growing up brave, manly, prudent young men, with a steadily
increasing knowledge of what is required of them, both as
manufacturers of food, and employers of human labour.

The country clergy, again, are steadily improving. I do not mean
merely in morality--for public opinion now demands that as a sine
qua non--but in actual efficiency. Every fresh appointment seems to
me, on the whole, a better one than the last. They are gaining more
and more the love and respect of their flocks; they are becoming
more and more centres of civilisation and morality to their
parishes; they are working, for the most part, very hard, each in
his own way; indeed their great danger is, that they should trust
too much in that outward 'business' work which they do so heartily;
that they should fancy that the administration of schools and
charities is their chief business, and literally leave the Word of
God to serve tables. Would that we clergymen could learn (some of
us are learning already) that influence over our people is not to be
gained by perpetual interference in their private affairs, too often
inquisitorial, irritating, and degrading to both parties, but by
showing ourselves their personal friends, of like passions with
them. Let a priest do that. Let us make our people feel that we
speak to them, and feel to them, as men to men, and then the more
cottages we enter the better. If we go into our neighbours' houses
only as judges, inquisitors, or at best gossips, we are best--as too
many are--at home in our studies. Would, too, that we would
recollect this--that our duty is, among other things, to preach the
Gospel; and consider firstly whether what we commonly preach be any
Gospel or good news at all, and not rather the worst possible news;
and secondly, whether we preach at all; whether our sermons are not
utterly unintelligible (being delivered in an unknown tongue), and