f piggie w

erred with

form of po

rld that hea

not those d

n aperture as possible, as is the custom with children. She never called her playmate "Chris" in speaking to Miss Farringdon; for this latter regarded it as actually sinful to address people by any

should not. Kezia Bateson is a God-fearing woman, and her husband has worked at the Osierfield for forty years. I

norant man: he s

hat, El

an with the web, you know-and he called her Penny-lope. I didn't like to c

-bred of you. Come

seals that were suspended by a gold chain from Miss Farringdon's waist. It was one

e two chief ends at which ever

and then a gentlewoman,

e gentlewoman show

hat could make any one else feel unc

edge by showing up another person's ignorance wou

ousin

less important matter. A true gentlewoman may be ignora

ung her hea

e talking, and never upon yourself, you will always have good m

k about their things

en yourself and them; and, above all, keep strenuously out of sight any real or fancied superiority you may possess o

ink I quite

y very nervous the first night he dined at the officers' mess, as he had never dined with gentlemen before, and he was afraid of making some mistake. It happened that th

eth la

he colonel, to whom the ice was handed next, took a lump and put it in his soup also; and t

thoughtfully, "that you've got to

ere learning of any code of manners, any more than gracefulness is the mere learning of any kind of physical exercise. The gentleman apparently, a

on's face. "I should like to be a real gentlewo

ss manners of the young people of to-day, who loll upon easy-chairs in the presence of their elders, and who slouch into a room with constrained fami

y Christopher and Elisabeth at

as if one were walking across a coral reef, and was flanked on one side with a black oak dresser of unnumbered years, covered with a brave array of blue-and-white pottery. An artist would have revelled in this kitchen, with its delicious effects in red and blue; but Mrs. Bateson accounted it as nothing. Her pride was centred in her parlour and its mural decorations, which consisted principally of a large and varied assortment of funeral-cards, neatly framed and glazed. In addition to these there was a collection of family portraits in daguerreotype, including an interesting representation of Mrs. Bateson's parents sitting side by side in two straight-backed chairs, with their whole family twining round them-a sort of Swi

ar neighbour, had also been bidden to share the feast. So the tea-party was a party of four, the

hostess, after they had sat down at the festive board. "M

ng as kindly as he could,

your schooling. I'm not in favour of much schooling myself, as I think it hinders young folks from growin

with that little more. Naturally, therefore, her object was to convince Providence that her cup of misery was full. But Mrs. Hankey had her innocent enjoyments, in spite of the sternness of her creed. If she took light things seriously, she took serious things lightly; so she was not without her compensations. For instance, a Sunday evening's discourse on future punishment and the like, with illustrations, w

est feels the worst; and many's the time I've seen folks look the ver

think Master Christopher's looks are the rig

rs. Hankey; "in fact, I mistrust those fair complexions, especially in lads of his a

h such yellow hair as mine," said Christopher,

all be as He has formed us, however that may be," replied Mrs. Hankey reproving

e point," interrupted Elisabeth, who regarded the bullying of Christopher as he

me of Master Christopher's roses-I do, indeed. For my part, I like to see little girls with a bit of colour in their cheeks; it looks mor

Mrs. Hankey; "she grows too fast for her strength, I'll be bound;

nature. He thought it would frighten her to hear Mrs. Hankey talk in th

ract notice. She would have preferred to do this by means of unsurpassed beauty or unequalled talent; but, failing these aids to distinction, an early death-bed was an advertisement not to be des

lks are often the healthiest, though they mayn't be the handsomest. And she is wiry, is Miss Elisabet

hat a light hand for pastry you always have! I'm sure I've said over and over agai

teson says to me, 'Kezia,' he says, 'them pies is a regular picture-all so smooth and even-like, you can't tell which from t'other.' 'Bateson,'

id Elisabeth; "they a

my love; take some more,

beth helped herself to one of the three-cornered c

beautiful roaded bacon I never see anywhere equal to yours. It'll be a sad day for you,

My word alive, but your sister is wonderful fortunate in settling her daughters! That's what I call a well-brought-up

ically, as if the union thus referred to were somewhat morganatic in

Still, he may make

m. And as for creaking, why, the boots that are quietest in the shop are just the ones that fairly disgrace you when you come into chapel late on a Sunday morning, and th

rchman your niece married?" a

and never keeps back a farthing of his wages for himself; but his views are somethi

t's sad news,

ng out loud what the Lord has done for your soul? He says religion should be ac

oor relation, as some folks seem to do. They'll go to His house and they'll give Hi

e have I said to his wife, 'Tom may be a kind husband in the time of prosperity, as I make no doubt he is-there's plenty of that sort in the world; but you wait till the days of adversity come, and I d

y prospect opening out before yo

's wedding go off? She mar

own ladders in his own cart, like a lord, as you may say, by day; and there he is on a Thursday evening, letting and reletting the pews and sittings after service, like a real gentleman. As I said to my sister, I only hope

d; there's no

so interesting and instructive. Such a lot of information in it about love and marriage and the like as I'd never heard before; and when he referred to the bridegroom's first wife, and drew a picture o

great interest. "I expect she didn't want anot

e heard you? Why, you don't suppose, surely, that when folks get to heaven they'll be so greedy and grasping that they'll want to keep everythin

s silent, bu

expect she's a bit upset now that the fuss is all over

e off to her own home; but I says to her, 'Never mind, Sarah, and don't you worry yourself; now that the weddings are over

happy vein of consolation; "it is dull without daughters when you've once got accustome

r rest till they've got married, more's the pity. If they knowed as much about men as I do, they'd be thanking t

s 'em something to think about between Sunday's sermon and Thursday's bak

ecially if they h

men do?" asked Elisabeth, who always felt han

implied that, had the r?le of Creator been allotted to her, the idiosyncrasies of the male sex would have been

hey fancy that they are a-wrestling with their doubts, when really it is their dinners that are a-wrestling with them. Now take Bateson hisself, and a kinder husband or

s. Hankey sympathetically; "and he never has the s

prayer for hours at a time, till I says to him, 'Bateson,' says I, 'I'd be ashamed to go troub

wonder to me that the Lord has patience wit

f it, he's that hurt as never was. Why, I'm only too glad to see him enjoying his food if no harm comes of it; but it's dreary work seeing your husband i

, as ordains for women to be so bothered with 'em. At my niece's wedding, as we were just speaking about, 'Susan,' I says, 'I wish you happiness; and I only ho

nd the folks that get the crosses are better off than those that get the naughts, though that husbands are crosses I can't pretend to deny; but I haven

eproach in her tone; "he thought that the unmarried women m

'd had a wife, she'd soon have told him what the unmarried women were thinking about; and it wouldn't have been about the Lord, I'll

it is not fo

him, for he's a sore burden on Jemima, he is. If you're a woman you are bound to work for some man or another, and to see to his food and to bear

mething in

keep you alive, do men. The last time I saw Jemima Stubbs she was as low as low could be. 'Jemima,' I says, 'you are out of

nderstand this, and was careful not to appeal to Elisabeth's sympathy for fear of depressing her. Herein, both as boy and man, he made a great mistake. It was not as easy to depress Elisabeth as it was to depress him; a

son; "I should just think sh

interest in her life. "I shall go and see her to-morrow," she said, "and take her s

ood Shepherd's own lambs!" exclaimed

are the readiest for transplanting to the Better La

in hand. "What would he like?" she persist

ks, is Johnnie Stubbs; and if you'd read a bit to h

morning, and read him my favourite chapter out of The Fairchild Fam

" exclaimed Mrs. Bateson,

Jemima will

forget herself as to bother the

who are unhappy-much more interested than in people who are happy; and I always love everybody when I've s

age aside to an imaginary audience. "What a clev

Elisabeth, her voice trembling with sympathy. "When y

greed Mrs. Bateson, who did not in the

the tea-party was ove

't a bad sort; but I ca

y n

not yet forgiven Mrs. Hankey for her g

es, and doesn't know when things are funny; but

is an old cat," per

abeth thoughtfully; "they are so old they smell of biscuit. Isn't

d ever have thought of saying it. You have a knack of saying what

; but I can't see much funnines

; but you really are simply killing so

cess and such-like attributes never appealed to Elisabeth, possibly because she herself was strong, and possessed all the qualities of the successful person; but weakness and failure were all-powerful in enlisting her sympathy and interest and, through these, her love. As Christopher grew older he dreamed dreams of how in the future he should raise himself from being only the nephew of Miss Farringdon's manager to a position of wealth and importance; and how he should fina

tea-party he said to Elisabeth

tire yourself with going t

. I never felt tired in my life; but I shouldn'

lly do wish you'd take more care of yourself, or else you'

things that I don't know what they feel like; and yet I want

you, you would enjoy playing in the garden more than reading to Johnnie Stubbs-you know y

an read to him; and especially as it is your hol

ht as long as you are; and that as long as you're jolly, I'm bound to have

ngs. I don't go to see Jemima and Johnnie because I hate going, and yet think I oug

hich lay so heavily upon his spirit. He was a religious boy, but his religion was of too stern a cast to bring much joy to him; and he was passionately anxious that Elisabeth should not be distressed in like manner. His desire was that she should have

. The people that are strong and happy don't want your fondness, so it is no use giving it to them. It is

d like them just the same as if they went about yelling Te Deums at the top of their voices; and when I do

tupid way of li

tupid, but i

n when I laugh?" asked Elisabeth, who ne

h rather you laughed than cried-it is so much jollier for y

d about tournaments, because I think it was so horrid of t

ine scorn. "What nonsense! Who

have the fame and the glory and the cheers of the crowd; that's quite enough for you!' And then I go down from my da?s, right into the arena where the unhorsed knight is lying wounded, and take off his helmet, and lay his head on

carried on in that fashion; and your prize would have b

not a boy; I wouldn't have been

e knight who wins is the best knight; ch

like them best, too." Whereupon Elisabeth removed the light of her

ames far too well to have anything but contempt for any one who rebelled against the rules of any game whatsoever. It was a man's business, he held, n