observing that "he was sorry that he (the
Reverend Mr. Hardhead) had thought fit to
address such a letter to the members of the
Chapter, but that he (the Reverend Mr. H.)
knew his own affairs best," &c., &c.

The Reverend Michael Place, who had
always been boisterously friendly, and was
very hoity-toity in speech, spoke somewhat as
follows:

"Yes! Ah! Humph! Well! Ah! That
letter of yours—well! great pity—very sorry,
hem! you know best. Yes! good morning."

The Very Reverend the Dean, simply wrote
as follows:

"The Dean of St. Rochford informs the
Rev. Mr. Hardhead that the Chapter of St.
Rochford are not in the habit of consulting
the Head Master of St. Rochford's Grammar
School as to the employment and distribution
of the cathedral property.
           The Rev. A. Hardhead."

Mr. Hardhead knew too much of human
nature in general, and ecclesiastical human
nature in particular, to entertain any expectation
of success by such simple measures as
he had already adopted. A pamphlet
accordingly soon made its appearance, bearing
the title of "On the present Application of
the Endowments of Grammar Schools, with
Hints towards establishing a Committee of
Inquiry on this important Subject." The
press took the alarm, the pamphlet was
reviewed, quoted, parodied, bullied, abused,
praised, and puffed in every possible manner.
But, the Dean and Chapter of St. Rochford
bitterly lamented their want of common sense,
in suffering such details to become public, and
would gladly have reconsidered the proposals
which had elicited their angry reply.

We will not detail how many private and
public bickerings took place on the subject,
how many ingenious attempts were made to
ruin the enterprising clergyman who had
started the inquiry, how they were rebutted
by his conscientious and well-directed energy.
The press began to get more unanimous in
denouncing the Dean and Chapter of St.
Rochford de Tamesis; the Bishop, who had
claimed the prerogative of being the only man
justified in interfering in the matter, and who
had refused to interfere at all, shrunk under
the wincing attacks of Sir Reuben Paul in
"the House;" and the Reverend Mr. Hardhead
was promoted by a Cabinet Minister to a
living of great value, which, while it rendered
him independent of the Chapter of St. Rochford,
gave him a position which lent additional
weight to his attacks.

And yet, we lament to say, things are still
in the same condition. One of the canons is
employed in getting his house in order to
rebuild the interior in a modern and elegant
style; another of them has gone to live in
Italy, and if Italy fails, will try Madeira, for
the benefit of his health. The Reverend Arthur
Rose, chaplain, has thrown up his situation
in order to better himself, having obtained an
under-mastership, worth £100 a year, and
having suffered much from acute bronchitis
in consequence of his lodgings overlooking a
damp and often inundated meadow. Young
Pegasus, one of the most promising boys at
St. Rochford, has just taken a double first
at the university, but is somewhat hampered
with debts. He is not an expensive youth,
but his scholarship is so very small in value,
that, even with the occasional five pounds
sent him by his former kind master, he can
hardly make both ends meet.

The last we heard of the affairs of St.
Rochford was a few months ago, when much
as we lamented the reason for the remark,
we could not help admiring the cautious
common sense that dictated it. A pleasant
old gentleman, whose fortune was of
his own getting, avowed to us his intention
of leaving a handsome property to be devoted
to the improvement of a Church of England
school, and a Methodist training academy.
We expressed some surprise at the apparent
incongruity of the two objects of his charity.

"I have left my money in such a manner,"
he replied, "that the party who is guilty of
misapplication of the funds, will be held
accountable to the other, and the money will
consequently be forfeited. Thus, each board
of trustees will act as a restraint upon the
other, and I may hope that the intended good
will be realised. Furthermore, I have made a
proportionate, not a positive, scale of salaries
and bounties, that all may benefit alike by
the increase, and that none may unduly suffer
by the falling off of the means placed at
their disposal."

We thought this a good idea; and yet we
grieved to think that religious differences
should be thought the only security for the
UNITY OF CHARITY.

A TALE OF THE FOREST OF DEAN.

THE Forest of Dean belongs to Her Most
Gracious Majesty, and is situated in the
western district of Gloucestershire. It is
about twenty miles long, and ten broad. Its
wealth consists in productive coal and iron
mines, stone quarries, and majestic oaks. One
portion of this forest, abutting on the Wye,
abounds in woodland scenes of tranquil
beauty; another portion, stretching to the
Severn, is bolder, and, as the Guide Books
would say, more romantic "in its features." It
was near the Severn that I lived when the
events occurred around me which I intend to
narrate.

For many years the Forest of Dean was
grossly neglected; its timber was cut down
and no young trees were planted to fill up
the vacancies. This system was carried so far,
that, in my father's young days, large portions
of the country nominally forest were
completely without trees. Upon such treeless