believe that he is one of those beings who, to use a slang phrase, “take everything in," and talk very freely, though not particularly amiably, at your expense, at certain times. You naturally feel uneasy when you reflect that he will probably sneer at your attempts to amuse him, that he will effectively pull to pieces your choicest bits of speech and show the folly of your best jokes, that, in a word, he will trip you wherever you commit yourself. Though he is himself a use. less block, a sniggering piece of inanity, whenever he appears in company to which he is not thoroughly accustomed, the impression prevails that he is one of the most merciless of critics, and the impression is not very far wrong. It is to be feared, indeed, that he feels aggrieved because he does not talk more, and irrationally concludes that the fault is not his but that of some other person, who ought, in a mysterious fashion, to "draw him out." What happens when he meets a kindred spirit is that a ridiculous picture is presented and that the two individuals are led to cordially detest and avoid each other, while they excuse their un-Christian behaviour by the reflection that a snob deserves no consideration, especially from one whom he is disposed to snub. As mutes are often very well-meaning, though silly, people, we are inclined to be sorry for them, as we think that, through sheer stupidity, they journey through life without partaking of many of its sweetest joys. It is possible to feel at one's ease with a gusher even though the gusher talks much nonsense, and gush is not a thing to be commended, for one instinctively feels that the gusher is disposed to be really friendly, and that he has no feeling that he is a superior mortal, who ought not to condescend to hold intercourse with everyday people. But is it simply impossible to feel at home with a mute, who resolutely refuses to show that he is amused by what you do for his entertainment, and who makes no attempt to amuse you, even though you have reason to believe that he is really a good fellow at bottom, and that it is simply reserve which prevents him from doing justice to your efforts and himself. As a matter of fact, you are forced to admit at last that the task of amusing him is quite beyond you, and you are led to avoid him to a greater or lesser extent. You

decline to invade his house at odd moments, lest you should receive a silent and, to you an icy welcome, and you meet without seeing him whenever you can conveniently do so, in order that you may escape the arduous task of keeping up a conversation which has no more heart and lite in it than there are in a mummy or a skeleton. He cannot but feel that he is shunned, that he is out of harmony with many of his fellows, and so, though he may pine for love and sympathy, he is led to become cynical and to think that hunan nature is worse than it is. Under these circumstances, those people who are silent because they are naturally retiring in disposition, and are in continual dread lest they should commit themselves in any way, or that their voices should not meet with the echo which they would like, will do well to make an attempt to become moderate talkers, even though the effort may be a great one. In the event of their doing this, they will find that, though they may say many silly things, and though they may incur the contempt of certain philosophers who ape originality in thought, they will reap substantial advantages in the shape of heartier welcomes and firmer friends than they are now in the habit of meeting. They will, moreover, be in comparatively little danger of misunderstanding and of being misunderstood; and this, in the present condition of society, is no small matter, for there can be no doubt that misunderstandings are at the bottom of half the dislikes and suspicions, which are productive of so much ill-feeling and mischief, that exist.-Liberal Review.

LIVERPOOL AND TEMPERANCE.-A great demonstration has been held in Liverpool a short time ago under the auspices of the Church of England Temperance Society. Everything was done to give emphasis and dignity to the gathering. The Archbishop of York, as Metropolitan of the Northern Province, came as leader of the deputation from the parent Society; the Bishop of the diocese presided at the meetings; the Mayor of the town was present in his chair of office at the "dinner and tea," with which the clergy and leading laity present were appropriately regaled in the afternoon by Mr. Torr, one

of the Members for the borough. These attractions were very fully appreciated. The large Philharmonic Hall, estimated to hold 4,000 persons, was crammed to overflowing; and a subsidiary meeting, at which about 1,500 persons were present, had to be constituted in Hope Hall. And, prior to these large public gatherings, a meeting of clergy was held in the afternoon, at which the Archbishop, Bishop, the Chancellor of the diocese, and others addressed their brethren, and urged the formation of branches of the society in the several parishes. This meeting furnished a striking and palpable test of the magnitude of Church work in a large centre of population like Liverpool. Only those clergy connected with the town and neighbourhood were invited; yet so large was the muster that the Archbishop, when he saw it, described himself as at first "feeling an impulse towards the ignominious course of flight." There were over 200, probably nearer 300, clergy present. Certainly, too, no more fitting place than Liverpool could be selected for such a public effort. The town has long had an unenviable notoriety as one of the places in all the kingdom where the curse of drink lies sorest on the people. It is quite right, indeed, that the peculiar composition of the population should be duly remembered. It consists very largely of the overflowings of Ireland, and contingents by no means of the most select from Wales and Scotland, with a considerable sprinkling of seafaring foreigners. And probably in no one other town is there so large a proportion of dock labourers, men rough by their very vocation, and moreover, exposed more than others to the special temptations incident to harassing overwork at times, alternating with enforced idleness when the river is empty. But when all this has been said and allowed for, the Liverpool statistics of drunkenness, and crime consequent thereon, are amaz. ing and frightful. The town is a stronghold of the demon of drink ; and the Church of England Temperance Society did wisely as well as boldly to make a set attack upon the evil there. It was a welcome and a hopeful sign that there seemed a marked cordiality between the "Total Abstainers" and the "Temperance" men who are both included within the society, and both officially and equally recognised

as representing legitimate modes of working towards a great end,— the checking the gigantic mischief of intemperance. Indeed, the great purpose of the meetings was to explain and advocate the society as offering a basis upon which both these wings of the temperance movement may and do agree to act in common. It is useless to deny or to disguise the fact that the movement has thus far suffered much from the unmeasured language and narrow policy of the total abstainers. They have sometimes not been unwilling to admit the advocates of moderation in the use of alcohol to their platforms; but not seldomi when they had them there they have made them hear themselves alluded to in no complimentary terms. It is not once or twice only that the temperate men have been banned and called as bad or worse than the drunkard; and so long as this wild language was permitted there could be no zealous co-operation between the two parties, and the crusade against drunkenness had to go on with very scanty and utterly inadequate forces. At Liverpool, however, a sensible and reasonable tone prevailed throughout. There were present ardent "teetotallers," such as Archdeacon Prest and Mr. Mark Knowles. But they were content to recommend their own practice as indispensable to the reformation of the drunkard, as it is, indeed, generally admitted to be, or as setting an example of self-denial, and so giving an influence over others not to be had on other terms, which is, at any rate, a fair argument to advance. On the other hand, Chancellor Espin certainly carried many of the clergy with him when he claimed the example of the Saviour as, at least, no less belonging to the moderate men than to the total abstainers, and asked for that same frank toleration for the section of the movement to which he belonged as was demanded by the total abstainers for their section. If this union between the two parties thus declared on the 11th ult. can really be preserved, the Church of England Temperance Society may and will undoubtedly do good work for the cause of God. We note with special satisfaction the Archbishop's vindication of this special organisation of Churchmen to meet a special

He was happy throughout his speeches at Liverpool, and earned

well, by judicious and eloquent advocacy of a good cause, that very cordial reception which he received. No doubt many Churchmen have hung back from associating themselves with the movement, because they regard the Church of Christ itself as a temperance society: as the best and oldest and most authoritative of temperance societies; and because they regard any particular pledges or promises as likely to overshadow and depreciate that solemn and comprehensive vow which belongs to our initiation into the Church of Christ. But then the Church is no less a missionary society than it is a temperance; yet its general duty to preach the Gospel to every creature has not prevented the formation of brotherhoods of Churchmen working to that particular end. Rather has the general duty led to the devising of special machinery, lest it should be neglected or postponed. And, indeed the Church has constantly in her history thus interposed with new developments of her strength and skill to meet new or unusually malignant assaults of her enemy. The Church of England Temperance Society must try to become, not merely a temperance society in connection with the Church, but rather the Church organised against intemperance. To win and keep this character its platform must be broad; and we imagine that the very evident satisfaction with which the repeated declarations of comprehensiveness were received at Liverpool by some of the lay speakers and the audience generally will keep the leaders of the society fully alive to the absolute necessity of firmly holding by this policy. Some very excellent advice on this point will be found in a speech made by Bishop Moberly at another meeting at Salisbury. We are convinced that many Churchmen do not understand how many aspects this question has-nor realise what may be done in a parish to "educate" public opinion upon the whole question, and even to give personal, and yet not obtrusive, assistance to many weak and tempted brethren against their own infirmity and its direful consequences. There is in some places great ignorance of what the actual state of the law about the sale of intoxicating drinks is; in others not a little slackness in enforcing it. A temperance society in each locality might often give very valuable information as to facts.