Mr. Morris, like his father before him, was for many
years Rector of Nunburnholme, and his recollections of rural York- shire in the last century are highly entertaining. There is a capital chapter, for instance, on Peter the Poacher," a clever and racy old character, and there is another on " Religion on the Wolds," relating some almost incredible instances of apathy and neglect on the part of parsons in the bad days before the Tractarian movement. Mr. Morris tells some anecdotes of George Hudson, the " Railway King," who was Lord Mayor of York and who insisted that the railways which he projected should all come to his native city, so that York became a great railway centre. His story of Hudson and the Duke of Wellington is new to us. The Duke's sister had invested in certain railway shares which had fallen heavily in value. The Duke invited Hudson's help, and the financier promptly began to buy the shares in the market, with the result that they rose rapidly. He then told the lady to sell out, so that she suffered no loss. In return Hudson simply asked the Duke to call upon his daughter, who was at a fashionable school and was suffering because her companions sneered at her humble birth. The Duke accordingly paid a visit to the young girl, who ever after enjoyed the social distinction accorded to his friends.
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