conviction of the
preacher's absolute sincerity. He prefaced his sermon with a notice of
a public meeting that was to be held about the schools in the course of
the coming week, at which he begged the attendance of all interested in
the subject of education. The time had come when the schools must be
enlarged, and he put the question of whether this should be done by
private subscription, or by turning the school into a board school,
very simply before his people, telling them that a grave question was
involved in the decision--that of religious education.

"There are those among you who will say that in this matter the parsons
want it all their own way; but, for myself, I emphatically deny the
charge. I want God's way, and it is not until after much thought and
prayer that I venture to place this matter before you to-night. It is
one that I, as shepherd of this flock, must talk to you about, for holy
hands have been laid upon my head, and the souls of all in this place
are committed solemnly to my charge; and I must claim the little ones
for the Master whom I serve, I wish to retain the right to train them
as faithful and true members of Christ and His Church. I should not be
faithful to my office unless I try to make you fully grasp the danger I
believe to lurk in education that is robbed of its crowning glory--the
knowledge of God."

Paul listened to the simple appeal which followed with interest not
unmixed with irritation.

"He has the whip-hand over me; he rules his people by their hearts
rather than by their heads," he said to Sally, afterwards, when he was
giving her the gist of the sermon. "Parsons have a greater chance of
propagating their views than any other set of men. Twice a day every
Sunday they can lay down the law with never a soul to gainsay them."

"But lots of us don't go to listen," said Sally.

Paul laughed. "Well, no; I don't think there are many country
congregations like the one I saw to-night. I'm not sorry to have been
there for once. In future we'll fix some other day than Sunday for our
visitor. I really could not hurt the child's feelings, and yet I
cannot be led along a victim at her chariot wheels."

"I can't think why you take so much notice of her? You've never cared
for a child before."

"She bought me with ripe gooseberries," Paul answered laughing. "I
couldn't refuse a child's friendship any more than a dog's."

The Rector's sermon was fully discussed at the f