Abbeychurch

re before the Consecration. The younger children were very urgent to be allowed to accompany them, but Mrs. W

her two children had taken out their basket of bricks at the other end of the

ng, my dear,' said Mrs. Woodbourne;

very good, and he will be very much disappointed if he has to stay at home

etter not go, unless he has some reason for wishi

ve all been talking about it in the nursery, this evening, at supper:

an take him; I cannot have him sitting with me, among the people wh

attend at first, I am sure, and it is a thing he must never forget all his life. I

f you can undertake to keep him in order, but you must take care you do not tire yourself. You will

fraid of anything in the summer, and on such a great day as to-morrow. I could

, made to promise to behave well, and sent back in high glee to play with Winifred.

age the children so much better than anyone else can; they always like best to be with her, th

good-natured?' said Lady

ren or me, I do not know what would become of me without her: but you know her way of speaking, she does not mean any harm; but still when people a

er to manage before he went to sch

a very high-spirited child, but Lizzie could always make him mind her in the end, and he was very obedient to his papa

n years old when he went to Sandleford, but Sir Edward afterwards regretted that he

rs. Woodbourne, sighing; 'and I suppose he must rough it some time or

said Lady Merton; 'Lizzie wrote

inly a very clever child, and few have Lizzie's spirits and patience, to be able to bear with a little boy's idleness and inattention so good-humouredly. And I do believe she enjoye

her spirits never seem to flag, and I think sh

about her, I wish she would take a little more care of herself, but she will not understand how necessary precautions are; she goes out in all sorts of weather, and never allows that anyt

said Lady Merton; 'she seems to h

ged to Mrs. Staunton for asking her. She has come back quite a different crea

writing and sending presents to her little god-daughter. Chancing however to come to London on business, she had written to Mr. Woodbourne to beg him to bring Helen to meet her there, and allow her to take her back with her into Lincolnshire to spend some time with her and her daughters. Mr. Woodbourne, knowing that his wife had esteemed her very highly, complied after a little deliberation. Helen's visit had lasted longer than at first proposed, and she only returned home, after an absence of five months, ju

sed Rupert through a dangerous attack of scarlet-fever, with which he had been seized at Abbeychurch, when on his way from school, when she herself had been prevented by illness from coming to him; and Mrs. Woodbourne, making light of her anxiety for her own children, had done all that the most affectionate mother could have done for him, and had shewn more energy than almost anyone had believed her to possess, comforting Sir Edward with hopes and cheerful looks, soothing the boy's waywardness, and bearing with his fretfulness in his re

ended to act as a clog round her neck, to keep her from straying

ll,' said Anne, 'both for the poetry and beauty of the sight; but I should think

the laziest, it is only on our side that it resembles the mountain of fame or of happiness;

ife, as I was yesterday, when we carried up all the cushions ourselves, and Papa sent me all the way ba

ight have thought yourself very happy

atherine; 'you were sitting in the cool at home, only

nd besides, Mamma had desired Lizzie to sit still in the house, because she had been at the church ev

in common sense. Would you believe it, the workmen actually put the pulpit-cloth on wi

y breakfast

omerville came in at ten o'clock to see what was goi

ce they had a fine view of Abbeychurch, old and new. Anne obse

ing of the new great work-shop of all nations, met together in tolerably close companionship. I cou

church can boast of more beau

head on the corbel at the new church is of as good a colour as Queen Eleanor's at the old one, and we never shall see any

k at it; 'and the gable ends of your house, and the tall trees of the ga

r zig-zag mouldings,' said Elizabeth, 'and shut your eyes to our kit

you mean?'

h Puddington from all other Vicars of Abbeychurch, his a

he only record he has lef

te? and how naughty you used to be, when Margaret left off sitting there with us, and there was no one to see what we were about-oh! and there is

d Helen; 'unsuitable as what? Patience

hen she is not on a mon

lergyman,' said little Dora; 'there are four pews in th

or Dora's edification, that what she intended by the speech in question, was only that it was unsuitable t

scarcely right to laugh at him, especially before Dora; I am afrai

pains nor expense had been spared. Anne, who had not been there since the wall had been four feet above the ground, was most eager to see it

nd glancing upon the golden embroidery of the crimson velvet on the Altar, above which, the shadows on the groined roof of the semi-octagonal chancel were rapidly darkening, and the deep tints of the five narrow lancet

rch, giving a parting look before she closed the door, 'it is "al

en Anne exclaimed, looking wistfully towards the railroad,

es in,' said Katherine; 'it is th

ightful every day. I thought they looked worse than ever when I came home, and saw the contra

ld town will soon begin to rival the new one. You

only open our eyes and stare at all the wonders round. I do not know what we may come to in time, we may be as genteel as Kate's friend, Willie Turner, says the peop

end?' asked Anne,

ter, Wilhelmina. You must have heard of Mr. Turner. Rupert h

r's name very well; but I never knew t

f someone to gossip with, and so she struck up a most romantic friendship with Willie Turner; and really

Lizzie,' sa

me, what I forthwith confided to Papa, that Mrs. Turner was working in cross-stitch a picture of St. Augustine p

dful!' cr

more civilly than the British bishops did. She must have managed most beautifully, so as to satisfy everybody. I believe that she lamented that the Austin Friars who named our hill were not called after the converter of our forefathers, looking perfectl

to a screen now,' said Kath

about the Bishop of Hippo,' said Elizabeth; 'she is really very clever

ly to promote the decoration

there was any talk of presenting him with some small testimonial of respect, her mite would be instantly forthcoming; and Sir Edward Merton, he is the most munificent gentleman she ever heard of; if all of his fortune

cientific, to

that she cannot venture to wear a steel buckle. You have no idea of the efforts we are making to keep up with the rest of the

I see that little beer-shop near the Stat

abeth, 'so that it would travel out of Abbeyc

'it will have a Christian name to-morrow, and per

old will still grow worse. It is grievous to see how much less conformable Papa finds the people of the old