The Farringdons

hat Man is

ducate

hat the scho

shness w

et me?" Elisabeth asked of Christopher, as the two were walki

ease te

School, and study there, and

difficult lesson to

y do it through my pictures; and I want to begin at once, for fear I shouldn't get it all in before I die. There is plenty of time, of course; I'm only twent

serve for learning all that

I'm afraid I sha'n't hav

you won't do much

Yes, I shall; the things you teach best are the th

so sure

oes greater thin

s a terrible waste of power. So many people seem to think that if they have a spark of genius they can do without culture; while

o culture-I mean to set th

it is a laudable and

ook so doubtful on the subjec

doubtful? I'

l write to the papers to show that the 'flash-point' of the river is decidedly too low, or else such an unlooked-for catastrophe could never have occurred. Then you will get the Government to take the matter up, and to bring a charge of arson against the New Woman. And, finally, you

ourself with laurels, and generally turned the world upside down, sha'n't you allow some humble and devoted beggarman t

se I shall let some nic

rt; it is a mere sinecure, and confers only the semblance and not the reality of power; but I hope you will accept it, as I have no

hasn't been taken in by me, as the world has; and I shall say to him, 'By the way, here is a small fire and a few laurel leaves; please warm your hands at the

imed Christopher. "But what are some of the won

backs to the sunshine and choosing to walk in the shade. I want to teach people that the world is beautiful, and that it is only a superficial view that finds it common and unclean. I want to teach peo

worthiness of themselves

or want of joy and beauty in their lives? It is the old struggle between Hellenism and Hebraism-between happiness and righteousness. We are sorely in nee

ve always had everything you want, can not understand this: no more could the Pag

ing themselves can they please their Maker, and that God has given them tastes and hopes and desires merely in order to mortify

on many points, but I can not help admitting that their conception of God was a fine one, even though it erred on t

t Conscience; and England has never been perfectly normal since. Besides, they discovered that nature, and art, and human affection, which are really revelations of God, were actually si

or the cheerful, prosperous people; but how about those who had never got what they wanted out of life, and were never likely to get it?" Christopher, li

t rather modern Christianity's idealization of sorrow. I do not believe we should be half as miserable as we are if we did not believe that there is virtue in misery, and that b

rage. He was too well-bred ever to be blatant in his unbelief-he would as soon have thought of attacking a man's family to his face as of attacking his creed; but subtly and with infinite tact he endeavoured to prove that to adapt anc

lous of her obvious attachment to Tremaine, and so unhappy on account of it, that for the time being the faithful friend was entirely swallowed up in the irate lover, sighing like one of the Osierfield furnaces. Of course this was very unfair and tiresome of him-nobody could deny that; but it is sometimes trying to the amiability of even the best of men to realize that the purely mundane and undeserved accident of want

weak, as well as her strong, point. She was incapable of seeing people as they really were; but erected a purely imaginary edifice of character on the foundations of such attributes as her rapid intuition either rightly or wron

who care for them only as the world can care. Poor imaginative women-who dreamed that you had found a perfect knight and a faithful friend, and then discovered that these were only an ordinary selfish man and woman after all-life has many more such surprises in store for you; and the surprises will shock you less and hurt you more as the years roll on! But though life will have its surprises for you, death perchance will have none;

the letter) his duty toward his neighbour; and Elisabeth was fairly dazzled by his many schemes

is views as set forth by that young lady. Felicia had been brought up along extremely strict lines, and in a spirit of comfortable intolerance of all forms of religion not absolutely identical with her own; consequently, a man with no form of religion at all was to her a very terrible monster indeed. On the Sundays of her early youth she had perused a story treating of an Unbeliever (always spelled with a capital U), and the punishments that were meted out to the daughter of light who was unequally yoked with him; and she was

t his goodness," she said; "nobo

e him, he does such a lot for them; and he couldn't have lovelier thoughts and higher idea

re not, and it is very wicked to believe that there are. I am

at true religion is a state of mi

talk like that; I am sure mamma wouldn't like it-sh

ake things for granted as you do; I have to think them out for myself; and I have come

things like that, Elisabet

n around me. What on earth is the good of having an intellect, if you submit that intellect to the will of another? I wonder how you can

rgue upon religious subjects-she says it is unsettling; so I will only say that I know y

orrid. To tell you the truth, I a

s Madonna-like face b

what is wrong with him; but whatever I do, and however nice I try to be to him, the North

he used to be

id and as uncommunicative as the Sphinx, and who sticks up iron palings all round himself, like a specimen tree in the park, so that nob

overpowered by Elisabeth's rapid changes of front. "But

n his cold, self-satisfied way: it isn't that. What I complain of i

ad to have things fully explained to her; excess of imagination

't possess," replied Elisabeth, who had still much to learn. "What I mean is he doesn't realize how clever I am-he despises me jus

ther a man liked me tha

e cleverness. I have studied myself thoroughly, and I have come to the concl

, and I can not live without it. If people are really

, even if I knew that person adored me. To me no amount of affection would make up for the lack of appreciation. I want to be understood as well as liked, and that is where Christop

nes of disapproval. "I am sure I should h

: whatever he says and does, he always makes you think about him. Now, however fond you were of Chris-and he really is very

opher is very comfortable and ho

coats, but you don't occupy your most e

n love with you." Unlike Elisabeth, Felicia never saw what did n

hought of such a thing! Why, Christopher isn't capable of falling in love

. "Then don't you thin

bout the price of iron and the integrity of the empire, and will think that he is making love, and she will think so too. And t

hat Felicia could say succeeded in softening her. Women are apt

s life that her daughter's beauty should bring about a great match. She was a good woman according to her lights, and a most excellent

e greatest comfort to Mr. Herbert and myself to see Felicia married to a God-fearing man;

Elisabeth, strong in the unworldliness of those who have nev

s about my children's future, I always check myself by saying, 'The Lord will provide; though I can not sometimes help h

velier and lovelier every time I see her. If I were to change places with all the

s, I just want to ask you a few questions about a Mr. Thornley whom Fel

't possibly be. No girl could be int

ar? Is he so un

or figures and a poor eye for faces. In short, he is a sen

ed. I have known many instances of women b

Christopher is. He is so wise that he never

er see the point of a joke myself, I admi

talks nonsense to her," continued Elisabeth, "but

eat waste of time to talk nonsense; I am not sure t

, and what his uncle may leave him. His mother was Mr. Smallwood's sister, and married a ne'er-do-weel-who left her pe

elf in consequence. One of the secrets of Elisabeth's popularity was that she had a knack of impressing the people with whom she talked, not so much with

e Chris would have starved to death when he was a child; and

, so full of pity for Christopher that she was willing to give him a

home to be called Wood Glen. "There is one thing to be said in favour of starvation," she said solemnly, "it woul

sense. What would be the advantage

e the advantage of being alive if yo

see you couldn't be thin without being alive

I devoutly trust mine may never be one of them. As the hymn

se. I believe the hymn refers rather to the greatness of on

th an expression of childlike sim

ver, quite accurate in their statements. I suppose it would be too difficult for anybody to get both the truth and the rhyme to fit in, and so t

not. If they had been, I should have s

ven if you do perceive them," said Mrs. Herbert, with

r too old or too ugly to have a lover, and that is the worst scandal of all. I always feel immensely tickled when I hear women pluming themselves on the fact that they never get talked about; and I long to say

'content to fill a little spac

y besetting sin and I know it. Not stately, scornful, dignified pride, but downright, inflated, perky

usness of a fault is surel

t want to 'fill a little space,' and I particularly don't want 'a heart at leisure from itself'; I think that is such a dull, old-maidish sort of thi

shocked. "My dear,

y are not a bit selfish, and they interfere with you for your own good; but they successfully accomplish as much incurable mischief in half an hour as it would take half a dozen

cted her daughter as the consoler of Christopher's sorrows, Providence must be gently and patiently reasoned with until another and more suitable

opher and Felicia, the tongues of Sedgehill were all agog on the subject of the

company with that Mr. Tremaine; I am indeed,"

haven't much to be thankful for, I'm sure, for the Lord has tried me sore, giving me Hankey as a husband, and such a poor appetite as I never enjoy a meal from one year's end to another; but one thing I can boast of, and that is my bab

ith 'em. Why, where's the good of taking the trouble to do a thing well, if there's no man to blame you for it afterward? Bu

ster Christopher; which is more than his own mother

about him. He don't even go to church on a Sunday, let alone cha

h. "And what are works without

quite as hard on us as we are on one another, a

n a tone which implied that she

after my Lucy Ellen was born, I found that her contrairiness made me sorry for her instead of angry with her, and I knowed as the poor little thing was feeling poorly or else she'd never have been like that. So instead of punishing her

hope as you are not encouraging false hopes and crying pea

ether I'd throw him over or no, he says to me, 'Kezia, my lass,' he says, 'I'm not afeared as ye'll give me the slip, for all your saucy ways; other folks may think you're a bit flirty, but I know you better than they do, and I trust you with all my heart.' Do you think I could have disappointed him after tha

ee things in such a ch

wonderful how caring for other folks seems to bring you nearer to Him-nearer even than class meet

nate for you your eldest being a girl; if the Lord had thought fit to give me a daughter instead of three sons, things might hav

must confess, and less mischievous all round; but they can't work as hard

th not a soul to speak to about all the queer tricks they're at, many a t

and the boys were troublesome if I couldn't have passed remarks on their behaviour to Lucy Ellen; I missed her something te

another and upsetting the medicine-bottles and putting everything in its wrong place. Many a time have I wished for a daughter, if it was but to close my eyes

Miss Elisabeth with Master Christopher, instead o

minously. "Mr. Tremaine is o

omes from eating French kickshaws, and having no mother to see that he takes

to deny the existence of a

o on to deny the existence of a God, there's nothing for it but chamomile. And I don't believe as the Lord takes their doubts any more seriously than their wives take 'em. He knows as well as we do that the

as have doubts need,

band and children to look after, and washes at home, she has no time, bless yo