The Village by the River

hould have a voice in the matter of their children's education; and it can't be fair that any particular system of religion should be forced upon them. In a place like t

ake any sacrifice rather than surrender the religious training of the children God has given to

n't be a voluntary school lef

of the last to die,

hat you are carrying out t

rst; but they shall have an opportunity of expressing their opinion. I am going to call a me

nquired Paul, with a

you, of course

ere in opposition to

o be continued under the management of myself and my churchwardens, it shall be no hole-and

look on his face as he took Mr. Curzon's out-st

ve the courage of our opinions; but at least you will believe tha

r. Curzon, smiling; "but with me their

just returning from an outing. She greeted Paul with a beam

got nothing to bring now," she said. "Blackberries

said Paul, leaving the question of blackber

was the sun in your eyes. Has you

e quite a time, and you h

d glance up at her father. "It was lovely; he had no one to thin

ur cheeks. Well, when are you coming to have tea

ave all the happiest things on Sunday. But I forgot; Nurs

o wheeled Kitty about ga

o this once alone, Miss Kitty; and I

g you home. Would not that

you will not be t

n a long-standing engage

on his way. "I like him so much, although I don't remember his nam

ut made no answer to her remark about their new neighbour. To himself

party to-morrow, Sally. I have

ly, in considera

that I live in a chronic state of headache, and resorts to her own methods of cure. Ours is

s to ki

onsent to her coming this morning, for she arranged it all under his very eyes; and I saw he had not the heart to thwart her. She's a young woman who ev

d not come at all, the

s tea as her Sunday treat," Pau

valid carriage stopped at the Macdonald's g

ift the whole thing in, and then she can go on for

yond Paul at Sally, wh

grown-up like everybody els

ple, as I will presently show you," said Paul. "Meanwhile,

her in his strong arms as gently as if she were a baby, and Sally followed with the crutches, her soul fille

splaced before the afternoon was over; Kitty's enjoyment of life in general, and he

in the orchard behind the house, and Kitty's carriage was placed under the tree

tly from his seat in the kitchen, and bestowing a meaning glance at Paul, who, mindful of the

very soul in the place, including Allison, who had won her affection for ever by presenting her with a Persian kitten, whom she brought dow

," said Macdonald. "We'll b

l. "We promised to take y

n inclined to accept the Macdonald's offer, for when he and Sally had wheeled their v

gone to church. Please take me on! my carriage goes into the

ear directions, so Paul, with a

n he had adjusted Kitty's carriage to

t before the service began;

corner; daddy had it made for me, and here's the key," producing a key on a strin

Kitty's hands were devoutly folded in prayer, and her eye

close to me, you'll find my places for me; Nurse always does.

im of circumstance, fetched

elt down nor even placed his hand over his eyes, which were the varying methods of paying homag

lost his belief; he had never had any. He might well question the necessity of religious education, for he had had none himself. He and Sally had been baptized

aul, when he was sent at an early age to school; "and if eve

haps, but surely. Perhaps in a remote village like this, where a Rector of strong personality was at the head of affairs, it might be fanned into a flame for a time, but it would not last. It certainly had a semblance of life to-night, Paul admitted, as the congregation rose to its feet at the opening bars of the volu

the bowed heads of the kneeling people, and, through the beautiful old screen which separated chancel from nave, the altar shone out in strong relief

again, and he was interested by watching the sensitive, eager little face. There was no question that the child was following the service

preacher's absolute sincerity. He prefaced his sermon with a notice of a public meeting that was to be held about the schools in the course of the coming week, at which he begged the attendance of all interested in the subject of education. The time had come when the sch

o-night. It is one that I, as shepherd of this flock, must talk to you about, for holy hands have been laid upon my head, and the souls of all in this place are committed solemnly to my charge; and I must claim the little ones for the Master whom I serve, I wish t

peal which followed with inter

afterwards, when he was giving her the gist of the sermon. "Parsons have a greater chance of propagating their vie

don't go to list

'm not sorry to have been there for once. In future we'll fix some other day than Sunday for our visitor.

much notice of her? You've ne

ul answered laughing. "I couldn't refuse a

ully discussed at the for

, 'It's all very well sayin' as we must make the schools so fine and grand, but what I wa

say?" asked

one of us, he's a bit close-fisted-not a bit like the old major. Depend upon it, he don't want to put down his cool hundred; and that's why he talks so brisk about the rates. There's something about it as I've

cdonald gently. "To hear the rector talk a Sunday night about it were grand, that it

off to get the five shillin's I gives him every year for those blessed schools. I'll stick to that five, neither more nor less, unless the squire gets his w