ROMANCE OF THE PULPIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 73, 7 August 1868, Page 3

ROMANCE OF THE PULPIT.

0— • The Jlirmimjham Pm< publishes tho abstract of a curious sermon recently preached by the Rev, C. 11. Crawford, of Old Bwlnford,on tho occasion of bin own marriage with his own housekeeper, in which tho rev. gentleman, Hiking an Ills toxt lat Corinthians, 4th chapter, .Ird vorno, " With mo It Is a very small thing, that I nbould bo Judged of you or ef innii'o judgment," descanted on the Illustrious lineage of the Crawfords, admitting that tho alliance ho had contracted waa vory like that which King Copbotuao attracted with the begKar girl. Ho had told them fully what were bin birth, fondly, and connection.!, in no very bonnlful spirit, nil ho might fairly üblc .them to boliovo ; for .during tho thirty* two yearn ho hud occupied that pulpit lie had cover boforo spoken of himself, lie wnn no more able to appreciate tlio llttlo hooliil distinctions which existed hi that parish, and which wero chiefly founded on money, than to compare tho height of mole lilllii from a mountain.) top. Ma wife was of plebeian birth, and m such w»» by the provident of God, it was no disgrace. Wltoro was he, who had not mixed In tho groat world of London since ho was a young man, and among whoso imcoHtry tho grot famillci) of tho neighbourhood would have deemed it an honour to Imvo obtained a place— whoro wan bo to fled a woman to tako obargo of! a gouty old gentleman liko him ? (Lntighlot'.) From any ono who prcanmeii to reproach him with bin wifo'o lowly parentage, ho oould endure tho taunt, and his only retort would bo to enquire, "Who was your grandfather ?" Having, then, no obolco to him appreciable In rank, and utterly dcßplsixg monoy, ho hud chosen ono whoao goodness, whoso kindness of heart, whoso love only disinterested, whoso simple piety, were Incomparably moro to lilm than her birth, Hut alio wan not only not of high birth, who wan not highly educated, rutting anluo Stael and Momcrvlllo, and some others, what wero tho averago accomplishment*) and learning of ladiou V Thoy could make drawings, which to puss muster their inuatcrfl must retouch j thoy could play a little, sing a little, and danco considerably. They wero doeply read In novels, and Hiiporilelally, per* hapH, In Homo other things. They could write, and perhaps speak a little French, and has German or Italian. 'I hat bis wlfo was ikllolent In theso respects was not their lous, and, therefore concerned them not. As for himself, ho earod llttlo for drawing or iiiuhlc, except tho Uncut j and the finest wan always to bo bad for money, And uh to hu.Riiagcs— lo oxprcHS himself In a familiar parlance— one longuo was suflluiont. If thoy hoard any iiiaeouraok'H In his wlfo's laiiguogo, ho would auk If their hnguiigo was also strictly accurate ? Thoso who thought propor to ridioulo his wlfo for inaccuracies, lie would remind that their tenements' woro constructed of a materia! lurgoly manufactured In that neighbourhood-- cortainly not Iron—and to such persons tho throwing of stones was dangerous, Mr Crawford tersely Illustrated thia by a Hat of expressions used In the district, exposing particularly the abuso of the letter " h." Hut, further, his wlfo might possibly ho some* thing at a loss with regard to tho llttlo conventionalities of socioty. Ho could not, however, aiipposo bis neighbours were so brutally deficient in geod breeding, and so utterly unchristian lv such a trivial matter, as to cxposo her lo ridioulo j and, secondly, by reason of ills Infirmities, his studious habits, and bis numerous avocations, and her quiet, domestic nature, thoy bad resolved to lead a lifo ef almost comploto seclusion, devoting them* oclves to their improvement, to (ho duties of thoir station, nnd tho preparation of their Honln for lionven, Tho benediction was then pronounced, and tho congregation dispersed.