An Explanation.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 473, 28 June 1890, Page 2

An Explanation.

|TO THE EDITOR,] Sib,—Relative to a few poor remarks made by my unworthy self at the Literary Society’s meeting on Tuesday night, it appears certain that they fell upon some ears as intended to be the vehicle nt my hardest and severest rebuke towards the clergy. Such was not in any way my intention. It is an indisputable fact that hosts of ladies, very excellent in many ways, tell lots of fibs for the sake of fashion by not only transgressing against God’s laws themselves, but issuing commands to their domestics to answer the bell and tell fearful stories intended to make visitors believe that the mistress is absent from the house while she is at home. It is equally wall known that fashionable ladies went about the streets of London and' other towns limping and hopping on one foot because the Princess of Wales had hurt her ankle and could not walk. Of course fashion said to such of its votaries, " Go thou and do likewise,” and so every lady who listened to fashion’s alluring voice threw off all scruple and practically said that the Great God of Heaven had sent a grievous affliction upon her.

These things it was my desire to drive home to the minds of all who were at the meeting not to give any wanton offence, but merely to uphold the honor of God, which it is every Christian’s privilege and duty to do. The closing remark “ it ought to have been noticed by the clergymen who spoke,” was intended to show that the matter of falsehood was eminent'y a question for the olergy to take up, and I wondered that the clerical denouncers of excessive fashion had not noticed it. Not a word uttered by me was intended to give pain in any degree. At any rate, let me add that even clergymen cannot remember everything -and I am perfectly certain that while I have not the pleasure of personally knowing Mr Herbert Williams, my disposition towards him is ve y far from being antagonistic, and we are all quite sure that if any Minister of Christ has a hearty desire to serve and honor his Master it is our own beloved pastor, the good and humble Incumbent of the Holy Trinity Church. The Bev. A. Gardiner had not spoken at the time mentioned,—l am, etc., J> C. Bsid>