The question was not now brought forward for the first
time. It had been agitated eight years previously, and the
settlement of it had been at that time deferred to a future
opportunity. The revival of the project, as usual in such cases,
split the working members of the society into two parties; one
party cautiously objecting to run any risks, the other hopefully
declaring that the venture was a safe one, and that success was
sure to attend it. Mr. Carling sided enthusiastically with the
members who espoused this latter side of the question, and the
object of his pamphlet was to address the subscribers to the
society on the subject, and so to interest them in it as to win
their charitable support, on a larger scale than usual, to the
new project.
He had worked hard at his pamphlet, and had got more than half
way through it, when he found himself brought to a stand-still
for want of certain facts which had been produced on the
discussion of the question eight years since, and which were
necessary to the full and fair statement of his case.
At first he thought of writing to the secretary of the society
for information; but, remembering that he had not held his office
more than two years, he had thought it little likely that this
gentleman would be able to help him, and looked back to his own
Diary of the period to see if he had made any notes in it
relating to the original discussion of the affair.
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