A BIG BROTHER OF MERCY.
Besides the Plymouth Brethren, there are the Plymouth Sisters, called Sisters of Mercy. These ladies, however, appear to stand in the relationship of Sister to something else than Mercy; to Choler, we may say, and Choler unbridled, so to speak, and rather asinine.
The Morning Post published the other day a correspondence between a Mr. J. D. Chambers and Mr. Phinn, M.P., which will probably be considered to supply the foregoing remark with some foundation.
There is, it appears, among the Sisters of Mercy, a lady who is also the sister of Mr. Chambers. On her behalf Mr. Chambers writes a letter to Mr. Phinn, to demand whether he, in his place in Parliament, made certain statements respecting the community to which she belongs, imputing to them systematic fraud and hypocrisy, and the endeavour to convert their institution into a Roman Catholic nunnery.
Mr. Phinn replies that he might decline to answer Mr. Chambers, on the ground of privilege, as well as on that of the intemperance and want of courtesy displayed in Mr. Chambers's letter—which rights, however, he waives; says that he cannot reconcile newspaper reports of his words, nor exactly remember those which he used; but denies that his language, as reported by any of the papers, conveys the imputations alluded to by Mr. Chambers, or that he made odious and unsupported accusations of fraud and dishonesty against the ladies in question.
Mr. Phinn then proceeds to remind his peppery correspondent that the late Queen Dowager felt it her duty, after strict investigation, to withdraw her support from the Society, on the ground that its doctrines were at variance with those of the Established Church.
To this reply Mr. Chambers rejoins, reiterating his statements as to the imputation of fraud and duplicity, and concluding in the following polite terms:—
"My duty, therefore, as her (his sister's) protector, is simply to tell you, in plain words, as such your accusations are false."
Everybody, of course, knows that the Sisters of Mercy form that celebrated community which rejoices under the superintendance of a single lady, writing herself "Ye Mother Supr;" not being a mother, or even a mother-in-law, or a mother in any sense known to the law, or in any sense whatever except a Roman Catholic one.