of the area for chairs to be brought up as required. As a corollary to the non-appropriation of seats, it becomes desirable, Mr. Stuart says, though not absolutely necessary, to separate the sexes in public worship. This, if once practised, is recognised as an arrangement both reasonable and convenient.

"A sort of discipline, and a principle of order will be introduced in this way into our Churches, which will be found in harmony with the place, and the service, and the tone of mind in which the service should be followed." APP. p. 20.

Such conclusions are not at once accepted by persons as yet unfamiliar with the discussion of this question; the more, however, the whole subject is ventilated and thought upon among candid Churchmen, the nearer will the public be drawn to such first principles in public worship. Those desirous of forming the mind of others or their own upon such questions should read Mr. Stuart's Sermon and Appendix. On the advantages of a Church with perfectly unappropriated sittings, we give the following extract:

"There is a freedom, an ease, a largeness of principle, and trustfulness of feeling, in Churches entirely unappropriated, which goes home to the minds of most men; but where the appropriation of any sittings remains, there still exists the fear on going into Church, lest you should be taking a sitting to which you have no right, and from which you may be turned out; you have to wait and ask the pew-opener where you may go; you feel that there is a hindrance in your way,—that you cannot walk into Church, and take the first unoccupied seat, as a matter of course: and while this hindrance remains, it is, I fear, useless to expect that those who most need religious instruction will come near our Churches. Let any one go into a town where he is unknown, and have the choice of two Churches to go to, one partly appropriated, and the other entirely free, and let him say which of them seems most to invite him into it into which of them does he feel that he can walk most freely, and take his place at once with most confidence ?"

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"Come to Me," saith One," and com-ing

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If I ask him to receive me,

Will He say me nay?

"Not till earth, and not till Heaven
Pass away!"

Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
Is He sure to bless ?

"Angels, Martyrs, Prophets, Virgins,

Answer, Yes!" Amen.

COPYRIGHT.-Selected by permission from "An Appendix, consisting of a few Original Tunes, written expressly for some of the peculiar metres in the REV. J. B. TREND'S New Hymnal. London: Rivingtons; Oxford: Bowden. Price Ono Shilling,"

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Margaret and the children crossed the grass on their way home after the scene described in the last chapter, in which Will Shirley had proved the truth of the old proverb, "Better late than never. On reaching the carriage road, Margaret saw fresh marks of wheels. "Now then, Maude, Fanny, and Oliver," she exclaimed, “I have observed something which you, I think, have not discoveredmy moss rosebud for whichever finds it out the first."

"Wheels! wheels! carriage wheels! the marks of them, I mean. I've got the rose, Miss Stourton; I'm right, am I not ?" said Oliver, as he danced round her.

"Yes, you are; but now, who can guess the name of the visitor?" "Oh, I hope it is some one we shall like to see," said Maude. With all their guessing they did not guess right. The visitors had gone before they reached the house, and Oliver, who went to enquire who they were, returned with the intelligence that two gentlemen had called. "But no one we know or care for," he added; "they only wanted to see the pictures in the dining-room."

"What a terrible disappointment," said Margaret, holding up her hands in feigned despair; "it is absolutely necessary for us to do something or other very enlivening, that we may be able to bear it; what shall it be ?"

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Oh, tea out of doors under the great elm ; and no lessons to-night; you to tell us a story!"

'Oh, do let us, Miss Stourton; it would be so very very nice, and

you know we have not had an extra half-holiday for such a very long time.'

“Well, run, then," said Margaret, "and ask Mrs. Watson about the tea part of it."

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Quick as lightning ran Maude and Oliver, and as Mrs. Watson neither saw nor made any sort of objection, orders were given for this fête champêtre, Mrs. Watson herself being entreated to come out and see the party at their tea, which she promised to do.

"What a most capital thing for us that those two gentlemen came to-day," said Oliver, helping himself with great satisfaction to a plateful of gooseberries. "But for them we should not have

had this fun; should we, Miss Stourton ?"

"Who were they, Nurse ?" enquired Maude of Mrs. Watson, who just then came from the house, bringing a cake with her.

"The Reverend Cuthbert Leslie and Mr. Stratton, I believe," she replied; "they wrote their names on a card, which they gave to Mrs. Bailey.'

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"The Reverend Cuthbert Leslie !" exclaimed Margaret; "Oh dear, how much I should like to have seen him; my brother is his Curate. I wonder whether he is staying in this neighbourhood; how I wish I had seen him."

"The other gentleman enquired particularly after the family," continued Mrs. Watson, "and asked when her Ladyship would return."

"Why, does he know Mamma ?" enquired Oliver.

"I don't know, my dear. I wish," added Mrs. Watson," my Lady could just step out from the drawing-room now, and look at the young ladies and Master Oliver; she would be so pleased to see how well and happy they are looking."

"I wish, Nurse," said Oliver, "that Roger could see your cap; I am sure he would admire it very much. He always likes your caps, he says, better than any other person's; and that one is a great beauty. It's quite new, is it not ?"

"Well, yes, Sir, it is; and I'm sure I wish he was here to see it : and dear Miss Emily, too, for it was she who gave me the ribbon. She sent it from London the day before she went abroad."

"I was admiring the ribbon," said Margaret. "I thought it was too pretty to have come from Bruton."

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Oh, yes, Miss Stourton; there's nothing so good or so pretty to be got there, I assure you. And when Miss North gives a present she gives one that is worth having, which cannot be said of everybody, for, in my opinion, many presents are not worth the accepting. What I mean is, that some people should either give a handsome present or none at all. At the same time, there are people, of course, from whom the value of the present is to be counted by the love that comes with it; and in that case, you know, Ma'am, one does not think of the gift, but of the giver.'

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"I should not think that ribbon cost so very much," said Oliver, "Did it ?"

"That I can't say, Sir; but this I know, Miss Emily would not have sent it unless she had been very sure it would please me; and most certainly it is a very good one. But I value it because it was

so kind of her to think of me when she

was in London, and all in

the expectation of going abroad, too, directly; that is what makes me like to wear it."

"Nurse is always doing something kind, herself," said Fanny.

Tea, which, with all the conversation in addition, had occupied them some time, was now ended.

"I think, Ma'am, if you will please to excuse me, now," said Mrs. Watson to Margaret.

I will go in

"Yes, certainly; it is getting late for us all," replied she. "Oh, one story more, just a little one. You said you knew one," said Oliver.

"The one I had thought of would certainly be too long."

"Then another, and we will walk arm-in-arm all together up the garden walk; I will get your cloak," said Maude, eagerly. "You must get your own as well, then."

"Yes! oh yes!" and away rushed the children in search of the requisite wraps. When they returned, Maude and Fanny joined arms with Margaret, Oliver taking Maude's disengaged arm, and then they turned up the gravel walk through the shrubbery. "The only short story I can think of," began Margaret, "has also the merit of being true."

“Hurrah! so much the better," cried Oliver. "Do please begin." "There was once a ship going to sail immediately. She was a man-of-war. One of her officers had been sent on shore for some things which were wanted, and he found that several of the sailors' wives were anxiously desiring to get to the ship to see their husbands before they left England. It was war-time, and they thought they might never see them more, for the ship was to join the fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, where there would probably be fighting. When the officer had finished the business about which he had been sent on shore, and was getting into his boat to return, two poor women came and entreated him to take them out to the ship with him. They knew, they said, that they could get back in the evening by some of the other boats which would be returning. But it was blowing so hard that they were half afraid to venture in a shore boat; besides, which, they did not know how to afford it. Well, they begged so hard that the young officer did not know how to refuse them, although his boat was almost as full as it ought to have been, with things he had to take out to the ship." What do you think, Jack?' he said to an old sailor, one of his 'Just as your honour pleases,' replied Jack. "Well, then, I please to take them.'All right, Sir, we can do it,' said the man, touching his hat. 'In with you, then,' said the officer to the women; 'but mind, you must do exactly as I tell you, and neither move nor speak without orders.' 'You may depend upon it, Sir,' said they. So they were put into the boat, and told to lie down, and some boat cloaks and tarpaulins were thrown over them, the rest of the things were packed in round them, and they went like part of the baggage. 6 Are you comfortable?' said the officer. 'Yes, Sir, and you for it, and warm, too, we are.' Not another word did they

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