The Minister's Charge

nevertheless knew to be changing his knife and fork from one hand to the other, as doubt after doubt took him as to their conventional use, and to be getting very little good of his dinne

he reappeared, still holding her by the hand, and then Miss Vane shook hands with Sewell, saying in a tone of cordial liking, "How d'ye do?" and to each of the young people as she shook hands in

d softly into it, after acknowledging Barker's presentation

," said Mrs. Sewell. "

said with great pleasure, when I went away, that I had been lunching at t

eef," sa

ane. "What else?" She put on her glasses

, baked sweet po

What are you going

ge pud

he Sewells still dine at one o'clock, you know,' and laugh over your old-fashioned habits with them. I should like to do differently, and to respect the sacredness of broken bread and that sort of thing; but I'm trying to practis

well joined with sheepish reluctance; after all, one do

om the pulpit, I'm going to stop using profane langu

Sewell hung his head; Barker sat bolt upright behind his plate, and stared at Miss Vane. "I nev

me to complain soo

I went down the next day to Newport, and I've be

r on the ladies

ain speaking. I don't know what Newport wil

a little spirit, and added: "Now you see of how little importance you really are in the communi

sed his wife. "I told you Miss

as of no consequence, one way or the other. How do

erchief, while Sewell regarded her with a face in which his mortification at being laughed at was giving way to a natural pleasure at seeing Mis

sack? The Graham, or the best Haxall, or

aughter, sobering off, and breaking down again before she

of forget-me-nots might, or a few lilies of the valley carelessly arranged. As to the influence of a graceful

good the flower mission has accomplished among the deserving poor?

ost expensive and delicate roses in the centre of a dinner-table tempers the asperity

niece to supply with food for the imagination, you would be very glad of

his wife leaned forward with an interest in the questio

do good with flowers in the homes of virtuous poverty, as well as the hospitals and prison

ing air, but a note of anxi

Sewell, "and it may do Sibyl some good." He smiled a little

o her face which had not shown themselves there before.

to engage actively in the missionary work, I think

is the sensation of doing good-of seeing and hearing the results

deprecation of this extreme view. "I don't believe," he cont

d she would?" demanded his wife, bringing him up roundly

y little better than one of the wicked, it seems to me! Well, I hoped that you woul

n't let her," he continued seriously-"don't let her imagine it's more than an innocent amusement. It would be a sort of hideous mockery o

e time being she won't care anything about it. Sh

en we must let her get what good she can out

t! I've heard you say that the worst thing about fiction and the theatre was t

Well, I must ha

s under the table, and rose to his feet. "I

his helpless guest. "Why, no, you mustn't go! I was in hopes we migh

ng to prevent the sacrifice, "my son will show you the Public Garden and the Common, and go about the town with you."

er belief that Barker would be happier if they let him go. At the same time she frowned upon the

othing but, "I'm sorry;

door, where he paused a moment, and contrived to pant, "Well, good

o the door, and, beginning to suffer afresh at the wrong he had done Barker, he detained him a

rseful pursuit, and clumsily hurrying down the steps, he walked up the street and round the next corner. Sewell stood watching him in rueful pe

in the dining-room they fe

n telling, Lu

was the only way. Did you offer t

was the only w

"So that was the origin of the famous sermon that turned all our heads grey with good res

t take the precaution of mixing with

ssion. "But what is the natural history of the boy? How ca

ans scattered round the door-yard, and the Monday we were there a poverty-stricken wash flapped across it. The thought of the place preyed upon me till one day I asked about it at the post-office, and the postmistress told me that the boy was quite a literary character, a

I don't see how he came to write poetry. I believe

ve had his own wild hopes about it. I don't say his work didn't show sense; it even showed some rude strength, of a didactic, satirical sort, but it certainly didn't show

any kind soul to tell him that

ppear

ston, who visited him," suggest

is plain duty. Even he, to spare himself the pain of hurting the boy's feelings, tried to find s

Vane. "You had to tell him to-day, I su

iting more stuff and coming to Boston with it. I've put him to needless shame, an

d Miss Vane, "and just hurts you. Don't you think that in an advanced civilisation we shall cease

ly," exclaimed Sewell, "the world seems so put together that

id his wife

with a laugh. "I'm proof against his m

ll pushed himself back in h

rompted both

ssroads, where the dealer collected it and took it to the train. That was his life, with the incidental facts of cutting the hay and fodder, and bedding the cattle; and his experience never went b

o have been in his pl

therefore I oughtn't to have done anythin

ss Vane. "I thought we had prospered up to the pr

mind people taking themselves out of their places; but if the particles of this mighty cosmos have be

, I'll go at once. Yes, 'I guess I better be going,' as your particle Barker says. Let us hope he'll get safely back to his infinitesimal little crevice in the cosmos. He's a ver

hatting, and Sewell looked quick

her laugh. "Really, you looked as if you

e were as unlike as if we were of two different species. I saw that everything I said bewildered him more and more; he couldn't understand me! Our education is unchristian, our civilisation is pagan. They both ought to bring us in closer relations with our