at their deficiencies also in simple matters, one of which especially struck him much, being most inconvenient to a man with his constant correspondence. "There are no local or district post-offices visible, no pillars as we have. I have had letters lying beside me for some days because I have forgot to give them to Mr D. in the morning to post at his office." This, in comparison with the uncanny telegraphic apparatus in every bedroom, filled his mind with amaze.

I have missed out a visit to Princeton, the Presbyterian and Calvinistic College, which was one of his most curious experiences. He was, he says,

Very much interested, but somewhat oppressed, by the evidently Puritan tone of the place or rather that curious air of formality and narrowness which characterises the strictest sect everywhere. Went in the evening to Dr Adams's, to meet his faculty and students, where, as at Princeton, I was forced to say a few words. I seemed to myself not to say anything with much effect at Princeton. It is a trying ordeal, however, for a man without the American gift of the gab to be set up against a door in a drawingroom, or to be called upon unexpectedly after a lecture to make a few remarks.

Something more important than a few words delivered standing up against a drawing-room door seems to have been demanded of him before he left New York. He appears to have delivered a lecture upon "Scotland as it is" to his many admirers and friends. I find a few sheets of notes with this heading, dated "New York, 4th Pres. Church, 25th May 1874," which show the character of the discourse. He begins by noting-"Claims I may have to speak on the subject-connection with public interests in Scotland and out of Scotland. Always a Liberal-never a strong party man." Passing briefly in the same hieroglyphical way over the political condition of Scotland, he dwells a little more distinctly upon the social-although, he adds,

I do not know that I have much to say on this. In one point of view the social state of Scotland is a subject of congratulation, peaceful and orderly now for 130 years-since the '45. Rapid

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growth of industries of all kinds: Glasgow, Dundee, the iron districts. But there is also in Scotland, as in all countries, great masses of social poverty and misery. A large proportion of the working classes in our large towns- in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee are not in a good happy social or moral condition; members of no church, although, taking our churches altogether, we have about a church to every 600 of the population. Multitudes go to no church. The same social difficulties there as here, intensified with us by the narrowness of our bounds, and the greater difficulty of social recovery for any lapsed family or class.

Of our Churches, far the largest is still the old National Church [here follow statistics]. With all the shocks from secession or disruption, the Established Church is still strong-growing of late especially in towns. Episcopacy about 2 per cent, Roman Catholics .9 per cent. What divides the Presbyterian bodies? The State Church principle. United Presbyterian. Spiritual independence. Free Church.

Abolition of patronage. Movements in all the Churches towards better congregational services. Organs-prayer-responses -parallel with America. This movement seen to go on, though strongly opposed by some-inevitable with the advance of taste and culture. Church Service Society.

Prospects of union between all the Presbyterian Churches-may come-time not ripe yet. Break-down of union negotiated between Free Church and United Presbyterian-too much political motive in it. Two views on the subject of union. One side say there can be no union without Disestablishment. Another side will on no account assent to this, but invite union on the existing constitutional basis of the Church.

The question of Disestablishment—a small question in one sense in Scotland. The Church receives very little from the State,nothing to speak of directly. Teinds. Grants from consolidated fund. Not above $25,000, if so much. Mr Baird's grant would make it up. General position of the Established Church.

Religious thought. But, it will be said, are there not deeper causes of dissension among the Presbyterian Churches?—the rise of a new spirit of thought unconnected with the old standards? Delicacy of the subject, but will speak of it with frankness.

There is such a new spirit, more or less in all the Churches— pre-eminently in the Established Church, but also in the Free,instance, Mr Knight, Dr Smith of Glasgow, &c.

The distinction is substantially the same as that between the old and new schools among yourselves. We have many men preaching the Gospel in a fresh, broad, and free way. We have others ultra-Calvinists.

This is a rapidly growing movement. Nobody knows so much of it as I do. It is said of me, whether for good or evil, that I have done more to promote it during the last twenty years than any other person. I mean to continue to do so.

The cause of the movement-a life of new thought in the Church-wider historic and critical study of the New Testament and early Christian records-literary, intellectual, and personal intercourse with England-the study of German theology,-all these are causes. It is the growth of intelligence, in short. It is easy to be traditional, dogmatic, when you do not require to think.

What will be the end of it? The end of it, I have no doubt, will be the expansion and elevation of Christian thought,-I should hope, the creation of a broader Christian character than we have yet had in Scotland. It will either be that, or the entire disintegration of religious parties and churches-the movement cannot be stopped.

Should it not break up the Churches? No, I say, and have said so all along. Let the Confession of Faith alone, but use more conscience towards it.

Shall we get help from America in the work of reconstruction? I hope so. I think so.

No reason why there should ever be any rivalry between the countries, save the rivalry of peaceful industry; or betwixt the Churches, save in the inspiring culture of divine revelation on one hand, and the unceasing promotion of social amelioration and the Christian reign of harmony on the other.

The Principal published on his return some articles in 'Good Words' on his experience in America, but neither these nor the formal diary which he kept are so interesting as the first fresh impulse of his private letters. I may add a second and equally pleasant account of his Boston experiences, addressed to Professor Baynes :

BOSTON, April 26, 1874.

I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed myself here, how kind everybody has been, and with what flattering kindness they have received me-Longfellow, Emerson, Holmes, Dana, and a man in some respects as remarkable as any of them-Phillips Brooks, the great preacher here now. I never heard anything equal to his sermon to-day, and you know I don't readily praise sermons. It had all the originality and life of thought of Robertson of Brighton, with less tenderness and delicacy of insight,

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but more robustness and incision. I do not think I am very vain, and you know how easily depressed I am as to my work sometimes. The 'Rational Theology' I come sometimes to think a very poor business, though certainly I was a little mortified that I did not receive more proofs that it had interested and pleased the present Cambridge men. Here in the new Cambridge, amongst the Harvard men, I found everybody had read it; I blush to think of the compliments I have received.

Dana, whom I had not seen before, has been in to-night, and is an extremely pleasant little man, full of Scotland, and very conservative, as all the best men are here. Why get rid of any good thing you have? they say. If it is wrong, make it right; but don't part with it. He even thinks the new Appellate Court (he is a lawyer) a mistake. The power should have been preserved in the House of Lords, he says, and certain high judges added to it officially, who would have had all the advantages of life peers without any of their disadvantages, dependence upon the Government of the day, &c. Emerson seems an extraordinary mixture of genius and rusticity. Everybody seems amazed at his nomination for the Rectorship at Glasgow, and I have had to explain the position of affairs over and over again.

On the whole, Boston with its literary atmosphere pleased him most, more than the splendours and telegraphs of New York. Emerson with face half rustic, half divine, with "a very quaint hesitating sort of manner, the oracularity of his writings without their pith and richness," told him of his first visit to Carlyle-" a true genius, but sometimes wilful and perverse." "His (Emerson's) forgetfulness," the Principal adds, "of names and facts in speaking, and losing the thread, as he said, of his story, were very characteristic." The company was very fine, the talk no doubt equal to the occasion; but the conclusion of the visitor was that he was "very much interested, but also somewhat disappointed," as no doubt a stranger, with the great personages of a country thus assembled to meet him, might very naturally be. He was deeply thankful to get home, to find his wife better, and that everything had gone well in his absence, and to take up again the familiar threads of his home life.

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CHAPTER X.

1874 TO 1879.

THE Principal returned from his American expedition with renewed strength and vigour, ready for all the requirements of his much-occupied life. He had been at home only a few weeks when we find him again in London-this time watching the course through Parliament of the bill for the abolition of patronage in the Church of Scotland. He was not, as has been seen, much interested in this bill, nor considered the "relief from patronage," which gave a name to one body of Scotch Dissenters, and had been the cause of all secessions from the Church, of any vital importance. But still, he warmed as the measure was carried through. On his first evening in London he made his way to the House of Commons, and "heard about half of the debate."

To his Wife.

July 7.

I missed very little except Mr Gladstone's speech against the bill, which was very good (they said) from his point of view, but which seems in to-day's paper a curious mass of inconsistencies. Playfair got up shortly after I went in and havered a good deal, and then Colonel Alexander, one of the members for Ayrshire, good in some ways, but rambling. Then Dizzy made a very clever speech, and walked into Gladstone and his inconsistencies with admirable point and effect. He is a clever beggar; I wonder what the Conservatives would do without him? He walked away