26 SEPTEMBER 1931, Page 24

Parson Woodforde's Last Years -

THE fifth volume of The Diary of a Country Parson is now published and, sad to say, the fifth is the last. It covers the years 1797 to 1802, in which year Parson Woodforde died. He is just as endearing in his old age as in his prime, and the story he tells is just as devoid of incident and full of colour and life. His niece Nancy never marries, though now and then suggestions in the Diary raise our hopes. For instance : " Mif S W. likes Mr. Suckling very much. He is a very neat, sensible, free and polite Gentleman about 32 years of age and a Batchelor." There is another very suitable gentleman whose name appears more often, but again nothing happens. Was Nancy put off because on one unfortunate occasion she meets him in the road " disguised in drink " ? The Parson, we see, keeps his power of succinct description both of men and women. A few pages further on and another miniature delights us. This time the little portrait is a lady, the wife of one Michael Andrews. " A more officious busy-bodied Woman in all Cases relating to other People's Concerns I know not. More particularly when ill—a true Jobish Friend."

The steady decline of Woodforde's health is very grievous to the crowd of his posthumous friends. It is not so much his physical symptoms which distress us as that he so con- stantly finds himself " hurried and alarmed " and that little annoyances, even Nancy's " sauciness," take undue hold of him. Political happenings and washing days, the smoking of the " keeping-room " chimney, the death of " Rover " by poison, the negligencies of the lazy curate, the pleasures derived from the exercise of charity to the poor, and hospi- tality to the rich, all assume very similar proportions as he records them from day to day. It is, we think, this most life-like attitude towards the long list of to-days and yesterdays which makes the extraordinary charm of these uniformly charming five volumes. We wish Nancy's diary might turn up.