New-York tribune., 1900-01-13
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, Go Fifth Ave., NEW YORK.


taken their places and that every wait
Ing. The Bishop was told; he smiled and said,
L daresay they can give me few minutes"
and wrote on. till my father was in despair.
Then he deliberately blotted his MS, and sig
nihed that he was ready. My father was
curious to hear the sermon written under these
unproptious circumstances. 1t noble piece
Of Christian rhetoric stately and yet practical,
exquisite in form and full of fire and feeling to
the very close.
One of Benson's near neighbors at this time
Charles Kingsley, rector of Eversey:
Kingsley seldom dressed as a clergyman and
1 recall him best in a suit of rough gray cloth,
with knickerbockers and black tie. My father
used to relate how at the close of discussion
TO the pleasantest way of spending a hOli-
day, Kingsley exclaimed with great warmth and
with the vigorous stutter which permeated his
conversation and gave 1t so racy flavor why
to lie all day. of course with your b-b-b-belly
on hot fiat stone. like a lizard in the sun, and
think about nothing"
He has told me that once, while walking with
Kingsley at a remote part Of the parish, on a
common, the rector suddenly saying, / must
smoke a pipe" went to furZe bush and felt
about in it for time, presently producing a
clay churchwarden pipe, which he lighted, and
solemnly smoked as he walked putting 1t when
he had done into a hole among some tree roots,
and telling my father that he had cache of
pipes in several places in the parish to meet
the exigencies OF a sudden desire for tobacco.
Even when Benson became a Cathedral dig
nitary he could the absurd side of the ecclesi
asticaI drill and pipe clay" as the following let
ter shows:
I've had Colonial Bishop lately, who has
utterly sickened me. I and declare that if
any friend of mine is made Colonial Bishop
and doesn't eschew buckles-tights-and Aprons
4 won't speak to him
It's that-ah! my dear fellow-its the Buckles
that ruin the Colonial Church-and the Loops of
the Hats.
Think of it, Men taking Shepherdships for
Buckles and Loops. But true as 1 sit here.
Yet the Archbishop was never anything else
but a Church official and could see the whole
- xiaxrr Of +ha
ecclesiastic:
Argument with him always engendered heat
and he was apt to express himself too vehe-
mently to be agreeable thus think he did not,
in later life, make many equal friends among
men. All his great friendships, especially or
later years, have been with women; he was not
equally at home in atmosphere of perfect
equality; surround him with certain Difference
and affection and he was expansive, humorous,
racy-but with men of like age, whose views he
imagined to differ widely from his own, he froze
and became silent and severe.
People of diametricay opposite views he
could not really tolerate. Cordiality with them
out Of the question. And he would not
really ever try to meet them or argue with
them. Several times, in the Educational
bill, he lost ground by not being able frankly to
meet and discuss matters with certain leading
Radicals who would have been quite ready to
meet him half way. But their view, or what he
thought their view. incredible and unintel-
ligible to him.
The biographer tells an amusing story Illus
trating the inability of certain foreigners to ap-
preciate the reality of religion:
shall never forget conversation between
the Ambassador Of foreign Power and my
father. The former was dining at Lambeth, a
genial intelligent man, very solicitous to be
thoroughly in touch with social life of the coun-
try to which he had been accredited After
dinner the Ambassador in full diplomatic uni
FORM with a ribbon and stars, sitting next to
my father, said politely: Does Your Grace
side much in the country?" My father said
that Archbishop he provided with a
country house, and that he there much
possible, as he preferred the country to the
town. Now. does Your Grace go to Church in
the country" with air of genial inquiry
turning round in his chair. Yes. indeed!" said
my father; 1--WE have beautiful church almost
Yes" said the Ambassador, meditatively,
yes, always go to Church myself in the coun-
try-it is a good thing to show sympathy with
religious feeling-it is the one thing which COM
bats socialistic ideas l think you
very wise, Your Grace, to 60"
My father said that he felt as If he and the
Ambassador were the two augurs repre-
sented in Punch" Il did my best" said my
father, ito persuade him that 1 was a Chris
tian but he listened to all that said
with charming expression, implying We
both men of the world. and understand each
other I sure he thought that I speak
ing automatically and in purely conventional
language, and that If we had known each other
better L should nave thrown OFF the mask and
avowed myself free a thinker he"
OF his career as Archbishop crowded with
activities we have no space to speak here
While he by means the greatest Arch
bishop who has sat in the seat OF Augustine
he was one OF the most diligent and useful He
had little sympathy with understanding of
the great movements Of modern life outside of
the Church He was Churchman pure and
simple. able, devoted, industrious, and gifted
with good judgment and a large fund OF com
mon Faithful to every trust, with fine
intuition of right and wrong, and impelled al
ways by a OF obligation and duty rather
than by enthusiasm. he gave his life and all his
abilities wholly and completely to the Church
and in return received from the Church the
highest honors and emoluments within her gift
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