The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-13

| royal. Even the lord high chancellor had
to stand back and make way for the smil-
ing priest, who, few years before, had
been teaching little boys their Virgil and
Gaming them for going out of bounds. Ii
| was enough 10 turn any mans head. and
| DR.. Benson not being a very extra
| ordinary man, it did turn his head CON-
| pletely. For some years after his eleva-
ton he gave himself great airs and
behaved IN such way that even the
warmest supporters of the appointment
| feared he would prove failure Wherever
great people were seen, there was he in the
midst OF them, and wherever popularity
was 10 be got, there was he, speechifying
or scrlbbilng, or posture-makIng in one
way or another He quite set new fash
ion in parsons. with his close shaven face
his straight features, his perpetual smile
and his long gray hair brushed back from
MS forehead. Every curate who hoped
some day to be bishop took to initiating
him, and soon the regular clerical
physlognomy was q sort of sancti-
monious caricature Of the archbishop of
Canterbury. The comic papers took IL
up next and drummed upon ii until any
body could draw the archbishop's portrait,
and everybody was sick of the sight of it.
He had a good head on his shoulders.
however, and his heart was in the right
place all the time. He soon found out
that there was very little satisfaction in
dancing attendance on royalties or tigur-
ing at public meetings; and the serious
duties of his great position steadily drew
him away from the pomps and vanities.
without making any fuss about it, he
gradually retired from the more frothy
kind OF publicity, and for years past he
has enjoyed the respect Of the nation
by the way he has filed his place. His
Inequalities at Lambeth palace alone
would suffice to distinguish him from
other archbishops. Not only does hethrow
open his doors to the bishops and clergy
when great clerical conferences take place
IN London, but he warmly welcomes poor,
insignificant people. engaged in good work;
while, during the sweltering summer
months, he let's his miserable neighbors
frequent his gardens freely and without
any ostentatious show of charity sees that
the women and children at ali events have
some little enjoyments and refreshments
which their own perjury could not afford.
He IS, IN fact, q large-hearted and broad
minded man, too much so to suit the
views of the stricter sect OF the Pharisees.
An afternoon call at Lambeth palace is an
experience well worth having. There IS
no atfectation of humility about the estab-
lishment. The servants are in fine liveries
OF 4 sober color and cut, and all the ar
engagements are such as become rich and
powerful mans home. But as soon as the
visitor enters the drawing-room he is re-
ceIved in perfectly simple manner. Mrs.
Benson, the daughter of a clergyman in
\ Yorkshire, Is the very type of an English
lady of the upper middle class. She shakes
hands with you in friendly way, gives
you some tea, or hands you over to
her daughters, and, as soon as occasion
offers, taken you up to her husband. The
archbishop, in his long black coat, silk
vest and apron and black cloth CATERS, is
generally surrounded by group of clerics,
n nf aPP
but he easily directs his attention from
them to shake hands with you and con-
verse on any topic you please. II you are
university man, and have anything fresh
from the colleges that is worth hearing he
is sure TO be interested in that. Or, if you
like flowers and are versed in botany, he
Is glad to stroll out into the garden with
you and take turn among the Hover beds,
and thus give you a chance to get on a
pleasant footing with him. If you happen
really to have brains and to be original
without impertlnence he sees 1t directly
and gives himself what is evidently
genuine pleasure in talking TO you weight
lily and without restraint, as If to get as
much out of you as possible. Like
many other men who are solid beneath n
seemingly artificial surface. he has be-
come great man by filling q great place;
and you cannot exchange ideas with him
for ten minutes without feeling that you
q
ing is something astonishing. There
seems to be nothing that he does not
know; and, like all really learned men, he
conveys his knowledge in the most modest
way, as If he were merely reminding you
of something which. of course, you knew
before, but happened TO have forgotten.
He has fatherly way of talking religi-
ously to you which is not at all disagree
able in a man of his years and position.
He Is, indeed, genuinely pious man, and
if every one in his see carried out the rule
of Christian life as well as he does, Eng
land would be very different country
from what it is. There is one good thing
about him. He is not bit of a bigot. He
carries his iberality in respect of doctrine
to rather unseemly lengths sometimes.
For instance, when the 9O0th anniversary
of the establishment of Christianity in
Russia was celebrated by the Greek
church some time ago, the archbishop
wrote letter OF congratulation TO the
head of that church, the Metropolitan
of Moscow, or whatever he is called,
claiming some sort of community of feel
ing in religious matters between the
Church of England and the Greek church.
The letter was a very learned one. and the
Russian prelateS were probably too igno-
rant TO understand il. But their reply
was an unmistakable snub and many peo-
pie thought the archbishop was rightly
served for laying himself and his church
open to rebuff from people who can
scarcely be called Christians at all and
church sunk in the lowest depths of super
stition and corruption.
On the other hand. when the archbishop
went the other day TO call on Sturgeon,
the famous Congregationalist preacher,
during his dangerous illness, and sent his
wife day after day TO see Mrs. Sturgeon
and support her in her grief, every one felt
that he was acting up to the spirit of a lib
eral age, while literally carrying out the
scriptural injunction. Twenty years ago
an archbishop of Canterbury who held
any sort of communication with
a mailman or a traitor to his faith;
but all that is changed now,
and Archbishop Benson has done as much
as any man to changeit. His recent judy
ment in the case of the bishop of Lincoln.
who was tried for ritualism, whilst mar
vel of learning and industry, vas also a
monument of good sense and sobriety of
religious feeling. The rituaIists are APP
pealing from il, because il was not, as they
had hoped ii would be. all on their side.
But they would have done we'll to let we'll
alone; and all sympathy LETT them when il
was seen they were not willing TO submit
to so impartial and altogether reasonable
a decision.
The archbishop is a fine, hale man Of 90,
inclined TO be stout, tendency which he
combatS by vigorous exercise. He is q
capital rider, and may be seen almost any
afternoon in London, mounted on
weight carrying hack, in shovel hat and
apron, but with knee-boots instead OF
CATERS, generally accompanied by some
young clergyman or else by one of hts
daughters, and followed by groom In
black livery. he is often met in this
guise on the south side of the river,
among the slums of Westminster WHARF a