was, my fellow-sinners? Whose? Why, our
Brother's here present was. The only kingdom
he had an idea of, was of this world. (" That's
it!" from several of the congregation.) What
did the woman do, when she lost the piece of
money? Went and looked for it. What
should our brother do when he lost his way?
(" Go and look for it," from a Sister.) Go and
look for it. True. Bnt must he look for it in
the right direction, or in the wrong? (" In the
right," from a Brother.) There spake the
prophets! He must look for it in the right direction,
or he couldn't find it. But he had turned
his back upon the right direction, and he
wouldn't find it. Now, my fellow-sinners, to
show you the difference betwixt worldly-mindedness
and unworldly-mindedness, betwixt kingdoms
not of this world and kingdoms of this
world, here was a letter wrote by even our
worldly-minded Brother unto Brother Hawkyard.
Judge, from hearing of it read, whether
Brother Hawkyard was the faithful steward
that the Lord had in his mind only t'other day,
when, in this very place, he drew you the picter
of the unfaithful one. For it was him that done
it, not me. Don't doubt that!

Brother Gimblet then grinned and bellowed
his way through my composition, and
subsequently through an hour. The service closed
with a hymn, in which the Brothers unanimously
roared, and the Sisters unanimously shrieked,
at me, that I by wiles of worldly gain was
mock'd, and they on waters of sweet love were
rock'd; that I with Mammon struggled in the
dark, while they were floating in a second Ark.

I went out from all this, with an aching heart
and a weary spirit; not because I was quite so
weak as to consider these narrow creatures,
interpreters of the Divine majesty and wisdom;
but because I was weak enough to feel as
though it were my hard fortune to be
misrepresented and misunderstood, when I most
tried to subdue any risings of mere worldliness
within me, and when I most hoped that, by
dint of trying earnestly, I had succeeded.

COGERS.

A LONG low room like the saloon of a large
steamer. Wainscot dimmed and ornaments
tarnished by tobacco-smoke and the lingering
dews of steaming compounds. A room with
large niches at each end, like shrines for full-
grown saints, one niche containing "My Grand"
in a framework of shabby gold, the other, " My
Grand's Deputy" in a bordering more substantial.
My Grand is not a piano, but a human instrument
of many keys, to whom his deputy acts
as pitchfork; not merely in tuning power, but as
a record of the versatility and extensive range of
his chief's play. More than one hundred
listeners are waiting patiently for my Grand's
utterances this Saturday night, and are whiling
away the time philosophically with bibulous and
nicotian refreshment. The narrow tables of the
long room are filled with students and
performers, and quite a little crowd is congregated
at the door and in a room adjacent
until places can be found for them in the
presence-chamber. " Established 1755" is
inscribed on the ornamental signboard above us,
and " Instituted 1756" on another signboard
near. Dingy portraits of departed Grands and
deputies decorate the walls, and the staidly
convivial people about us are the traditional
representatives of oratorial champions of a century
ago. We are visiting the Ancient Society of
Cogers, whose presiding spirit is uniformly
addressed as " My Grand," and whose deputy or
secretary commences the proceedings by reading
the minutes of the latest discussion, and
retreating behind a newspaper, as if to abstract
himself like some lofty spirit sublimely superior
to the petty hum and strife of mortals
below. But first let me make a humiliating
confession. I had up to this night been guilty
of grave injustice to this venerable society.
To my darkened understanding " Coger " had
been " Codger," and I had taken a grave and
complimentary title for a stroke of facetious and
corrupt slang. " What? Origin of the name
Codger, Old Codger, sir!" said the landlord,
aghast, during our' preliminary visit of inquiry.
"Call it 'Coger ' (making his mouth like a
cart-wheel)—" call it ' Coger,' if you please, for
it comes from cogitate, arid signifies 'Thoughtful
Men.' The Cogers, sir, have always been
calm and deliberative politicians. The great
John Wilkes was a Coger, sir" (this in a
convincing tone, as if further testimony to calmness
would be absurd); " and there's first-rate
speeches here — young barristers from the
Temple, and a great many literary men, writers
in the newspapers and gentlemen who take an
interest in public affairs. You've perhaps
heard of .Sergeant Thrust — a Coger, sir, in his
youth; so was the late Lord Macgregor and
the present Judge Owlet; and though the
speaking varies, of course, you may allus count
upon hearing some that's first class, and if you
wouldn't mind remembering that it's Coger, not
Codger, and means 'Thoughtful Men,' I'm sure
the gentlemen would be happy to see you, and
perhaps to hear you speak. There is no charge
for admission, and visitors may come in without
being introduced. It's just a public-room
with a society meeting in it, and every one
present is permitted to take part in the evening's
discussion; but if a member wishes to
speak, of course he takes precedence over a
stranger. The niches, as you call 'em, sir, are
alcoves for the Grand and the Vice-Grand
to sit in; and these two Grands are, with the
secretary, elected every 14th June, between
ten and eleven at night, by show of hands among
the members. This has been the way, sir, ever
since 1755, when Mr. Daniel Mason founded
the society, and it has prospered wonderfully
and done a deal of good. Those portraits are
of gentlemen who used to speak here. That
dingy one with the dim eyes was a great
speaker.

On the following Saturday we make up a small
party at a Pall-mall club, and, proceeding eastward,
are in due course seated in the long low