Page:Early Reminiscences.djvu/388

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3*4 EARLY REMINISCENCES on her bed a Spanish dictionary and a Cervantes. A younge sister said to her : " What are you doing with these books ? They can be of no service to you." " I am learning Spanish," was the reply. " I must occup my mind." " But surely, it were better if you read your Bible and use the Prayer-book." " I do both. I feed my soul and I feed my mind as well. God gave both," was the sharp reply. There exists, I suppose, a tendency among such as, in tf country, are surrounded by one-stomach men, to under-vak them. My father recognized their worth in the position in which they were placed; he was aware of their sense of honour, theii love of justice, their kindliness. But they were one-stomacf men, and pertained to a different class from those of two stomachs As to stomach No. 3, it was mainly among the Evangelical clergy and the Methodists that it was developed. Among the orthodox country clergy it was not more capacious than a tobacco pouch. But it held its proper position and expansion among the women. And I think, nay, I am sure that, if it exists in me, I owe it mainly to my mother, my grandmother and my great-great-grandmother —the dear old Madam Gould. Among the Evangelical clergy, the existence of their narrow creed seriously affected the growth among them of stomach No. 2. Intellectual they were not; spiritually they were furnished with No. 3, but of these men there were few in our neighbourhood. It was due to the Tractarian movement that there was a simultaneous development of the two stomachs No. 2 and No. 3, and the shrinking of No. 1. Among the Broad Churchmen of the past, and the Modernists of the present day, I fear there is an extension of stomach No. 2, with no neglect whatever of No. 1, but no notable expansion of No. 3. Cows have got four stomachs, but three of these are mere repetitions of the first, continuing the maceration of the same food, whereas our three stomachs are engaged in the digestion of distinct nutritive material. The pity is that so many of us keep the secondary and tertiary stomachs inactive, or, like cows, chew over the same cud.