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    Bteamer which dashes by them with the swagger of jentish pretentiousness . On the dome of St . Paul ' s the emblem of the Christian ' s hope , lighted up by the says of the adoring sun , shone out "bright and clear above the smoke and dross of the City ; while on the opposite side the grim , shapeless shot-tower spoke of wrath , and violence , and ungoverned passion . And novr there were more signs of vitality , foot passengers became more frequent , and even an occasional cab might be seen freighted with live lumber . Here a party of three spruce apprentices , with , large-checkered neckcloths , pierced with a yellow pin , guiltless of gold , were hurrying on to Tottenhanv-court-soad to escort as many ' misses' to ' arapstead , or 'ighgate , or ' ornsey Wood .

    There the hebdoniadally shaken artizan was striding along with--his hard-featured , bright-bonneted wife , carrying in her arms a lump of vivified putty , regardless of the injunction to ' commit no nuisance . ' A mourning coach with two sable steeds is waiting at yon door , but bent on no hypocritical errand . It is not going about the streets this day with grief made to order : a merry family ' group are oft' to Annerley , and those baskets from their weigit impress agreeable associations on the inner man . A little further on a crazy old phaeton , drawn by a small , rough , long-haired , grey quadruped , is about to convey a : dapper little man and a largely developed wife to Uncle Sam's , who has a market-garden near Forest-bull- —the smallest quantity

    of horse to the largest quantity of wife . Ah ! involuntarily I shudder and draw back as from the adjoining court emerges a casual unsoaped Delilah , blotchy and blear-eyed , hazy and nebulous , dreamy and devious , dreaming of gas-light , dreaming of atcohol , dazzled by daylight , vandyting the pavement without rudder or compass , heavily lurching tUl brought up by the lamp-post , " What'll you shtan' ol' feller?—givush shum drink , " reeking with gin , and deeming herself a duchess . Grazed by these icebergs , hemmed in by these floes , by the time I had reached the ' Olebisk in . front of the Indigenous Blind , ' nny sensations were those of Columbus when he again fell in with sea-birds and . the drifting weed . For here I actually secured a bit of

    gulfweed , in the shape of a ' Stirling tract , ' ' fifteenth million of the series . ' It told how a young gardener in Scotland was making-a road from the gate-lodge to a mansion , in March , 1 S 42 , wlien he was suddenly seized with a dangerous illness , and , in reply to the consoling observations of his friends , could only say , " I have been making a road to hell . " In a few weeks he recovered and "was seen walking slowly down the avenue , wan and emaciated , but lost in silent meditation . The scales fell from his eyes ( in Scotland , remember ) , he gave up mating roads downhill , and "in heart became a

    missionary . " Cheered by this indication of being near a port , I was farther encouraged by beholding a gull , or some other fishy bird of prey , with cold , grey , restless eyes , like those of the daughters of the horse-leech described by naturalists—on the authority of King Solomon—as always crying " Give , give . " With one wing ' this creature unceasingly flapped the air , -while the extremity of the other was inserted in' a sort of pouch . Hoarse , croaking sounds issued from its throat , in which , from the redundance of h ' s , an aitch-bone seemed to have stuck . And this was the burden of its

    monotone : — " Yoii must have faith , brethren . There was faith in this hisland only a short time ago— -a short time in the hearth's hage . It was faith that caused the Druids to make ' uge vicker baskets , into which they crammed men , women , and children , and then set fire to them ia honour of their hidol . At this day there is faith in Hindia . There the poor benighted heathen throw themselves beneath the weels of Jugger Naught , and think they lusxpiate their sins . " At this moment a 'bus slowly crawled past , and the profane conductor cried out , " Go it , Mike ! " " Mike" paused , shot a basilisk glance at the fellow , and muttering , in an under-tone , " Oh , my soul , sit not thou in the seat of the Bcornei , " continued with his discourse about the hefixcacy of faith , while I trudged on through the

    architectural ' remnants which , in this neighbourhood pass muster for houses and streets . At one time I was nearly returning to my garret , thinking I had mistaken the day , for a brisk traffic was going on , and shops and stalls were open aa at any other period of the week . Presently , however , I rememfcered that there could be no harm in works of love , mercy , and necessity . Jack ' s photograph for 6 d ., or Mary Jane ' a "in this style , " neatly framed , for Is ,, waa clearly a work of love ; just as it was a work of mercy to pat an end to the lingering misery of those -unhappy oysters . And who can deny that it is a work of necessity to buy greens for the good man ' Sunday dinner when they can be had for " three ' apenco a bunch , " or to flavour the potatoes with an . '« rrin , ' when these can be got " three for tuppence ?"

    croaked an ancient mariner , " it s no more Chinese than my right hand's my left . " " Well , " rejoined the other , deprecatingly , " it ' s either Chinese or Burmese , I won't be certain which . " Just then the doors we ? e thrown open , and a rush took place , everybody for himself , and nobody for unprotected females—happily , by a merciful dispensation of Providence , they are furnished with sharp elbows . In a few minutes the spacious building was filled in every part , but without any inconvenient crowding . The utmost decorum prevailed . Once inside there was no more squeezing , pushing , trampling . I was struck by the immense preponderance of the male sex : mostly mechanics and small

    tradesmen , a large proportion of whom were young men . Instead of the aristocratic baldness , you looked down upon a platform of smooth , well-oiled , bushy-haired heads . The aristocratic element , indeed , was altogether wanting . Instead of musk , and lavender , and patchouli , you were greeted with the fragrance of peppermint , which in the evening would probably have been modified with a flavour of onion . A general blowing of noses ensued , red and blue handkerchiefs with large white spots being much in yogue with the gentlemen . Then everybody coughed once or twice a short , dry bark . And then the preacher appeared in hid lofty and roomy pulpit , constructed after the fashion of the Cossack look-outs at

    the foot of the Caucasus . He was a young man , with a sallow complexion , a broad , flabby face , sensual about the jowls , his hair divided nearly in the middle , and streaked down on either side , an affectation of inspiration about the eyes , and the simper of conscious salvation on the lips ; his shoulders , and carcase generally , lumpy . ' The service commenced with a short prayer for grace , to which succeeded a p 3 alm of several verses and indifferent metre , sung in several kej-s , as suited each singer , mostly sharp , and always loud . Altogether it was a considerable noise , and everybody did his or her best , particularly a young woman behind myself , whose shrill , wiry voice shrieked through the windings of a hollow cork-screw ami caused me acute pain at

    the pit of my stomach . After the psalm a portion of Scripture was read and expounded—coarsely , but not unskilfully . And this was fallowed by a very loud prayer , illustrating Mr . Grattau ' s charge against Dissenters , that they always seem to be " on terms of noisy familiarity with their Maker . " It was not so much praying as talking to the Deity , and pointing out what must be done for tlie congregation during the ensuing week ; in fact , until further orders . Some more singing , in which my friend the nymph of the team-whistle again distinguished herself , served as a prelude to the sermon . I am bound to confess that I

    never for a moment slept , or nodded , or dozed , throughout its delivery— -a thing almost unprecedented . I despair of giving you any idea of the preacher ' s manner . His voice is possessed of great compass , and in an ordinarily sized church would be very effective : the exertion of filling so large a building as the Surrey Hall made it occasionally rather harsh . Ilia enunciation is as clear as his denunciations are cn ^ hatic . He possesses considerable melodramatic power , and in the delivery of moral platitudes would draw down the gallery at . the Victoria or the Princess ' s : he would surpass Charles Kean as Jiolla . At times he rose to a strain of

    rude eloquence which held hts hearers in suspense , and stopped even the eternal coughing . Inlcntiipie ova tenebant . His illustrations were often appropriate , but more familiar anil homely than one is accustomed to , in these clays of refined taste and good breeding . Frequently he broke off into a dialogue with an imaginary sinner , or with Satan himself , or even with the Deity . Ho scorned fond of alluding to himself , to his own labours and experiences , and to the attacks made upon him by his enemies , who are also the enemies of God . His language was bold , forcible , and ungrammatical . Ever and anon , he introduced some doggerel lines , which , he spouted with great emphasis and noise . He is evidently an ill-educated man , but one possessed of

    energy , self-confidenco , and fluency of speech . He is never at a loss for an expression , and lie expresses bimaelf clearly , though not with elegance , or after the stylo of Oxford or Cambridge . The subject of his sermon was Manasseh in the threofold light of a bold sinner , -who knew what was right , but purposely did what was wrong—of an unbeliever , who becomes so because he lias been a sinnerand finally , of a penitent . Thesovarious phases of character furnished him with many opportunities of dramatizing the position of his hero , and in this he displayed as much versatility as a Woodin . I suspect his doctrine is not quite orthodox ; I know it is contrary to common sense , but perhaps that may be an argument in its favour .

    However , ho succeeded in making himself master for nearly two hours of at least 8000 human beings , and of mpressing upon them the necessity of eelf-examination and repentance . Ilia vulgarities of manner and stylo would not appear as such to the bulk of his hearers , and aro cortainly a matter of minor consideration . The real point , of course , is tho subject of his teaching , and on that I am not competent to decide . But I can quito understand that ho iB likely to do really good service among tho class to which he belongs , though ho would be a scandal and a nuisance at St . George ' s , Hanoversquare , or in Westminster Abbey . Your obedient servant , Parous Cumob .

    Tho doors were not yet open , but a considerable crowd had Already gathered together . Somebody , troubled with the infirmity of always chattering , hoped we should have a moving exposition of the Gospel . "Oh , ho is ? ° * ? Sme man firace thttt haxidint , " repliod one who looked like a gentleman ' s groom . " In what way ? " I ventured to oak . " WeU , sir , " said he-just as civilly as if I had ever ownea a . horse—¦ "he appears llko as if the ginger had dropped out . " « What a funny-looking building ! " exclaimed amothe * . " Yea , " complacently remarked hia companion , » it is an eastern buildingsomewhere in China , I have heard . " " Gammon !"

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    1156 THE LEADER . P * o . 350 , Sattopat

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    ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS The verdict has at length beea delivered in conne ' xU with the inquest on thje . bodies of the two men killed ? the Nantydeny station of the Hereford Railway Iff deliberating for two hours and a half , the jurv ea in the annexed decision : — " We are of opinion that iK deceased persona , Edmund Henry Hands and Mark Hicks , came to their deaths near the iTantyderry statin on the Newport , Abergavenny , and . Hereford RauW on the : 12 th day of November last , owing to a mineral train running into two carriages of the down express train , which had been thrown across the up-line iu con sequence of the engine having lost her left hand leading

    spring , and having run off the line at this place . y& find a verdict of manslaughter against George King « , » running-shed foreman , and also a . verdict of man slaughter against Nathaniel Sargent , the driver of the down express train . We are of opinion that it is fe . sirable that the locomotive superintendent should person " ally examine all candidates for offices in his department " and that reading and writing should be always considered , as necessary qualifications for such candidates * Sargent is supposed to have absconded . King -was absent in attendance on his duties . Steps were ordered to be taken for the apprehension of both . They will take their trials at the next Monmouthshire assizes tn be held in March , 1857 . '

    A gentleman has been killed at the Lime-street railway station , Liverpool , owing to bis own carelessness in getting out of a carriage before the train had come to a stop . Slipping between the platform and the wheels he received such severe injuries that , when taken out , lie faintly imploral those who were assisting not to touch him , but to let him dio there . lie was removed , however , to the Infirmary , where he expired in about half an hour . A circumstance occurred on AVednesdav -week on the

    Manchester , Sheffield , and Lincolnshire railway , a mile on this side of Sheffield , 'which might Have been attended with fatal consequences . It appears , from an account transmitted to the Times by one of the passengers , that the train , in rounding one of the curra , ran off the rails , ploughed up the ground for some distance , struck the opposite rails , and at length lost its momentum in the gravel , and came to a standstill . After a delay of more than two hours , the passengers were forwarded by other trains . The writer of the account con fideritlv asserts that the accident was caused

    b y the shamefully defective state « f the rails , added to the frequent sharp curves- Where the train went off , the rail was quite worn down at the side , so tnat in turning- the curve there was not sufficient ' catch . ' for the flange of the engine-wheel . An action for damages , arising out of injury sustained by the plaintiff , Mr . Bayley , a barrister and member of the Home Circuit , who was knocked down , while getting ; into an omnibus in Waterloo-place , by a cart belonging to the Great Northern Railway Company , has been brought in the Court of Queen ' s Bench , and has terminated in a verdict for Mr . Bayley—damages , 180 / . It appeared lie had been so severely hurt in the spinal cord that he had since been unable to

    attend to business . The defence was that the symptoms had been exaggerated , and that the injuries -were of less importance than had been alleged ; but the company did not deny their liability . —In the same court , James Dyer , a blind man , engaged at a factory near Whiteehapel , brought an action against Messrs . IVoodbridge and Co ., the brewers ( trading under the title of Honxe and Co . ) , for injuries resulting from the negligence of their servants . Some of the draymen were lowering casks of beer in a public-house cellar , and had guarded the gap by placing empty barrels , &c , against

    it ; Tout , as it would sueni , not sufficiently , for Dyer , who was going along at tlie time , feeling his way with a stick , full into the cellar , and seriously hurt one of his legs - The jury decided in bis favour , and assessed the damages at 47 J . The Countess of Desart met -with a serious accident while staying at Lord Craven ' s a short time since . She was thrown from her horse ; but tho accident was regarded slightly until , on her arrival in town four days afterwards , it was discovered that the blade-bone was broken . Her ladyship is progressing favourably . the

    George Pawlctt , a man employed by . Mr . Hum , of Market-place , Lincoln , druggist , in the preparation of varnish , has endured a frightful death . He was taking aomo boiling turpentine and asphaltum ofi ' thofiro , w «« n aoino was upset about the grate nnd on his clothes . He was immediately enveloped in flames , which a charwoman , who was on tho spot , vainly endeavoured to extinguish by throwing her worsted shawl over the sufferer . Tawlctt , finding himself still wrapped round by the fire , crawled on liis hnnds nnrl knees down o passage of considerable length , and rcncliod tho Marketplace , when tho flames were extinguished . Tho Jiuuse had also been fired ; but tho arrival of the eng ines soon set matters to rights in that quarter . Tho poor innn , howevor , was mortally injured , anicl , after liiigciring > some hours in indescribable ngony , died , leavn ' o motherlesschild behind him

    , . A labouring man , named Kelly , employed at } Ub Orosa Iron Works , near Chesterfield , was conveying somo materials into the furnace , from a calcined heap ¦» ironstone , when a huge burning mass of the yauia" /

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 6, 1856, page 1156, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2170/page/4/