to support me in the execution of all those duties. I shall of
course receive the Sacrament the first time I have an opportunity,
and I trust worthily. I think there must have been 200 confirmed.
The Bishop gave us a very good charge afterwards, recommending us all
to take pattern by the self-denial and true devotion of the Bishop of
New Zealand, on whom he spoke for a long-while. The whole ceremony
was performed with the greatest decorum, and in the retiring and
coming up of the different sets there was very little noise, and not
the slightest confusion. I went up with the first set, and the
Bishop came round and put his hands on the heads of the whole set
(about forty), and then going into the middle pronounced the prayer.
The responses were all made very audibly, and everyone seemed to be
impressed with a proper feeling of the holiness and seriousness of
the ceremony. After all the boys had been confirmed about seven
other people were confirmed, of whom two were quite as much as
thirty, I should think.'


'June 5.

'I have just returned from receiving the Holy Sacrament in Chapel.
I received it from Hawtrey and Okes, but there were three other
ministers besides. There was a large attendance, seventy or eighty
or more Eton boys alone. I used the little book that mamma sent me,
and found the little directions and observations very useful. I do
truly hope and believe that I received it worthily... It struck me
more than ever (although I had often read it before) as being such a
particularly impressive and beautiful service. I never saw anything
conducted with greater decorum. Not a single fellow spoke except at
the responses, which were well and audibly made, and really every