backers　on　the　stage；　as　if　appealing　to　those　disciples　to　show
  him　up；　and　testify　to　the　multitude　that　each　of　those　points　was
  a　clincher。
  But；　in　respect　of　the　large　Christianity　of　his　general　tone；　of
  his　renunciation　of　all　priestly　authority；　of　his　earnest　and
  reiterated　assurance　to　the　people　that　the　commonest　among　them
  could　work　out　their　own　salvation　if　they　would；　by　simply；
  lovingly；　and　dutifully　following　Our　Saviour；　and　that　they　needed
  the　mediation　of　no　erring　man；　in　these　particulars；　this
  gentleman　deserved　all　praise。　　Nothing　could　be　better　than　the
  spirit；　or　the　plain　emphatic　words　of　his　discourse　in　these
  respects。　　And　it　was　a　most　significant　and　encouraging
  circumstance　that　whenever　he　struck　that　chord；　or　whenever　he
  described　anything　which　Christ　himself　had　done；　the　array　of
  faces　before　him　was　very　much　more　earnest；　and　very　much　more
  expressive　of　emotion；　than　at　any　other　time。
  And　now；　I　am　brought　to　the　fact；　that　the　lowest　part　of　the
  audience　of　the　previous　night；　WAS　NOT　THERE。　　There　is　no　doubt
  about　it。　　There　was　no　such　thing　in　that　building；　that　Sunday
  evening。　　I　have　been　told　since；　that　the　lowest　part　of　the
  audience　of　the　Victoria　Theatre　has　been　attracted　to　its　Sunday
  services。　　I　have　been　very　glad　to　hear　it；　but　on　this　occasion
  of　which　I　write；　the　lowest　part　of　the　usual　audience　of　the
  Britannia　Theatre；　decidedly　and　unquestionably　stayed　away。　　When
  I　first　took　my　seat　and　looked　at　the　house；　my　surprise　at　the
  change　in　its　occupants　was　as　great　as　my　disappointment。　　To　the
  most　respectable　class　of　the　previous　evening；　was　added　a　great
  number　of　respectable　strangers　attracted　by　curiosity；　and　drafts
  from　the　regular　congregations　of　various　chapels。　　It　was
  impossible　to　fail　in　identifying　the　character　of　these　last；　and
  they　were　very　numerous。　　I　came　out　in　a　strong；　slow　tide　of　them
  setting　from　the　boxes。　　Indeed；　while　the　discourse　was　in
  progress；　the　respectable　character　of　the　auditory　was　so　manifest
  in　their　appearance；　that　when　the　minister　addressed　a
  supposititious　'outcast；'　one　really　felt　a　little　impatient　of　it；
  as　a　figure　of　speech　not　justified　by　anything　the　eye　could
  discover。
  The　time　appointed　for　the　conclusion　of　the　proceedings　was　eight
  o'clock。　　The　address　having　lasted　until　full　that　time；　and　it
  being　the　custom　to　conclude　with　a　hymn；　the　preacher　intimated　in
  a　few　sensible　words　that　the　clock　had　struck　the　hour；　and　that
  those　who　desired　to　go　before　the　hymn　was　sung；　could　go　now；
  without　giving　offence。　　No　one　stirred。　　The　hymn　was　then　sung；
  in　good　time　and　tune　and　unison；　and　its　effect　was　very　striking。
  A　comprehensive　benevolent　prayer　dismissed　the　throng；　and　in
  seven　or　eight　minutes　there　was　nothing　left　in　the　Theatre　but　a
  light　cloud　of　dust。
  That　these　Sunday　meetings　in　Theatres　are　good　things；　I　do　not
  doubt。　　Nor　do　I　doubt　that　they　will　work　lower　and　lower　down　in
  the　social　scale；　if　those　who　preside　over　them　will　be　very
  careful　on　two　heads：　　firstly；　not　to　disparage　the　places　in
  which　they　speak；　or　the　intelligence　of　their　hearers；　secondly；
  not　to　set　themselves　in　antagonism　to　the　natural　inborn　desire　of
  the　mass　of　mankind　to　recreate　themselves　and　to　be　amused。
  There　is　a　third　head；　taking　precedence　of　all　others；　to　which　my
  remarks　on　the　discourse　I　heard；　have　tended。　　In　the　New
  Testament　there　is　the　most　beautiful　and　affecting　history
  conceivable　by　man；　and　there　are　the　terse　models　for　all　prayer
  and　for　all　preaching。　　As　to　the　models；　imitate　them；　Sunday
  preachers　…　else　why　are　they　there；　consider？　　As　to　the　history；
  tell　it。　　Some　people　cannot　read；　some　people　will　not　read；　many
  people　（this　especially　holds　among　the　young　and　ignorant）　find　it
  hard　to　pursue　the　verse…form　in　which　the　book　is　presented　to
  them；　and　imagine　that　those　breaks　imply　gaps　and　want　of
  continuity。　　Help　them　over　that　first　stumbling…block；　by　setting
  forth　the　history　in　narrative；　with　no　fear　of　exhausting　it。　　You
  will　never　preach　so　well；　you　will　never　move　them　so　profoundly；
  you　will　never　send　them　away　with　half　so　much　to　think　of。　　Which
  is　the　better　interest：　　Christ's　choice　of　twelve　poor　men　to　help
  in　those　merciful　wonders　among　the　poor　and　rejected；　or　the　pious
  bullying　of　a　whole　Union…full　of　paupers？　　What　is　your　changed
  philosopher　to　wretched　me；　peeping　in　at　the　door　out　of　the　mud
  of　the　streets　and　of　my　life；　when　you　have　the　widow's　son　to
  tell　me　about；　the　ruler's　daughter；　the　other　figure　at　the　door
  when　the　brother　of　the　two　sisters　was　dead；　and　one　of　the　two
  ran　to　the　mourner；　crying；　'The　Master　is　come　and　calleth　for
  thee'？　…　Let　the　preacher　who　will　thoroughly　forget　himself　and
  remember　no　individuality　but　one；　and　no　eloquence　but　one；　stand
  up　before　four　thousand　men　and　women　at　the　Britannia　Theatre　any
  Sunday　night；　recounting　that　narrative　to　them　as　fellow
  creatures；　and　he　shall　see　a　sight！
  CHAPTER　V　…　POOR　MERCANTILE　JACK
  Is　the　sweet　little　cherub　who　sits　smiling　aloft　and　keeps　watch
  on　life　of　poor　Jack；　commissioned　to　take　charge　of　Mercantile
  Jack；　as　well　as　Jack　of　the　national　navy？　　If　not；　who　is？　　What
  is　the　cherub　about；　and　what　are　we　all　about；　when　poor
  Mercantile　Jack　is　having　his　brains　slowly　knocked　out　by　penny…
  weights；　aboard　the　brig　Beelzebub；　or　the　barque　Bowie…knife　…
  when　he　looks　his　last　at　that　infernal　craft；　with　the　first
  officer's　iron　boot…heel　in　his　remaining　eye；　or　with　his　dying
  body　towed　overboard　in　the　ship's　wake；　while　the　cruel　wounds　in
  it　do　'the　multitudinous　seas　incarnadine'？
  Is　it　unreasonable　to　entertain　a　belief　that　if；　aboard　the　brig
  Beelzebub　or　the　barque　Bowie…knife；　the　first　officer　did　half　the
  damage　to　cotton　that　he　does　to　men；　there　would　presently　arise
  from　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic　so　vociferous　an　invocation　of　the
  sweet　little　cherub　who　sits　calculating　aloft；　keeping　watch　on
  the　markets　that　pay；　that　such　vigilant　cherub　would；　with　a
  winged　sword；　have　that　gallant　officer's　organ　of　destructiveness
  out　of　his　head　in　the　space　of　a　flash　of　lightning？
  If　it　be　unreasonable；　then　am　I　the　most　unreasonable　of　men；　for
  I　believe　it　with　all　my　soul。
  This　was　my　thought　as　I　walked　the　dock…quays　at　Liverpool；
  keeping　watch　on　poor　Mercantile　Jack。　　Alas　for　me！　　I　have　long
  outgrown　the　state　of　sweet　little　cherub；　but　there　I　was；　and
  there　Mercantile　Jack　was；　and　very　busy　he　was；　and　very　cold　he
  was：　　the　snow　yet　lying　in　the　frozen　furrows　of　the　land；　and　the
  north…east　winds　snipping　off　the　tops　of　the　little　waves　in　the
  Mersey；　and　rolling　them　into　hailstones　to　pelt　him　with。
  Mercantile　Jack　was　hard　at　it；　in　the　hard　weather：　　as　he　mostly
  is　in　all　weathers；　poor　Jack。　　He　was　girded　to　ships'　masts　and
  funnels　of　steamers；　like　a　forester　to　a　great　oak；　scraping　and
  painting；　he　was　lying　out　on　yards；　furling　sails　that　tried　to
  beat　him　off；　he　was　dimly　discernible　up　in　a　world　of　giant
  cobwebs；　reefing　and　splicing；　he　was　faintly　audible　down　in
  holds；　stowing　and　unshipping　cargo；　he　was　winding　round　and　round
  at　capstans　melodious；　monotonous；　and　drunk；　he　was　of　a
  diabolical　aspect；　with　coaling　for　the　Antipodes；　he　was　washing
  decks　barefoot；　with　the　breast　of　his　red　shirt　open　to　the　blast；
  though　it　was　sharper　than　the　knife　in　his　leathern　girdle；　he　was
  looking　over　bulwarks；　all　eyes　and　hair；　he　was　standing　by　at　the
  shoot　of　the　Cunard　steamer；　off　to…morrow；　as　the　stocks　in　trade
  of　several　butchers；　poulterers；　and　fishmongers；　poured　down　into
  the　ice…house；　he　was　coming　aboard　of　other　vessels；　with　his　kit
  in　a　tarpaulin　bag；　attended　by　plunderers　to　the　very　last　moment
  of　his　shore…going　existence。　　As　though　his　senses；　when　released
  from　the　uproar　of　the　elements；　were　under　obligation　to　be
  confused　by　other　turmoil；　there　was　a　rattling　of　wheels；　a
  clattering　of　hoofs；　a　clashing　of　iron；　a　jolting　of　cotton　and
  hides　and　casks　and　timber；　an　incessant　deafening　disturbance　on
  the　quays；　that　was　the　very　madness　of　sound。　　And　as；　in　the
  midst　of　it；　he　stood　swaying　about；　with　his　hair　blown　all　manner
  of　wild　ways；　rather　crazedly　taking　leave　of　his　plunderers；　all
  the　rigging　in　the　docks　was　shrill　in　the　wind；　and　every　little
  steamer　coming　and　going　across　the　Mersey　was　sharp　in　its　blowing
  off；　and　every　buoy　in　the　river　bobbed　spitefully　up　and　down；　as
  if　there　were　a　general　taunting　chorus　of　'Come　along；　Mercantile
  Jack！　　Ill…lodged；　ill…fed；　ill…used；　hocussed；　entrapped；
  anticipated；　cleaned　out。　　Come　along；　Poor　Mercantile　Jack；　and　be
  tempest…tossed　till　you　are　drowned！'
  The　uncommercial　transaction　which　had　brought　me　and　Jack