Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/25

 this and more, he always stuck to his old friends, and continued his leading part in the society's discussions. If somewhat Broad, he was yet, like my wife and self, a good Churchman. This double quality of his—the bad Broad with the good Church, as my wife put it—might have quite neutralized her regards in that direction, were it not for Reed's good social position, which made her always very proud of his and his family's acquaintance. Besides, Reed was a zealous and very successful Sunday-school teacher, and in such high repute in the parish for his method of teaching, that it deserves here a passing notice.

His method was this, that in reading Scripture with his class, he always did it dramatically; that is to say, as though the various parties in the narrative were actually addressing us. The reading in any case was always as though spoken, instead of the monotonous drone of ordinary reading. The boys and girls were each in turn assigned their part, and they were exhorted respectively to perfect themselves so as to deliver their parts naturally and fluently and without the book. The consequence was an intense emulation in all the class, and a fresh interest in the Bible narratives under this natural treatment. Our friend's Sunday evening Scripture readings became quite famous in the district; and his juvenile troupe of actors and actresses, as he purposely called them, would give off the story of Joseph and his brethren, of Ruth, of Esther, and many others, with an effect that sent a thrill through the large audience that at times witnessed the performance.

I have said that Reed purposely called the young pupils his acting troupe. He was wont to deplore the