irrecoverable; no visitation has been held for seven years; four chancels are almost past mending. The persons deputised by the arch-deacon have been nearly as incapable as himself. It was almost a matter for thankfulness that this state of things had not been permitted to continue, and a letter from a friend confirms this view. “ὁ κατέχων,” it says (in rather cruel allusion to the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians), "is removed at last. My poor friend! Upon what a scene of confusion will you be entering! I give you my word that, on the last occasion of my crossing his threshold, there was no single paper that he could lay hands upon, no syllable of mine that he could hear, and no fact in connection with my business that he could remember. But now, thanks to a negligent maid and a loose stair-carpet, there is some prospect that necessary business will be transacted without a complete loss alike of voice and temper.” This letter was tucked into a pocket in the cover of one of the diaries.
There can be no doubt of the new archdeacon's zeal and enthusiasm. “Give me but time to
