PREBENDARY WEBB-PEPLOE, M.A. 279
maintain, must be one of the chief instruments in producing spiritual worship of God."
The thought occurred to the interviewer how difficult it must be for Mr Webb-Peploe, amid all the demands of his busy life, to find time for anything in the nature of social life. So a question was ventured. The answer will astonish many, since it reveals an entire devotion to duty.
" Let me tell you, in the first place, that I have only attempted to sit in my drawing-room three or four evenings during the whole twenty-five years I have been in West London, and on two of those evenings I was called away. The fact is, I enjoy a busy life. I do not go in for the social side. I recognise that I may be losing influence with the richer people owing to the fact that I do not go into Society more ; but I prefer to spend the time which might be spent in Society, in visits to the young people at large business establishments like Peter Robinson s, Maple s, Shoolbred s and others, where, with the sanction of the employers, we read and pray together. It is a great question, I know and I say it after all my experience in the West End for a clergyman to decide whether he will give himself to social life for so many nights in every week, and thus try and influence people at dinners and social parties, or whether he will give himself entirely to preaching and meetings, which may be arranged every night if he has any gift of speech at all, and I dare not give a decision. It
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