Recollections of a Chaplain in the Royal Navy. Compiled and
edited by his Widow. (W. H. Allen and Co)—Of all men in the world, a "naval chaplain" has the least chance of being a hypocrite. If the light that beats upon his life is not exactly "fierce," it is any- how very steady and penetrating. Mr. Gable Tucker—for that is the name of the chaplain whose story is told in this volume, partly by himself, partly by others—was not the man to shrink from any trial of this kind. We see him full of a very earnest and realties piety of the Evangelical type, not at all careless, indeed, of ceremonial observance, bat evidently attaching a great importance to the converting power of preaching. He seems to have done good service not only in his individual capacity as pastor, but as an organiser and superintendent. Not a little of the improvement in the decency and regularity with which worship is now conducted in the Royal Navy seems to be due to his efforts. He also did much to improve the ship libraries. Great opportunities for this kind of service were given him when he held the appointment of chaplain to Greenwich Hospital, a sort of prisms inter pares among naval chaplains. There are some good stories in the volume ; but none which the writer tells with such gusto as that of the " psalm-singing coxswain " who soundly rated the men who had been used to gibe at him, when they showed the white-feather in a boat attack. "Is it come to this ?" he said, "you pack of cowards, that you are afraid to die ? Get up at once to your muskets and gun. You can die but once !" An admirable but somewhat illogical orator.
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