"Have you been to any of their chapels lately?"
"Not very often, sir."
"Is there a Wesleyan minister who lives at St. Issey?"
"No, sir. You see, St. Issey Chapel is only one of the little places in the circuit. A minister, sir, lives five miles from here, and only comes about twice a quarter. I have the circuit plan here, sir. Would you like to see it?"
"It would be a curiosity, anyhow," I replied, and a little later Simpson put a sheet of printed paper in my hand. This sheet informed me that St. Issey was in the Lanhydrock Circuit, and, with twelve other chapels, was supplied by two ministers and a number of other men called local preachers.
"I see that the superintendent minister is called Mr. Bendle. Have you ever met him?" I asked.
"No, sir; but I have heard that he is a very good man. When I was a boy, sir, St. Issey Chapel was crowded; but people don't go to Chapel as they used to."
"No? How is that?" I asked.
"Well, sir, it seems as though people have become very worldly, and many have given up Chapel-going altogether."
"And the Parish Church—do many people go there?"