Phoebe, Junior

nes, who had returned from their tea-party

when he chose. But yet he had never made friends, and was now at fifty-five the incumbent of St. Roque, with a small income and a humble position in the church hierarchy of Carlingford. He preached better than any other of the Carlingford clergymen, looked better, had more reputation out of the place; and was of sufficiently good family, and tolerably well connected. Yet he never got on, never made any real advance in life. Nobody could tell what was the cause of this, for his opinions were moderate and did not stand in his way-indeed within the limits of moderation he had been known to modify his principles, now inclining towards the high, then towards the low, according as circumstances required, though never going too far in either direction. Such a man ought to have been successful, according to all rules, but he was not. He was generally in debt and always needy. His eldest son, James, was in India, doing well, and had often sent a contribution towards the comfort of the family, and especially to help Reginald at College. But James had married a year before, and accordingly was in a less favourable position for sending help. And indeed these windfalls had never produced much effect upon the family, who heard of James' gifts vaguely without profiting by them. All this donna à penser to the elder c

r than any other; but naturally Ursula, who thought of the loss to herself and the other children, found fault with this limitation of the misfortune. A man who has thus to fight for himself does not appear in an amiable aspect to his family, to whom, as to all young creatures, it seemed natural that they should be the first objects; and as they were a great trouble and burden to him, perhaps the children did not always bear their most amiable aspect to their father. Both looked selfish

triumphantly dragged in by these imps, the youngest of whom was about up to his knees, was pretty, and would have gone to the heart of any spectator. He was not himself unconscious of this, and when he was in a good humour, and the children were neat and tolerably dressed, he did not object to being seen by the passers-by dragged up his own steps by those two little

uld have been thus thrown away upon a couple of Dissenters, yet it was not without its effect. Amy pulled one arm and Robin pulled the oth

issed his newly-arrived daughter, he sat down in the faded dra

you. Janey has done her best, but she is not very clever at housekeeping, nor

ean sorry; I have enjoyed myself very, very much. The Do

ey have sent m

," chirruped litt

Tower and did all the lions, Ursula? that is the lot of count

"And, oh, papa, I like them so much. I wish we lived a little nearer. Those poor little Indian children, I

"run and play like good children. You will have heard that we have had s

like it. That is so odd; I should have thought he would have been ov

ind," said Mr. May, his countenance overcasting. Ursula knew that sign

e asked, her brother's last wo

the foolish books boys read now-a-days, and the nonsense that is put into their minds. Mean! it means

ht it was his scholarship?" said Ursula with injudic

so far as I know. I said I-the only person in the house who earns any m

ld earn any money I am sure I would," she cried, "and only too glad. I am sure i

r. May, "the girls are mad to earn anyhow, and the boys, forsooth, have a hundred scruples. If women would hold their tongues and attend to their own business, I have no doubt

will hear you!" said Ursula, letting her fears

hat Reginald should hear me, forsooth! Ursula, I am glad to have you at home; but if you take Reginald's part in his folly, and set yourself against the hea

onsidered self-defence. Oh, for Cousin Anne to shield and calm her; wha

pocket, though it is contrary to a high code of honour to accept a sinecure. Fine reasoning that, is it not? The one wrongs nobody, while the other wrongs you and me and all

he is doing; but if you think he

f course the hospital was offered to him out of respect for me. No one cares for him. He is about as much known in Carlingford as-little Amy is. Of course it is to show their respect to me. And here he come

d down by degrees, and told Ursula various circumstances about the parish and the people which brought him down out of his anger and comforted her after that passage of arms. But the commotion left him

on much as usual," he said, "Mrs

fensive laugh, doubly offensive to every woman, which men give when their vanity is

since you have been away. To show my sense of her kindness, you must ask her one of these days. A woman who un

and to hold the possibility over the heads of his household, as a chastisement of all their sins against him which he could use at any time. All the Mays grew hot and angry at the name of Mrs. Sam Hurst, and their fear and anger delighted their father. He liked to speak of her to provoke them, and partly for that, partly for other reasons of his own, kept up a decorous semi-flirtation with his neighbour who lived next door, and thus excited the app

hat as in other things "gentlemen" kept all that was good to themselves; and Ursula was disposed to treat Reginald's scruples with a very high hand. But she did not choose that her father should attack him with all these disagreeable speeches about maintaining him in idleness, and taunts about the money that had been spent on his education. That was not the way to manage him, the girl felt; but Ursula resolved to take her brother in hand herself, to argue with him how foolish it was, to point out to him that if he did not take it some one else would, and that the country would not gain anything while he would lose, to laugh at his over delicacy, to show him how delightful it would be if he was independent, and what a help to all his brothers and sisters. In short, it seemed quite simple to Ursula,

o