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at Leicester Chapel, a Sunday School was commenced, some four or five teachers being induced to desert from 'Leicester,' as it was commonly called in short, thinking to have more freedom, and to be 'better appreciated' at Parade Chapel, Diddlesex Square, than at the old place. Topperson rubbed his hands. A branch tract society was established, and one of the secretaries of the parent institution promised to attend a meeting. Topperson was in his glory. A Dorcas society sprang into existence, for, as the managing man' suggested, 'we must make an impression on the poor; they'll do to help fill the place. The experiment was succeeding. Topperson was radiant. 'We mean business,' said he; we intend to go a-head, I assure you?'

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Every week or two a paragraph appeared in a certain newspaper, under the head of Religious Intelligence' (don't laugh), reporting a social meeting at Parade Chapel, at which 'the Rev. Toby Teaspout had poured forth a most eloquent address;' or, that well-known and devoted friend to all our denominational interests, Jeremiah Blarney, Esq., had, &c. &c. &c.' Or, there was an advertisement, to the effect that the great Doctor Bullybottom would enforce the claims of stereotyped phraseology, and the superiority of words to things. men earnestly invited to attend. No collection!'

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'Keep the ball a-going,' was Mr. Topperson's constant maxim. 'Nothing like publicity. Cover the walls everywhere with "Parade Chapel, Diddlesex Square," if you want to get along, I say. Snap at every possible excuse for out with a poster, announcing "Sermon," Lecture," anything, no matter what, just to keep "Parade Chapel " before the public eye. Why, bless your heart alive, most of the ministers are too squeamish by half. They talk about "the Truth," and "the Truth," just as if "Truth" was everything; they want a little of our business tact.' N.B.-This same business tact, however, had not prevented Topperson's name from twice appearing in a certain list that tradesmen usually turn to pretty promptly when they get their morning papers, sincerely hoping not to see there the name of any one considerably indebted to them. But he put a good face on the matter; and, as that little circumstance,' not coming exactly in the column of religious intelligence,' had occurred in the country, and he now had a highly responsible and tolerably lucrative employment, and had got himself appointed on I don't know how many committees of religious institutions, he said to himself, 'Who knows?' or, when he thought the fact must be known, perhaps, he changed that brief interrogation for Who cares?'

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'Parade Chapel' had got itself known; 'Parade Chapel' figured in subscription lists; Parade Chapel' was talked about in the denomination; Parade Chapel' could secure-Topperson's word was 'command respectable supplies; in fact, Parade Chapel, Diddlesex Square, had made a place for itself in the great religious world,' and began to be regarded as not altogether an undesirable sort of thing.

Topperson, however, was 'in no hurry to be settled with a pastor.'

He liked the work of obtaining supplies, and managing the whole concern. It suited his genius to a T. He was always receiving letters from ministers he was in correspondence with, and they were sure to be directed

DASH TOPPERSON, ESQ.,

Piddleden Place.

You might say, speaking ecclesiastically, you know-and why we should not ape the Church' in this as well as in other things, I am sure I don't know- the living' was in Mr. Topperson's gift,' or that 'Dash Topperson, Esquire, was the patron.' And whenever he had some country minister' to supply, whose talents made him at all 'eligible' as a pastor for Parade Chapel, didn't he enjoy setting before him all the eminent desirableness of the sphere,' and then, on the other hand, the eminent qualifications Parade Chapel had a right to expect in its future pastor.

Why, my good sir,' said he one day to a minister whom he was somewhat desirous of securing, or, rather, perhaps, desirous to make him desirous of coming,' but who was by no means caught by Mr. Topperson's superlatives; why, my good sir,' said he, in a tone of surprise, in which there was also blended a spice of huffishness at the country minister's not deeming Parade Chapel so very eligible a post after all; 'why, my good sir, many of your brethren would give their very ears to come to Grumpton, I can tell you.'

The more fools they,' was the answer. Topperson dropped it. He had thought to catch a country brother, and had got hold of a man who saw through him, and did not mind letting him know it either.

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It was unfortunate that Mr. Warrington should have promised to supply at Parade Chapel, and for a month, too; but Topperson was always looking out for a minister of renown of some sort, if not already achieved, yet certain to be; and an M.A., and late of Oriel College, Oxford,' to boot, was a capital card. So he had written a careful letter, in which his instinct had taught him to suppress all that was specially Toppersonian, and had got three, four, aye, no less than five leading ministers to back his application by their own recommendations of Parade Chapel and the sphere for usefulness that Grumpton presented.' This they had done very honestly, not knowing all that the reader knows of friend Topperson and the 'cause in Diddlesex Square,' but only seeing him now and then, when they had supplied there, and when the managing man' adapted himself to their modes of looking at things, and on parting, insisted on their taking a rather handsome remuneration for their services, which he also most gratefully and even profusely acknowledged. So Mr. Warrington went to Grumpton.

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The reader will scarcely need to be informed that after the month was expired the question, Where shall he go to?' was still as far as ever from being answered. It is true that Mr. Topperson, weighing

all things, and finding how many intelligent Christians of the neighbourhood spoke highly of Mr Warrington, came to the conclusion that, on the whole, it would be politic to make some endeavour to secure him for Parade Chapel, though not without certain secret misgivings that if Mr. Warrington became the pastor, some of his own most cherished views and feelings would be ignored and trampled under foot with a Christian and gentlemanly dignity he would not dare to resist. It was not without a sigh, therefore, and a queer expression passing over his countenance, that he reluctantly came to this conclusion. But having decided, he set to work with his accustomed energy and adroitness. He found some difficulty, indeed. His brother deacons had not felt perfectly at their ease in Mr. Warrington's company. One of them had, one Sunday morning, after the service, expressed the opinion, that if Mr. Warrington had dwelt more briefly on the first and second heads of his sermon, and spent more time on the last part of his subject, it would have been decidedly a very great improvement, and, Mr. Warrington, fixing his eyes full on the man, had asked him,

'Do you know, sir, what was my precise object this morning?' 'Well, no, I can't say I do,' replied Mr. Deacon Triggs.

'Then pray, sir, how can you be a judge whether or not I adopted the wisest method for securing that object?'

Mr. Triggs was check-mated of course, and retreated to the farther part of the vestry in a huff. He was not at chapel in the evening, for he thought Mr. Warrington'a very proud sort of man, and that he did not receive a hint in at all the Christian spirit that became a minister.' The utmost that Mr. Topperson could extract from his brother Triggs was, that if all the rest were unanimous. he would not singly oppose, but he foresaw he should not be able to hold office under a pastor of that kind. In fact, 'he did not at all see what we want of a gentleman,' and, moreover, he was not perfectly satisfied that Mr. Warrington was so thoroughly sound in the faith as was necessary.'

Proceeding further, Mr. Topperson found there was some lurking disaffection in the Sunday School. It seems that Mr. Warrington had spent an hour one Sunday afternoon in the school, moving from class to class, and quietly observing all that was going on. Two or three rather forward and ignorant young men had, by virtue of their status as teachers,' spoken to him in a very easy off-hand style, and, further, 'pushed him,' as they said, ' to see what he thought of Sunday Schools in general, but more particularly of teachers,' observing that theirs. was 'a work of faith and labour of love,' and that the office' of a a Sunday School teacher could scarcely be regarded as inferior in importance to that of the minister himself.' Mr. W. would have been silent, but they asked him point blank if he thought so, and in what estimation he held their labours. Mr. W. therefore had told them that all depended on the qualifications of the teachers; that if teachers were well acquainted with the Scriptures, and otherwise generally wellinformed, and were apt to teach, and were kind, gentle, patient, oblivious of self, and sincerely bent on doing good, the constant, wellsustained efforts of such persons were deserving of all respect; but

that such teachers were precisely those who could afford to be less desirous of having their claims recognised; on the other hand, he thought, in proportion as teachers were uncareful to qualify themselves increasingly for their work, and were self-important and obtrusive, requiring to be noticed and lauded, and thinking in reality more of themselves and the honour due to them than how best to win and train and bless the children around them, their labours' could not rank very high in the scale of Christian merit.

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Mr. Topperson tried to soothe their wounded feelings. He admitted that Mr. Warrington 'had not treated them with sufficient consideration;' suggested that possibly something had put him out;' and, adopting the piously persuasive strain,' would, as a Christian brother, remind them that they should be willing to forgive.' The young men, however, 'thought that a man who evidently undervalued all Sunday School labours was not fit to be the minister of Parade Chapel,' and hinted that not even Dr. Mecoy himself had ever ventured to treat them as this Mr. Warrington had done. And who was Mr. Warrington, pray?'

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The door-keeper and chapel-cleaner also had his grievance; and he, too, was a member. It seems that Mr. Warrington had never once shaken hands with him, Wapshott; no not all the month he was there!

'And my idee is,' said he, 'that if the pastor an't a goin to be an example of humility and brotherly love, I don't see how we're goin to have a prosperous and united church. For my part, I do greatly prefer that very promisin minister as we had jest afore, viz., Mr. M'Oyle. Ah, that Mr. M'Oyle, now, was jest a preacher, if you like, and no mistake. Why, he took me by the hand as familiarly and heartily every time he came in as if he had been ever sich an old friend; and he used to ask me about my soul, and how I was gettin on in the best things; and then, maybe, he'd jest ask me how the people liked his preachin, and whether I thought it was suited to 'em. Ah, he was somethin like, he was. But this here Warmingham, or Warmingpan, or whatever 'tis he calls hisself, is a stuck-up sort of fellow, as don't seem to me to have none too much grace in him. I sha'n't vote for un, and I don't care who knows it, nuther.'

Topperson tried to convince him that if Mr. Warrington should settle among them, a very little experience would soon convince him that it would not do for him to carry too much sail.

'He'd have to learn how to stoop a little. A very few churchmeetings would bring my gentleman down a bit, eli, Wapshott?' giving him a good-humoured poke, and winking at him, as much as to say, 'We know a thing or two.' And then he told him that if they could get Mr. Warrington, the Wynnes would attend regularly, and the Stewarts, and a good many more of that class. And then, as if it occurred to him quite casually, he asked him whether the different pew-holders had remembered the chapel-keeper at Christmas as they should? And so left the worthy Wapshott to consider whether, on the whole, Mr. Warrington would not, perhaps, be just the man after all.

Without detailing all the prudent steps he took, it must suffice to say, that, by contriving to hold the church-meeting on a day when it was impossible for one or two to be present who he knew would oppose the measure, and by dropping various hints, adapted to different parties, such as-that he understood Mr. W. was a man of property, not married, nor even engaged, he understood; and not likely to come, even if invited; and very highly thought of by several of 'the Crescent' folks; and likely to be quite a leading man; and, certainly a very striking preacher; and it would do them no harm to have invited such a man, even if he did not come; and there were two or three barristers and two physicians present almost every Sunday he preached; and their ministerial brethren would blame them to let such a man slip through their fingers, &c. &c., Topperson succeeded, after all the talking brethren had availed themselves of their 'right' to talk as much as pleased them, in getting a sort of invitation agreed to; and, further, in getting himself appointed as 'a Deputation' to wait on Mr. Warrington.

In a very few days he went. But he wished to goodness,' he said afterwards, 'he had never gone near him.' He had never felt himself so small in his life. For, after he had delivered the invitation, and made all the verbal statements he thought desirable, which Mr. Warrington received without interposing any remark or question, and even, when he had fairly concluded, said, as if waiting for something more, 'Yes?' and 'Well, sir?' so that Topperson repeated himself a good deal, while that searching, steely eye seemed to read him through and through; after he had fairly exhausted himself, Mr. Warrington, producing a paper of memoranda, proceeded to catechise and question him so closely that the poor fellow almost fancied himself once more before Mr. Commissioner Blank; and, somehow or other, he never could explain to himself how, he had confessed to Mr. Warrington, without Mr. W.'s being at all discourteous, that he had twice appeared in the 'Gazette,' and each time been severely reprehended; that two other of the leading members had been in the same case; that very few of the members of the church really desired him to become the pastor; that he had used opposite and contradictory inducements to different members to induce them to consent to sign the requisition; that he had signed several names without permission; that he himself did not in his heart hope Mr. W. would accept the invitation; that his income was three hundred a-year, and he was living at the rate of six or eight hundred, and ever so much more. After all which Mr. Warrington had simply asked him,

'Well, sir, is it necessary that I should return any formal answer to the church meeting in Parade Chapel, Diddlesex Square?'

And Mr. Topperson said, 'No, sir,' with more meekness than he ever before thought was in him. Whereupon Mr. Warrington, as a Christian man, began to deal so closely and faithfully with his conscience, that he felt the beams of light from Mr. Warrington's eye (he afterwards said) pierce into his very soul like arrows of light. And so utterly crest-fallen was he, that he asked Mr. Warrington 'to go to

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