Yes, he was a regular Mr. Blazeaway, and what he said was equal to the strongest of the theatre thunder and the most dazzling of forked lightning.  Other Irish curates have tried the same game on since then in the town, but they have not been so successful; none of them have yet got into decent incumbencies, and we are afraid they will have to rave on for a yet longer period ere the requisite balm of Gilead is found.  After piling up the agony for a few months at St. Peter’s, Mr. Alker left for Dublin, stayed there a short time, then retraced his steps to Preston, and in due time got the incumbency of St. Mary’s—­an event which seems to have toned down all his fury about the “abomination of Rome,” and made him nearly quite forget the existence of Pope Pius.  Paraphrasing one of his own country’s poets, we may say,—­

As bees on flowers alighting cease their hum,
So settling at St. Mary’s Alker’s dumb.

Still be has occasional spells of anti-Popery hysteria; he can’t altogether get the old complaint out of his bones; Rome is yet his red rag when in a rage; and he has latterly shown an inclination to wind up the clocks of the Jews and the Mahommedans.  He may have a fling at the Calmuck Tartars and a quiet pitch into the Sioux Indians after a bit.  When Mr. Alker first went to St. Mary’s his salary was small; but it has now reached the general panacea of incumbents—­300 pounds a year.  He has also a neat, well-situated parsonage, on the south eastern side of the town, a good garden, which has been the scene of many lovely sights, and a neat patch of ground beyond.  In his district Mr. Alker has been an energetic worker, and in connection with the schools particularly he has been most useful.  For his services in this respect he deserves much praise, and we tender him our share.  His influence is hardly so great as it used to be, still he is the great Brahmin and the grand Lama of the locality.  There have been five curates at St. Mary’s—­ the Rev. W. Nesbit M’Guinness, clever and ambitious; the Rev. John Wilson (not of St. James’s), an industrious gentleman, who had a row with the congregation in respect to his marriage, and afterwards went away; the Rev. R. Close, a pretentious young man, who appeared to use much hair oil and think well of pious gammon; the Rev. E. M. David, a Welshman, who couldn’t speak plainly enough for the congregation, and had to retire; and, lastly, the Rev. Bernard Robinson, who has been at St. Mary’s about twelve months, and is evidently working satisfactorily in the district.  We have finished:  all is over; the lime lights are burning, the coloured fires are radiating their hues, the curtain is falling, and bidding “Adieu” to all our kind readers, we vanish.

A. HEWITSON, CHRONICLE OFFICE, FISHERGATE, PRESTON