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on her arrival." The clergymen also, strange to say, are very numerous; not only curates, as one would imagine, but rectors, with good living and ample means." These, however, are not so plentiful as the unbeneficed.

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domestic and farming pursuits, good tempered, and likes children. Height 5 ft. 4 in., weight 8 stone, would like an educated (fairly), domesticated, kind wife, good manager, Protestant, with some property. Would like to hear from Nos. 6731, 6732, 6593, 6585, 6692, 6686, 6682, 6679, 6593, 6649, 6651, 6725, 6502,

7038 A Clergyman, aged 53, a bachelor, tall, 6553, 6507, 6436. Address with Editor.

dark, and well connected, with an income from property and profession of about L.200 a year, and the prospect of preferment, wishes to hear from a lady of suitable age, with a view to marriage.

It is probable by "suitable age" that this divine does not mean a lady of his own age; for, as a rule, it seems youth has the preference with "the cloth," as it has with other professions. "A young lady of good family under 30" is what is wanted by more than one pastor; though some, indeed, add, “calculated for a clergyman's wife." Nor is it only the Church of England who make use of this remarkable channel for supplying themselves with a partner.

"Protestant, with some property," is a very pretty touch. Female advertisers, we conclude, are incapable of jealousy. There is probably a "safety in numbers,” which would certainly not exist in the case of names; else what must be the feelings of 6731 (for instance) on perceiving that this medical suitor "would like to hear" from no less than fifteen young ladies beside herself! Of course, love at first sight is out of the question between anonymous advertisers; but surely the gilt must be very much rubbed off the romance of courtship when it has to be carried on under these impersonal

circumstances. On the other hand, this practical and common-sense method of

6737 A Presbyterian clergyman of the Scotch disposing of matters of the heart seems

to have its own attractions, and especially to our Scotch friends:

or 6883 A

Church wishes to get married on or before the 1st of May, 1873, if possible; he is 40 years of age, is active, energetic, and healthy, holds a large farm, and is fond of riding or driving a good horse; his income is L.120 per annum; he wishes to get married to a sensible, intelligent, kind-hearted, good-looking lady, not more than 25 or 30 years of age, with a fortune of L. 500 or L.1000, or having L.50 per annum. He is reckoned good-looking, is 5 feet 10 1-2 inches in height, and his female friends all say that if he got married, he will make one of the kindest and best of husbands. This divine has evidently the "gude conceit of himself" sometimes attributed to his fellow-countrymen; but it is remarkable that none of his admiring "female friends" should have married him themselves. Why, in the name of Hymen, should he be so particularly desirous to wed before the 1st of May! If his calling was not a sacred one, we should almost suspect him of having made a bet about it, and of taking this desperate means of winning the money. This is the first gentleman, it will be observed, who has given any detailed account of his personal appearance - on which the ladies, as will presently be seen, place their chief reliance (though "fond of driving") does even he offer to send his carte. No. 6896, however, condescends so far to particulars as even to mention his weight:

6896 A

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nor

Surgeon, in practice, is desirous of meeting with a suitable partner. He is fair, 47 years of age, a bachelor, fond of

6883A

Merchant in Lanarkshire (bachelor), aged 38, fair complexion, 6 feet, plain and simple in tastes and habits, of a religious cast of mind, though by no means ascetic, income from L. 500 to L.600, wishes to correspond with an English county lady over 23, one with similar means preferred; must be warm hearted and a loving disposition, have head as well as hands in domestic affairs, and above all "piety" is indispensably requisite. Editor has carte and address. We have calculated the expense of this advertisement with accuracy, and have come to the conclusion that the allusion to "piety being indispensably requisite is perfectly genuine, for it must have cost an extra shilling.

Interesting as these offers are, proceeding, as they do, from every rank of society, and each having about it some distinctive and characteristic sign, we will content ourselves with quoting one more gentleman suitor, before proceeding to join the ladies," who, as may be expected, are far more eloquent and gushing, and have, therefore, been reserved by us as a

bonne bouche.

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Widower, 45, has two nice boys and 6738 one girl, aged 13, 15, and 17, well educated, still at school, and amply provided for, independent of their father, who has, by his own industry, made a nice little indepen dency, and is still doing trade in the drapery. Middle size, considered good-looking, and a

business man, would be glad to meet, with a view to marriage, a sensible, kind, affectionate, educated lady similarly situated as regards business or money something like equal to it. Age not so much an object if under forty. We wonder whether the "two nice boys," and especially the one girl (who does not appear to be so "nice"), are aware that | their widowed father is adopting the ad- | vertisement system, so useful in "the drapery line," as a means for once more reassuming the Matrimonial noose! We take leave of him and them with our best wishes; likewise of the "tradesman, rather dark and tall, and with very warm affections," who wishes for "an agreeable young lady — one with a little money preferable who is, like himself, confiding, and with a strong desire to exchange hearts; " and soar to more elevated regions. Place aux dames, and let the pas be given, as is meet, to the only one who begins with a poetic quotation:

Oh, woman, in our hours of ease,
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please;
When pain or sickness rend the brow,
A ministering angel thou.

6543 A Young widow, highly connected, dark
hair and eyes, considered pretty,
good figure, clever, and amusing, possessing a
small income, desires to marry. She does not
deny that she might at times realize the two
first lines of the couplet quoted above, but she
can assure any gentleman willing to make the
experiment that she is as certain to be true to

the conclusion.

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"Lena" would be glad to hear from no less than twelve advertisers. "True Affection" offers herself to any gentleman of respectability who will know how to value "a young and pretty wife." Only one out of these charmers confesses to being "not pretty," and she is careful to add, "but considered very ladylike, and with fascinating manners.' Most of them have "warm and loving hearts," but "inconsiderable fortunes." On the other hand, we have "the daughter of a wealthy manufacturer, from whom she will receive a good fortune" (even if she marries by advertisement?); and "a lady with L.200 who will have "L.2000 at marriage, and a year in her own right; " and another L.7000 more to come." It certainly seems most extraordinary that these eligible young persons should take to advertising in the M. N. for fear of "withering on the virgin thorn." It is nevertheless noteworthy, and adds to the air of genuineThis is rather a lively portrait of herself ness in this matter, that almost all these for a widow, the ladies who have been unmarried female advertisers, with money, already married drawing for the most part, are "about thirty years of age." When a staid and matronly picture of their at- they confess to being "about forty tractions. It is quite exceptional when they have never less than L.7000, and they describe themselves, as No 6838 generally "look much younger." In these does, "of a jolly disposition". that ad-cases, they don't send their cartes; perjective being so favourite a one with the haps because they keep their carriages. young ladies, as almost to suggest its being copyright. Widows have in general "private property," "agreeable manners,' "education and accomplishments," and sometimes "high connections; " but they lay claim to no more glowing charms than are included in the term "fine-looking." They put forth the negative advantage of "no encumbrance " very prominently, just as the widowers we observe describe themselves as "not fat." They "feel lonely," and possess warm and sympathetic dispositions." Their ambition is satisfied with a mate of "suitable age," and in many cases they mention that "a widower would not be objected to." Some of them would be happy to receive "two or three cartes de visite in exchange

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Besides the ordinary columns of this delightful print, there is a special space set apart in it, for which five times the rate of advertisement is charged, for those who give their private addresses, and who are addressed "under cover to the editor." Their tender effusions do not come under his practical and uncongenial eye, but apnumber. peal directly to the beloved This class includes some very high and dignified personages of both sexes, to whom "money is not essential," although they are good enough to add, "not, of course, a disqualification." One of these advertises herself as "an orphan lady aged forty," and is the only advertiser throughout the paper who professes to prefer "a widower with children."

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Altogether, this weekly periodical, "de- | clergyman for a time uncharged with voted to conjugal felicity," seems to us to duty," this divine has been attending the be a very remarkable production indeed. ministrations of all sorts of religious We were not aware of the part it played teachers and preachers, and taking notes in our social system, till we saw it stated of them for publication in the Daily Telin one of those American newspapers egraph — already reputed to keep a bishwhich know so very much more about us op of its very own. His instructions than we know about ourselves, that "in were to be "strictly descriptive, expressEngland the habit of contracting marriage ing no argument, pro or con;" and the by advertisement is growing more and result has been, for him, "the softening more, so that besides numberless notices down of a good many prejudices in the to that effect in the ordinary prints, a course of my two or three years' relispecial periodical is published, which has gious peregrinations," and for us, this no other object than that of bringing man amazing volume. and wife to the altar." "The apothegm that half the world does not know how the other half lives, may certainly be extended to marriage, since to the majority of our readers, the very existence of the Matrimonial News will probably be news indeed.

From Chambers' Journal.
THE CREEDS OF LONDON.

He begins his mission with what he calls the Ultima Thule of religious London-"probably as near the reputed North Pole, as possible" - namely, at South Place Chapel, Finsbury, over which presides, perhaps, the best advertised preacher in the metropolis, Mr. Moncure D. Conway. We confess to having seen this gentleman's name a thousand times, without having the least idea as to the religion he professed, or even the name of the sect over which he presided. There were so many "lights," and "vessels of IT has been said by the poet, grace," and "powerful convincers" advertised for the ensuing day in the SatThere lives more Faith in honest Doubt, urday newspapers, that it seemed as if Believe me, than in half the creeds; curiosity would never be satisfied if it and the remark has given no little of- once set in that direction; and but for fence to those who plume themselves Dr. Maurice Davies, it is probable that upon their orthodoxy; but when the mat- we should never have become acquainted ter comes to be investigated, this state- with "almost the only certainly the ment turns out to be, after all, a very chief - Free Theistic Society in Lonmodest one. There has been an attempt don." However, in his company, we have of late to inquire into, not "half the now formed one of the congregation. creeds," indeed, but at all events into Mr. Moncure Conway presides in the some forty or fifty of them,* as repre- chapel once occupied by the late W. J. sented by their pastors and congrega- Fox (M.P. for Oldham), whose mantle of tions in London; and it certainly seems eloquence seems to have certainly fallen hard, after reading the evidence of the upon him. He is a bearded and by no Special Commissioner appointed for this means clerical-looking gentleman," with purpose, that honest Doubt" should be an American accent; but wonderful to denied his share of what is spread so relate - he reads from manuscript, does broadcast over such widely different soil. not preach what a certain Mrs. Malaprop Imagine the variation of arable between by design, once termed extrumpery. Of "the field of usefulness" in which Mr. "service," properly so called, there is none Bradlaugh "dispenses his novel doc- -nothing but preaching and singing. trines of Anti-theism" and that in which The hymn-book is a very catholic one, Mr. Peebles "discourses of the spirit-ranging in its contents from the most world to the accompaniment of approving raps presumably from Hades!" Yet no less is the acreage of unorthodoxy surveyed by the Rev. Maurice Davies, doctor of divinity, and reported upon in the pages before us. Being that "not singuJar anomaly in the Church of England, a

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Unorthodox London. By the Rev. C. Maurice Davies, D.D.

secular of poets to Keble; but it is orthodox and restricted when compared with what the Church of England would call "the lessons of the day," which consisted, first, of the forty-fourth chapter of the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus; secondly, of an excerpt from one of Mazzini's orations; and thirdly, of a poem by Mr. Allingham, called The Touchstone. Then the minister expatiated "upon the

church built by Voltaire," and the spirit] P. "shews considerable grasp of his subof scepticism, a word which he took pains ject, but his style is somewhat vituperato explain (for Mr. Conway is nothing if tive." The fact is, our author was at he is not scholarly) is derived from skep- present new to his work, and not able to tein, "to shade the eye in order to see bear the very strong meat to which he more clearly." afterward got accustomed. Even of the Upon the whole, Mr. Conway seems to Sunday Lecture Society in St. George's be an iconolast, rather than a setter-up of Hall, he deems it necessary to say someany new idol (though of course he can't thing apologetic, and quotes the names help enthusiastic hearers making an idol of Dr. Carpenter, Professor Huxley, Proof him); and it is not surprising, having fessor Blackie, and Erasmus Wilson, as so little of dogma to inculcate, that he being sufficient guarantees of the "procannot speak in very glowing_terms of priety" of devoting some portion of Sunthe numerical strength of the Free The-day to Science, instead of religion speistic Society. "Two hundred people, al- cially so called; for the people who go to ready convinced," says he, "spend here listen to these eminent personages, he one hour and a half every week: for the has nothing but compliments. "The au

rest of the time this property does noth-dience was a very large and intelligent ing at all;" a phrase which, to the irrev-one, comprising many eminent scientific erent mind, might suggest that the chap-men, quite a fair quota of ladies, a sprinel was to let on week-days. However, kling of the rising generation, and altosince this "commission" was instituted, gether a collection of heads that would his little congregation has doubled in have delighted a phrenologist... Whatnumbers, and it is only fair to add that ever else we may be called, the English they form an attentive audience. "As people must no longer be set down as a an evidence how keenly the speaker was race of unmitigated Sabbatarians." followed, it was quite curious to notice, in contrast with the profound silence that reigned while he spoke, the entr'acte of coughs, sniffs, and other incidental fidgets in which his auditory engaged when he came to a temporary stop" so much so, adds our Church of England divine, with perhaps an unconscious touch of satire, that many listeners were tempted to rise, thinking the proceedings were over."

Properly so termed, indeed, there are but sixteen persons in the metropolis who are Sabbatarians, that being the exact number of the Seventh-day Baptists (including their parson and clerk) who enjoin the observance of the Jewish Sabbath in the moral code of Christianity. It was not without great difficulty that our author discovered the abiding-place of this extraordinary sect: their chapel lies in Mill Yard in the district known as Our commissioner is too apt, perhaps Goodman's Fields; and their minister, by reason of his own vocation, to give us described in the Post-office Directory, as details of the preacher, when the main "antiquary and record agent," had, as it interest really lies in the congregation; were, to be dug out. The account of in all cases the class of society that forms this proceeding is picturesque enough. each body of worshippers ought to have "High gates, with a wicket, lay between been described, as being of far more sig- Nos. 14 and 16. I opened it, and straightnificance than the sermon; but in the way found myself at the door of the minpresent case it is obvious enough that ister's house; a green churchyard was in the audience must have been in intelli- front of me, studded with gravestones, gence, and probably in social rank, far and filled with most unexpected trees, above the average. To many persons bounded on one side by the quaintest of "the hearing some of our favourite dog- old school-houses; on another, by anmas torn to shreds," must have been very tique cottages; and on a third, as an unpleasant, but the Rev. Maurice Davies, anti-climax, by the only symptom of the D.D. bore it like a man, and a special nineteenth century visible the arches correspondent; so little hurt, indeed, of the Blackwall Railway. I seemed to was his moral nature by the shocks ad- leave the waking world behind, and pass ministered in Finsbury, that he seems to into the region of dreamland, as the wickhave adventured a visit the same after- et closed. It reminded me forcibly of noon to the "Society of Independent scenes in Dickens's Old Curiosity Shop. Religious Reformers in Newman Street," Nor was the effect removed when the presided over by Dr. Parfitt. Here, how- minister presented himself at my sumever, though he says little about it, his mons. A venerable scholar-like old man, feelings evidently suffered laceration. Dr. arrayed in clerical black, and with a long

white beard, received me most courteous- their share in the First Resurrection."

ly, and begged me to wait in the vestry So cloquent and earnest was the preachuntil service-time, Here we engaged in er, that even he who came to "report" conversation, and I found that this is the seems to have remained to pray. So far only place of worship for the particular all had gone well, when at 4.30 P.M. — the body in London; there being, in fact, service having commenced at 3-there only one other in England. On the wall began another discourse, during which, was a tablet referring to a fire which had "I am sorry to say, most of the female occurred here in 1690, when the meeting- portion of the congregation (6) fell asleep, house was rebuilt. In this fire, the min- and the (5) children undisguisedly had a ister told me, a large and valuable collec-game among the hassocks." Well may tion of manuscripts of the Sacred Text our author say that this was among the had been lost a loss he was doing his strangest of his experiences in unorthobest to retrieve by making another col- dox London. As to the peculiar tenets lection. Mr. Black also informed me of the sect, there was little said, only Mr. that the body of Seventh-day Baptists, Black insisted "Saturday is still the Sabthough so small in point of numbers in bath in common law. If parliament sat England, is largely represented in Amer-upon that day, its proceedings would be ica, where the University of Alfred belongs to them, and two colleges. Their journal is the Sabbath-day Recorder; a copy of which he presented to me. While engaged in conversation of this kind, the hour for service drew on. I noticed that Mr. Black bore with him, for use in the pulpit, a Greek Harmony of the Gospels, with a Latin running commentary. I certainly had not been prepared for this. I expected to find some illiterate minister, with a hobby ridden to death; when lo! I found myself in the presence of a profound scholar and most courteous gentleman, who informed me that he thought in Latin, said his prayers in Hebrew, and read his New Testament lessons from the original Greek."

The particulars of the chapel-service are interesting. The portion of the psalm was given out under its Hebrew title "Letter Vau;" and the effect of the preacher's Hebrew pronunciation of the proper names in the old Testament was most curious. Long quotations were also given in the sacred language, and quite a lengthy discussion was introduced on the subject of the "dimidiated Vau." It seems incredible that a congregation "who didn't look learned" could have followed this, yet our author says their attention did not flag. To a stranger, however, such phrases as "Render to Kaisar the things that are Kaisar's," and "Fetch me a denarius," must have been novelties sufficiently exciting.

In the sermon there were noble passages, quite free from sectarian bias, and breathing the widest charity; and it concluded with the invocation of a blessing "on all honest and sincere persons of whatever nation or profession," and a prayer that "all may be fitted for a nobler and purer state of society, and have

noted 'Sabbati.' It is only in statute law that Sunday is made the Sabbath." So, after all, the only true Sabbatarians are "the ancient Sabbath-keeping congregation in Mill Yard, Goodman's Fields."

There is even a smaller sect in London than this, namely, the disciples of Joanna Southcote, who could once be counted by the thousand, and included more than one distinguished name. To discover them now, our author had "to act upon information received,” as though they belonged to the criminal classes; and even then, when he thought he had come upon their "local habitation," it was only to find that "the Joannas," as they were disrespectfully termed by the unregenerate, had "moved on." At last, he ran them to earth at one Mr. Peacock's, a cooper, in Trafalgar Street, Walworth, who welcomed him civilly enough, and without the suspicion unhappily evinced towards our special commissioner by too many professors of these strange creeds. "The saints," he said, had been a good deal "drove about" by the Walworth improvements, which he seemed to consider as a special machination of Satan, and at last had been compelled to take refuge beneath his humble roof. The colloquy respecting the circumstances of this sect and its tenets took place in a dark passage between the shop and back parlour, with the head and shirt-sleeves of Mr. Peacock protruding from the half-opened door. "At length I heard a voice, which I fancied was a female one, suggesting that I should be asked in; and with an apology for the smallness of the gathering, and the humble character of the sanctum, Mr. Peacock owned the soft impeachment that a meeting was even now going on, and, having opened the door, and handed me a chair, he returned to an

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