nk
Romanism is getting very rife in the parish? They are building a new
nunnery, I hear, in the main road; and they are going to set about a
chapel, too, I'm told."

"That won't hurt us," said the vicar, sententiously. He disliked
sectarian disputes excessively, and always avoided them if he could.

"But, don't you think," persisted Miss Spight, "that we ought to prevent
this in some way?"

"I was going to speak to you on the very point to-day, sir," said Mr
Mawley, before the vicar could answer. "Had we not better have a course
of controversial lectures, each giving one in turn?"

"No, Mawley," replied the vicar, "since I have had the living, I have
never yet permitted sectarian disputations to have a place in my pulpit;
and, never will I do so as long as I live! We were instructed to preach
the Gospel by our Saviour, not to wage war against this or that creed;
and the Gospel is one of peace and love. Don't you remember how Saint
John, when he was upwards of fourscore years, continually taught this by
his constant text, `Little children, love one another?' Let us allow
men to judge us by our works. The labour of Protestantism will not be
accomplished by the pharisaical mode of priding ourselves on our faith,
and damning that of every one else! Our mission is to preach the Gospel
pure and simple. Too much time, too much money, too much of true
religion is wasted, in our common custom of trying to proselytise
others! We should look at home first, Mawley."

"Still, sir," said the curate, "it is surely our mission to convert the
heathen?"

"I do not argue against that," said the vicar. "God forbid that I
should! But what I say is, that we are too apt, in seeking for foreign
fields, to neglect the duty that lies nearer to us at home."

"It is a noble work, converting the heathen, though," said Miss Spight.

"That's just what I mean," responded our pastor. "All young minds are
impressed with this romantic view of religion. It appears much nobler
to go abroad as a missionary to the burning deserts of Africa, and to
run the risk of being eaten up by cannibals, to working in this
benighted land of ours, which needs conversion just as much as the
negroes and Hindoos! But, there's no romance about visiting dirty
alleys in London!"

"There are the Scripture readers and district visitors, are there not?"
said Mr Mawley.

"True," replied the vicar, "and I would be the last to disparage their
earnest effor