The Life of Colonel Fred Burnaby Author:Thomas Wright Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: St. Cuthbert's Church was still unfinished, Bunyan Meeting had just arisen on the site of its three-gabled predecessor. In place of the present river embankment ... more »spread a dismal and fetid swamp ; while southwards St. Mary's and St. John's lifted their crumbling heads above dingy tenement and depressing thoroughfare. Railways there were none, and he who had not a chariot of his own was bound to hire or content himself with a comfortless seat in the crawling and creaking carrier's van. The town had one postman—a dwarf named Nichols, and one post office—kept by "a crotchety old man named Bithrey," who sat, like an ogre, behind a little wooden door which you had to tap before handing in your letter and a penny. St. Peter's Church—or to give its full name, the Church of St. Peter de Merton—has since Burnaby's early days been altered and enlarged almost beyond recognition. It was then quite a tiny 3—St. Peter's building—the nave, indeed, being scarcely Church, larger than the present chancel; and there were no aisles. The Rectory grounds adjoined the churchyard on the east; while on the west stood a quaintly- gabled Elizabethan homestead, occupied by Mr. Burnaby's friend, Viscount de Vismes ; and a more idyllic picture than that formed by the church and these two antique houses, with their rich warm tints, embowered in luxuriant foliage, can scarcely be conceived. At St. Peter's there were services in the morning and afternoon only ; and the latter was the fashionable service. " If you want to see the latest modes, my dear," Frivol would lisp to Frivol, " Go to St. Peter's in the afternoon." The rector's right hand and aide-de-camp in matters ecclesiastical, was Mr. Robert Rose, the organist, who really did wonders, considering the rough-hewn material placed in his charge ; for ...« less