The Council of the diocese accepted St. Paul's as its cathedral church and imposed upon Bishop Brown the duty of drawing up its statutes, but he died before he had accomplished this work. I took it up very slowly. There had been at this time in America two types of a cathedral. In one the Bishop was in the place of a rector, and the so-called Canons were practically his assistants. In the other case, and it was where a parish had been dignified with the title of a cathedral, the rector, to whom was given the title of Dean, continued to be rector. In the first instance the Bishop was everything, everybody being under him. In the second he was nothing, or his authority was largely controlled by the rector. In some dioceses, as in Albany, a complicated system of a larger and a smaller chapter was established. It seemed to me that the machinery was cumbersome and complicated.

In our cathedral system the Bishop is the Dean. The heads of our schools, which are thus connected with the cathedral, are ex-officio Canons. Another Canon, who is responsible under the Dean for the spiritual care of the people, is nominated by the Bishop and chosen by the chapter. He has charge of the Sunday school and of the parish visiting. The rights of the laity are secured by an election, at Easter, of five laymen. The diocese is represented by its Treasurer and the Archdeacons. It is to be noted

that there is no one person who exercises the power that a rector does in an ordinary parish. Rectorial powers are distributed. All the Canons have equal

rights in the cathedral and take part as directed by the Dean in the services. The laity can call on any one Canon for baptism or marriage or funeral, and can resort to any they please for confession. The Dean publishes and posts in the sacristy a monthly list of the daily celebrants and monthly preachers.

The question of ritual is a somewhat difficult one. It is important that a certain uniformity should be observed and that changes should not, even by the Bishop, be arbitrarily made. It is therefore expedient that there should be a book of customs regulating the chief points of ceremonial and ritual. This is drawn up by all the clerical members of the chapter, and cannot be altered by the Bishop, save after deliberation and vote of the chapter. This protects all parties.

The harmonious working of this system has been a proof of its efficacy. It has been, with modifications, adopted elsewhere. It differs so from the English method that it may be called the American Cathedral System.

THE CONVENT

The Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity is especially devoted to the devotional life, the help of souls, and the aid of the clergy. The life is based on the three counsels of perfection: Poverty, chastity, and obedience. But as every community has its own expression of the life and should be adapted to its own kind and Church environment, so it is with ours. The religious life has passed through many phases, has

been severely attacked by the world, and has not been without its own faults. To love a simple life, and so to practise poverty, is to imitate the Master. It is both a healthy life and a witness against the luxury of the world. But as is well known, religious, professing individual poverty, have sought wealth for their orders. In Scotland, for instance, a large portion of the landed estates was in the hands of the monks. The history of religious communities shows how drastic reforms were needed to remove this and other evils.

In the Nativity Sisterhood a novice is at liberty to dispose of her income at her own discretion, and when inheriting property, at the time of profession, makes a will, disposing of her property with due regard to any claims of her relations.

The extremes of asceticism are avoided. In respect of food the order is bidden to take into consideration "the laws of health, that are better understood now than formerly, and to avoid making a rule of diet so strict as to require dispensation, for it is far better to have a moderate rule observed than the appearance of keeping a severe one which must be broken."

In respect of chastity, her rule declares, hers is not an enclosed life. In union with the missionary spirit of Jesus, the sister mingles with the world that she may win souls to Him. It is not by killing her affections that she will do this. She will love her Superior, her sisters, her relatives, and those to whom she ministers. The heart is not to be dead, by living