1 78 DISTINGUISHED CHURCHMEN
not grapple with the difficulty, and that it de pended largely upon the efforts of the laity. The clergy were not evangelists the Church had no evangelism about its teaching and as a consequence all our own people on the lower stages of the social scale when converted were being driven over to Methodism. I was impressed with the thought that the Church should keep her own children to work on these lines. In my early endeavours I was the object of a good deal of chaff. But the thing had to be gone on with. To the present Bishop of Peterboro I owe an immense debt of gratitude for the kindest sympathy and help. It was my lot among other duties to be attached to the district Church of St Paul s, near to the old parish church. On Sunday mornings there was a large congregation, many being attached to the earnest ministry of a much- esteemed curate. At the evening service at which I was generally appointed to preach the attendance was very small, because many of the morning congregation either went to the after noon service at St Mary Abbot s, or, on account of late dinners, did not come out at all in the evening. Various efforts were made to increase the attendance of the working classes, but few came ; and though there were but few poor in the parish, vast numbers were continually passing through it. What was to be done to win them ? As a preparation for Lent, and with the permis-
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