We pointed out to the Record its mistake in having
omitted to impute Mr. Purkiss's sad death by drowning at Cambridge to a divine judgment on Sunday bathing. And a correspondent of that paper, who is piously profane enough to sign his letter " tleu,ow DIY SABBATHS !" thereby giving an impression (not very uncom- mon with these gentlemen) that he is writing to that journal under the inspiration of a higher power,—" is somewhat disappointed,"— we foresaw it must be so with too many—." in not finding through- out the article any comment upon the fact that Mr. Purkiss came to his untimely end while bathing on Sunday afternoon." The writer was, it appears, in Cambridge on Sunday, September 17, and was on his way to one of the parochial Sunday schools, when he found the people in the streets much excited by the news of Mr. Purkiss's death. " Hallow My Sabbaths " was equal to'the occasion. He indulged only in didactic regrets. "I could not but feel imme- diately that it must have a very bad effect upon our Sunday-school boys if it is known that their superiors in station, the younger members of the University, are going out into the country to bathe on the Sunday afternoon." " Hallow My Sabbaths " of course told his Sunday school how much better it is to be dirty than to bathe on a Sunday. "I know nothing of Mr. Purkiss," he proceeds, " or of his spiritual state, and therefore can venture no opinion as to whether he was prepared or not for that sudden call to his final account." We fear this is the serious- minded way of saying of Mr. Purkias what Charles Lamb said of that good man on whom the old lady passed so wearisome a panegyric, ending with "I know him, bless him I" " Well, I don't," said Lamb ; " but damn him at a hazard." And so, we fear, implies the `disappointed' correspondent of the Record concerning Mr. Purkiss. We ought, he says, to tarn away from doing our " pleasure " on the Sabbath. Which was the better pleasure, to get a bath and wholesome exercise, or to fear for the state of Mr. Purkiss's spiritual preparation ?
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