The Rhyl Advertiser

■ The autobiography o f the late HEV. ROBERT I OWEN, a notice of whose death we published last week, will be published in a short time, j The MSS. have been placed in the hands of! the Rev. J. OG-WKN JONES, B.A., who, at the request of the relatives of the deceasod, will revise the "copy" before it is b?o.lorl over to the printer. We are inform the work will be of a most interec instructive character. »

In another column we reproduce t o for Liberals" from the St. Review." The production can be what it is worth. The PKEMIER, ana of the Flintshire police, have had i experience of asses," and are not lik frightened by the braying of such anin they bipeds or quadrupeds.

-=- | UICHARD PENDLE'S CHRISTMAS EVE. By MRS. CLAXTOX, Author of Castles in the Air,1, Mary's Dream," Sweet Mistress Huth," &-c.,&-c. On the right cf the fire, which is blazing bxightly in the old-fashioned country kitchen, seated iu a large chair, is Richard Pendle, the well-to-do village carpenter, and the owner of the house. A tall old man, with a stoop of the shoulders, which has in. creased a good deal in the last few months. His stern, handsome face, at the present time, is weary and troubled, notwithstanding the comfort of his surroundings. He looks, though, what he 1ft-a self-reliant man; not likely to consult others as to his own actions, uot likely to have much sym- pathy with others as regards their faults or fail- ings. On the opposite side of the fire, 1.1 & similar chair, sits old Mr. Robson, retired baker. A trim little man, with a shrewd, pleasant face, a kind blue eye, aud a Duke of Wellington nose. He has been Richard Pendle's chum and crony for many a year. No men could be more unlike; but they are not the worse friends for all that. Thomas Robson leans well forward in his chair; and all the while, whether talking or silent, his fingers are busy with four knitting needles and some grey wool, which is gradually taking the form of a little sock. t^atlier fartlaer from the fire, also knitting, sits ,!V!rs. Rendle, Richard Pendle's second wife—a i comely woman, with a good-natured but not over- jwise face. She is at least twenty years younger 'than her husband, and her whole manner shows the respect in which she holds him, mingled with not a little fear of the opinions which he is apt to i express somewhat too decidedly. The table is spread for tea. and further graced by a substantial piece of boiled beef. The kettle jis singing merrily, and sending forth puffs of steam. Company is evidently expected. neighbour, you're deadbeat," says old Mr. Robson, as Pendle's head fell forward, and he :canght it up with a jerk. "Aye, that I am," was the answer. Breaking fast, breaking fast. ay, fa,, lier-iiow, don't ye talk in that way," said his wife. You've been working of late just as if you'd been half your age. Why, neighbour (Robson, he was at that job up at the hall till twelve o'clock last night, and at it again the first thing this morning. It's too much, sir, when a man's turned seventy-four, and so I tell him." You can't expect to go on in that way, old fellow, you know," said Thomas Robson. Why don't ye give up business, as I've done? It isn't, as if you hadn't the means." As the old man's eyes were closed, and he didn't answer, his wife did for him, in a whisper- I wish he'd take your advice, Mr. Robson, sir; but the fact is he's so put about to-day with that letter and Jessie. You know, he won't let out what he feels to anybody. Eh, dear! I hope he won't be hard on the poor lasB.(' "Who won't be hard, Mrs. Pendle?" said Richard, regarding her sternly, and sitting bolt upright. Mrs. Pendle 'looked guilty, and made no reply. Presently she poked the fire, gazed out of the window, and sighed. "Now, wife, I know what you're worritting about," exclaimed her husband, irritably. You're wishing you'd gone, like an old fool, to the station. She's all right, depend upon it; and will be taken care of better than she deserves. It won't do her anv harm to feel she's not going to be coddled by tiiem she's disobeyed. Them as do wrong ought to be punished, say I, or the world 'ud be crammed with rogues and fools." "Justice is a tine virtue, Richard," remarked Did Robson, looking up from his stocking; "but, tor my part, I like mercy better. One feels so much more comfortable after one s practised it. Besides, when the Day of Judgment comes, we nhall none of us have kept our books that square, [ reckon, as to be satisfied to abide by what's set lown. It's Goers mercy we shall be hoping for ben, neighbour." "Why, I never felt so put out with myself Defore or since," the old man went on, after a minute's silence, as I did when I had poor Ann .'h. "n Folks f" VVI i t1 P for 10), j badly to IOOK common fine you |than myself. Her > |way, and she held hel screwed up my courage a. l'iji obliged to you, Mi 'but I can't quite lower m. business. I holde you'll prospe, ble partner iu your own spere.' was fool enough to be well-nigh about it; but I quite got over it i such a damper on me, though, tha another offer." %Vell, I never!" remarked Mrs interested. That wasn't all, marm. She not over comfortable. I lost sig' twenty year, but at last she One day a lady in weeds calle said she wanted to speak to r fidential. At first I didD'" as she told me he- the parlour. without look; < t I It Into] child hac 1 idestitutio sickly, ha Pendle; 8 (be movec parish. begging 1 suffered a herself so When 1 into his i having sai" hard atr Vailed, w Sir,-< t ckO He th r ternly c delight her to se Jessie ii the aubj, that she All tb the old v. quiet, fc and the down in dark, eJ broad, I j the soui chair, v the car garden Plet was so lots of come w The ( in it sil and at li was a t goon for repeatei painfull again o rushed: Stand was a w Pressed bundle, ing awa door, tur, but so heart ac "Jess But a: ber step led to t Bummer otheriD feathej penr ole t lowed; sc bad now them spc About thechur flistinctl their Cb went th towards ptreamii were hut ivy. Th likf ad gnow wa white qu were slw snow. ] churchy The child ha, bis eye I Uapre thf Somet Wlr Dries m- They Who ip Jesp -— « c I s* v

THE DEiLN OF BANGOR AND SECTARIANISM. THE speech of the Dean of BANGOR which he delivered on Thursday last at a meeting of the Anglesey county committee of the North Wales College is well worthy of a most careful and serious purusal on the part both of Churchman and Nonconformists. It contains somt very valuable advicd and it abounds iu the terse expression of sound practical wisdem. Besides this there is a careful examuation of the position and a clear note of Earning is sounded so that the pitfalls which bigots and ignoramuaes have selfishly dug may be avoided. The DEAN has won the rÍJl:ht to speak as an education- alist, and the high talents with which he is gifted, and wbich he has assiduously culti- vated, enabh him to speak in the most effectual manaer. He has warred against every form of evil, real or imaginary. He is essentially a man of war even from his youth upwart. Polemical to a degree he will draw hij weapons and fearlessly use them as well against the dames of ancient days, who delght in the drinking of tea, as against the frim divines of Nonconformity, and the love-s of something stronger than water or tea. In the press and on the plat- form, with hs pen and with his voice, he has fought for tie Church to which he belongs and for the Temperance cause which he loves. There are uia.sy sides to the DEAN'S character, but we think that it was one of the noblest which he posented before his hearers in Anglesey on Thursday evening last. He made an earnest appeal, not only to his hearers, but t) the whole of North Wales, for every one to suk his religious idiosyncracies in the higher principle of an earnest and honest endeavour to establish the new college on a sound ani solid basis and so to render it a boon and J blessing to Wales. He said —" I have alvays held that the college must be absolutely aational and unsectarian, and strictly limitel to affording Welsh youths opportunities br obtaining the highest secular instruction. L have always held that, in order to securt absolute fair play and genuine unsectarianism, no student should live within the walls of the college, under the per- sonal influence )f the principal and professors in domestic and religious life, but be free to choose their owi dwelling and their own place of worship. At a member of the sub-com mittee of twelve appointed to draw up the I charter, I sucoeded in having inserted a clause which giarantees, in my opinion, for ever the practicft and genuine unsectarianism of this institution. It is absolutely certain that sectarianism cannot be introduced into the constitution of the college. The sectarian cry ought never to have been raised. There is a time for everything. I am prepared, on proper occasiois, to contend against any number of my countrymen for principles which I believe to be true. But I should be ashamed of myself if I had introduced party spirit into this movement. I should consider myself guilty oi treachery to my country if T tried to divide my countrymen into host camps upon thit field of higher educatior which they ougit to be working should shoulder for thtgood of our country, desire to lift it <ut of that position c ness and obscurity in which it has long depressed jy want of educatios tages. I have aever tried to see publicly or prvately, any partv from this movement, and In must tell you henestly that I ha foundly disgusttd at the exhib. bigoted, paltry lectarianism v for months dijfiguring so papers. It hat conviiieei- who have been lor year unsfcetarianism io no elements of the p'inc; This is a kitaterw- reason which too for good r ters. Patr be domir broac1 The que of be es o f I It is of the utmost importance that the best men should be elected to act upon the council, which will have to choose the prin- cipal and professors and to launch the college. There are two cla ses of men whom we may regard in connection with this election-1, There are the men who want to be on the council in order that the college may lift them. 2, There are the men who are wanted upon the council in order that they may lift the college. There will be no difficul- ty about obtaining the first class. They will offer themselves. They will canvass and in- trigue and push themselves with that courage and freedom from timidity which is the happiest characteristic of a blind horse. A blind horse goes into places where he is not wanted because he is blind. A man utterly ignorant of everything that concerns higher education wants to be one of its directors for this very reason—because he is ignorant. I should not dream of blaming such a man more than I should blame a blind horse. But if the owners allow the horse to go into places where lie injures others as well as himself they are tQ blame. If the governors of this college allow men to push themselves on the council who are neither morally nor intellectually fitted for the position, and who will simply lower the status of the college and malia ii, worthless to the Welsh people, they will lie under a heavy responsibility. Therefore I warn the govenors to take care what they are doing; not to allow themselves to be canvassed by the ignoramuses whose merits are only known to themselves, hut to keep themselves abso- lutely free until the day of election to choose the best and weightiest men. The men who will lift the college are not so easily found. They are not like those other gentlemen whose merits are so well known to themselves that they thiuk they ought to publish them to others by canvassing. Good men will not canvass, and will not push themselves. A man of high intelligence is, as a rule, too sensitively organised to degrade himself by saying, I am the wise man, be sure to elect me.' There are two qualifications that ought to exist in the members of the Council. They ought to know something about higher education. They ought to have popular sym- pathies, and to command the confidence of the Welsh people." The intellectual features of the two classes of likely candidates for seats at the Council Board are well drawn and ably delineated by the DEAN", and we advise the elective body to familiarise itself with them. It has incurred a heavy responsibility, but having so incurred it it ought to use its best endeavours to elect the best men for the office and it cannot be doubted that they are to be found in the second class which has been so ably and so clearly pointed out by the DEAN. The broad and liberal views which ho has taken on this subject contrast favourably with the views of some who are broad and liberal only in name.

Christmas day at the Workhouse of SIJ, Asaph was kept up in the old-fashioned style this year again. The gu u-dians of St. Asaph are not likely to take a leaf out of the book of their brethren at Leek, and stop the pauper's Christmas cheer. Several kind friends sent presents to the Union of which particulars will be seen in another place. ,i

» What can be the reason that choral com- petitions are so seldom witnessed in Rhyl ? It is not a lack ol talent nor pluck of that we have had sufficient proofs in the past. Still, it has almost become the rule, that, whenever a; prize is offered, no choirs can be induced to compete for it. Such was the case at the meeting held on Wednesday evening last. We think there can be only one way to ac- count for this—namely, that the prices offered are not valuable enough. And we would suggest the desirability of offering good and substantial prizes, firmly be- lieving that a little more speculative venture in that direction would in the end return a substantial profit. Bebides it wol- ensure good choirs to enter the list fo tition, and would be a means of s the study and practice of good m' town.

CHRISTM' Christmastide wr same way as Chr5 was an entire weather, and fashioned C Jack Fror v families have le their mar r fo" p j