VWWvw, , »' 
 
 '^v^^ll^^^^^^^ 
 
 ':vK^„^ 
 
 ^%'j^'^^'^:. 
 
 mm 
 
 \-uvv'V,V^'*'^ 
 
 s-m^ym. 
 
 
 ^^^w.:z"«fc 
 
 
 
 -vv'VW^,uunL;Wr;:"vv--N>: 
 
 '%^*^^\i 
 
 
 .V:^-^^'^5S^^i^'^ 
 
 ^:w«' 
 
 ^-^'::'^.;..^>uwl.u^vvvv> 
 
 
 
 ^- ,«Vi
 
 3 \/tCg 
 
 LI E) R.ARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 U N 1 VLR5ITY 
 
 or ILLl NOIS 
 
 CA&f 
 
 N/ 
 
 \
 
 PEOM 
 
 THE PLOUGH TO THE PULPIT, 
 
 Vtd CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 BY 
 
 LUKE WESLEY CHUECH. 
 
 Quo semel est recens servabit odorem, 
 Testa diu." 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. L 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 TINSLEY BROTHEES, 8, CATHERINE STEEET, STRAND. 
 1874. 
 
 [Right of Tramlation reserved by the Author, "^
 
 lONDON: 
 
 SA.VII.L, EDWARDS AND CO., PBINTEE8, CHAKD08 STREtT 
 
 COVEN^T GAEDEIf.
 
 
 
 c 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 PART THE FIRST. 
 '^ SCHOOL. 
 
 CHAP. PAGB 
 
 I. SATURDAY NIGHT 3 
 
 II. MR. FISHPOND 10 
 
 III. SCHOOL DISCUSSED 19 
 
 IV. THE EEV. MALACHI MEALET 32 
 
 V. THE PARISH CLERK 50 
 
 VI. SUNDAY AT SCHOOL 61 
 
 Vn. GRAND LARCENY 75 
 
 VIIL MR. MAVINE 79 
 
 IX. DR. AND MRS. GRIGGLES 88 
 
 X. THE PROPRIETOR OF WORTHESLEY HALL . . 99 
 
 XL EARLY TROUBLES 107 
 
 h XII. BACKSLIDINGS 116 
 
 XIII. MR. MAVINE AS LECTURER AND CONTRO- 
 
 VERSIALIST 123 
 
 XIV. THE SECRET BAND 133 
 
 XV. A VISIT TO THE MONASTERY 137 
 
 XVI. THE VICAR OF TODDESLEY ... 141
 
 VI CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAP. PAGB 
 
 XVII. AN EPISCOPAL VISIT 149 
 
 XVIII. FURTHER BACKSLIDINGS 158 
 
 XIX. MR. MAVINE AS CLASS LEADER . . , .166 
 
 XX. FIFTH OF NOVEMBER 173 
 
 XXI. DR. GRIGGLES INSURED 179 
 
 XXII. A mother's VISIT 183 
 
 XXIII. RECOVERY 189 
 
 XXIV. EUREKA 198 
 
 XXV. A GREAT HIT 205 
 
 XXVI. A PROMISE FULFILLED 213 
 
 XXVII. TODDESLEY IN MOURNING ...... 219 
 
 XXVIII. THOMPSON AS A DETECTIVE 224 
 
 XXIX. THE LUNATIC 232 
 
 XXX. MAVINE UNMASKED 236 
 
 XXXI. FIRST SERMON 239 
 
 XXXII. THE MACRUNEYS 251 
 
 XXXIII. MINISTERIAL SUCCESS 265 
 
 XXXIV. PREPARING FOR COLLEGE 276 
 
 PART THE SECOND. 
 COLLEGE. 
 
 I. DEPARTURE FOR COLLEGE 283
 
 FROM 
 
 THE PLOUGH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 PART THE FIRST. 
 
 SCHOOL. 
 
 " The pnncipal want we experience in education, is that 
 of exact tables, by which, to calculate the perturbations that 
 our little planets may be liable to from the revolution of 
 neighbouring orbs." — Walter Savage Landor. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 CHAPTER T. 
 
 SATURDAY NIGHT. 
 
 HE finger of the old clock, in tlie 
 kitchen corner of a small farmhouse 
 in the village of Toddesley, is close 
 upon the hour of midnight, and Mr. Fish- 
 pond, its burly owner, has not yet returned 
 from Wisely market. A few minutes and 
 it will be Sunday morning. Mrs. Fishpond, 
 seated in a rush-bottomed arm-chair, with 
 her feet on the fender, and the fire-shovel in 
 her hand, is hesitating whether she shall 
 revive the embers in the grate or let them 
 die out. Jim the servant lad is snoring 
 on the settle in the corner. Eover the 
 shepherd-dog has just awoke from a dream, 
 and is glad to have made his escape from 
 
 1 — 2
 
 SCHOOL. 
 
 the cruel grip of Mrs. Smith's big bulldog, 
 of whom he has long been in great bodily 
 fear. For some time the kitchen has been 
 in ahnost total darkness, whilst the wind 
 and the rain have been beating violently 
 against the crazy old door and shutters. 
 Rover at last pricks up his ears, wags his 
 tail, and croes to the door to listen for the 
 steps of his master's horse. Eover was 
 right in his surmise ; it was Eobin's heavy 
 tread that he had heard ; and now the yard 
 door creaks, and Mr. Fishpond, with his 
 usual conscientiousness, has saved himself 
 from encroaching on the day of rest. 
 Rover's lively bark rouses Jim from his 
 heavy slumbers, and stirs up the wakeful 
 ire of Mrs. Fishpond. Jim, having stretched 
 himself, rubbed his eyes, and put the 
 lighted candle into the lantern, shambles in 
 his hob-nailed boots across the stone-flagged 
 kitchen to the clock to see the time, and 
 then hurries to take his master's horse. 
 " EUo! Jim!" says Mr. Fishpond, good-
 
 SATURDAY NIGHT. 
 
 liumouredly, " is that j^ou ? what dost up 
 this time o' night? what's the clock?" 
 
 " Jist on twelve; Missis wouldner let me 
 go to bed," replied Jim. 
 
 " Give me the lantern, look sharp to bed, 
 before the clock strikes, or else, you know 
 what,'' said Mr. Fishpond, holding the whip 
 threateningly before Jim's eyes. 
 
 It vexed and distressed Mrs. Fishpond 
 that her husband did not return much earlier 
 from market. She maintained that he had 
 no business wdiich need detain him later 
 than five or six o'clock ; it was therefore 
 disgraceful that he should seldom come 
 home till between ten and twelve. This 
 was a constant cause of connubial strife. 
 
 In a trice w^as Eobin unsaddled, fed, and 
 littered ; and before the clock struck twelve, 
 Mr. Fishpond, radiant and joyous, stood 
 before his wife. Absorption, as usual, was 
 followed by radiation in the case of the 
 farmer. Each glass of mixture, hot and 
 strong, was transfused into beaming smiles,
 
 6 
 
 SCHOOL. 
 
 and quickened the action of his vocal organs. 
 The more he drank, the more benevolent 
 and hilarious he became. His ride home 
 had been enlivened by snatches of songs 
 and imaginary discussions with his wife 
 and friends, respecting his son Jonah's 
 future prospects. 
 
 The stern and sorrowful countenance of 
 ]\Irs. Fishpond soon checked the husband's 
 gaiety, and brought him to a more sober 
 and quiet mood. 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond, though upon the whole 
 a most worthy and excellent person, had 
 one capital defect in her character, which 
 she deeply lamented. She was short-tem- 
 pered, and occasionally showed it in a 
 manner by no means agreeable to her 
 spouse. 
 
 ]\Ir. Fishpond, on previous occasions, 
 when he had returned unusually late from 
 market, in order to avoid a scolding, had 
 made his escape to bed, and fallen so fast 
 asleep that no crash of the elements could
 
 SATURDAY NIGHT. 
 
 have awaked him. But on this occasion 
 Mrs. Fishpond, anticipating his attempt to 
 escape the impending storm, had locked the 
 door leading to his bedroom. Escape being 
 thus cut off, there was nothing left for the 
 baffled culprit but to make the best of his 
 situation by humble apologies and tender 
 endearments. 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond, however, forestalled his 
 defence by saying, " Don't make any excuses, 
 or tell any stories, running your soul further 
 into sin. Of course, ' You couldn't get home 
 sooner ;' ' The butter didn't go off till late ;' 
 then ' You had to wait for this, that^ and 
 the other, so you couldn't possibly get home 
 sooner.' You've so much business to do, 
 that I must get the pillion mended, and ride 
 to the market with you." 
 
 " Yes, my dear," replied Mr. Fishpond, 
 softly, and with a countenance beaming 
 with smiles. 
 
 "Don't dear me," rejoined the angry wife. 
 " Very dear to you, no doubt T am, very dear,
 
 8 SCHOOL. 
 
 keeping me up till this time, just on 
 Sunday morning, so poorly as you know I 
 am, and scared out of my life for fear you 
 should be robbed, or meet with some accident 
 and be killed, and go — I fear to say 
 where." 
 
 " The old story," said Mr. Fishpond to 
 himself, as, puffing and blowing, he took off 
 his top-boots, loosened his small clothes at 
 the knees, lighted his pipe, and put wood 
 on the fire ; carefully refraining from speech, 
 since he had learned, from experience, that 
 Mrs. Fishpond's sallies, like electricity, were, 
 only dangerous when interrupted in their 
 course. 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond now opened the Bible, and 
 began to read the Wise Man's powerful 
 description of the evil effects of tarrying 
 long at the wine. As Mr. Fishpond, how- 
 ever, was no wine-bibber, he always listened 
 to this passage with considerable self-satis- 
 faction, feeling very thankful that his 
 ordinary beverage was not derived from the
 
 SATURDAY NIGHT. 9 
 
 injurious grape, but from the innocent 
 malt. 
 
 Wlien the appropriate reading was ended, 
 and Mrs. Fishpond kneeled down, her guilty 
 husband reluctantly laid aside his pipe, and 
 followed her example. 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond " exercised her gift" in 
 prayer at great length, enlarging at great 
 length upon her own sufferings and the 
 culprit's sins, to which Mr. Fishpond 
 responded by deep and audible snores. 
 
 Mr. Fishpond would have liked to finish 
 his pipe, but he deemed it more prudent to 
 proceed to bed, in obedience to Mrs. Fish- 
 pond's summons.
 
 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MR. FISHPOND. 
 
 E. FISHPOND'S father had been 
 a common labourer, who, by indus- 
 try and frugality, saved some money, 
 which he used in market-gardening, sending 
 his produce to AYisely Market. Gradually 
 he added to his store, till he was able to 
 take a small farm, of cold, poor land, which 
 yielded but a scanty return for his capital 
 and labour. He had one daughter and four 
 sons. The daughter, a good-looking girl, 
 married well ; a Mr. Johnson, of Toddesley. 
 She had one child, a daughter. Mr. 
 Johnson, at his wife's instance, took one 
 of her brother's children to live with them, 
 and work upon the farm ; and the lad, being
 
 MR. FISHPOND. ]1 
 
 handy at his work and steady, soon got 
 into his uncle's good graces, and, better still, 
 into those of his daughter. In his love- 
 making the lad was so sly that neither 
 uncle nor aunt suspected what was going 
 on ; and when he asked their permission to 
 marry his cousin, they stood aghast, and 
 bade him march. They meant their daughter, 
 who had been to boarding-school, to make a 
 better match, and were decidedly opposed to 
 cousins intermarrying. This sharp rebuff 
 much surprised and grieved the nephew, 
 for he dearly loved his cousin, and the land 
 and money she w^ould bring. The bright- 
 eyed, cherry-faced girl returned the lad's 
 affection, and she was deeply pained at his 
 expulsion. ' Month after month passed 
 away, intensifying and embittering her suf- 
 fering, so that her health began to fail. At 
 this time her mother's death removed the 
 chief obstacle to her marriage. The father, 
 being persuaded to recall his discarded 
 nephew, told him to take Sarah, and wed
 
 12 SCHOOL. 
 
 lier at once, and liave it over. The fond 
 lover lost no time in doing as liis uncle 
 bade. 
 
 In her trouble the cousin had gone for 
 comfort on a Sunday evening to the Metho- 
 dist meeting, held in a cottage in the village. 
 She had done this stealthily, for she knew 
 her father would be much against her 
 attending there. He was a strong Church- 
 man. The Church and Parson, he was sure, 
 Vv-ere all that was needed for the saving of 
 folks' souls ; and he deemed it an imperti- 
 nent intrusion for unauthorized strangers to 
 interfere with them in their appointed work. 
 Very angry was he when he found his 
 daughter countenancing by her presence 
 such pernicious fanaticism, and he forbade 
 her going any more to the meeting. In 
 her defence she pleaded that she heard the 
 Gospel there, and blessed prayer and praise, 
 and was greatly profited thereb}^ 
 
 " All stuff and nonsense," said the 
 father ; "it could not be ; for a cottage
 
 MR. FISHPOND. 13 
 
 was no proper house of prayer, and a 
 cobbler no fit minister of the Gospel." 
 The thing was wrong, and he would have 
 it stopped. The parson should be asked to 
 interfere. 
 
 Thus the bigoted farmer talked to his 
 daughter, who listened, with grave remon- 
 strance, and earnest entreaty, that he vv^ould 
 not meddle in the affair, lest, peradventure, 
 he might be found fig^hting against God. 
 " For," said she, " God is surely in their 
 meetings of a truth, as signs do show, 
 for several, both men and women, have 
 been converted through going there. Tom 
 8mith, that was always drunk when he had 
 a chance, is now a sober man. Jim Birch, 
 that used to. pilfer and swear, is now an 
 honest man, and never uses an oath. Molly 
 Stone, who was a dirty idle drab, is now 
 industrious and clean, and a tidier cottage 
 than hers is now^iere to be seen. Folk as 
 never entered the church, attend meeting 
 regularly; and join in prayer and praise,,
 
 14 SCHOOL. 
 
 and listen to God's Word ; a change for tlie 
 better, as everybody must admit." 
 
 These were facts that the farmer could 
 not deny, though he explained them as 
 having their grounds in hypocrisy and 
 deceit. However, as the daughter clung to 
 the despised and suspected sect, and pleaded 
 hard to be suffered to continue her atten- 
 dance at the meeting, the father at last 
 gave way, and let her take her course. 
 When, therefore, the nephew returned from 
 his banishment, to his surprise and regret he 
 found that his cousin had joined the Metho- 
 dist Society, and that she was very anxious 
 that he should join it too. To please his 
 betrothed, the cousin enrolled himself a 
 member, and went regularly to class. After 
 marriage he gradually slackened in his 
 attendance, for he had no religious expe- 
 rience to relate ; knew nothing of God's 
 dealings with his soul ; nay, hardly knew 
 that he had a soul at all. He went to 
 meeting for form's sake, and went through
 
 MR. FISHPOND. 15 
 
 the service with a stolid indifference, for he 
 was of sluggish mind, and dull of heart, 
 and dark of understanding in all things 
 spiritual and divine. But to all worldly 
 matters, his mind and heart were wonder- 
 fully alive and keen. At his class, at the 
 " Three Horseshoes," led by old Springley, 
 the clerk, which he attended on the sly, he 
 had many experiences to relate over his pipe 
 and glass. On all matters touching his pocket 
 he could discourse at large, in the shrewdest 
 way, to the edification of his class. 
 
 What knowledge Mr. Fishpond possessed 
 he had mostly gathered from his own 
 narrow observation and the tongues of men. 
 He was not a reading man. An old cover- 
 less book on farriery, an almanac, and a 
 ready reckoner, were the only books he 
 ever opened The county paper he had a 
 glimpse of on market days. The Bible he 
 heard read morning and evening, thus 
 obviating the necessity of his own perusal 
 of the Word of Life; as family worship,
 
 16 SCHOOL. 
 
 rendered less necessary private prayer. On 
 his knees at the bedside he was a decent 
 time, a form he kept up to satisfy his wife, 
 who called him to account if he was too 
 brief a space at his devotions. Not even 
 with his lips did he draw near to Grod one 
 half the time that he was on his knees. 
 Having said the Lord's Prayer, he had no 
 more to say except, " Thank the Lord for 
 all his mercies," which he appended when 
 things went fairly well with him. Eeligious 
 controversy Mr. Fishpond would have nought 
 to do with, pushing it away with the dictum, 
 *' Eeligion 'ull go in a nutshell." The 
 future state had no great concern for him, 
 since he deemed that "things 'ud come 
 pretty right in the long run." 
 
 To God, as the great Euler of nature, the 
 Lord of wind and rain, of frost and heat, of 
 blight and mildew, the farmer paid his 
 homage. When the ground was parched, 
 the grass withered, he would pray the Lord 
 to send a gracious rain. When his flocks
 
 MR. FISHPOND. 17 
 
 were suffering from disease, he would pray 
 the Shepherd of Israel to have pity on his 
 suffering flock. As his hands passed over 
 the flanks of a bullock, well-fatted for the 
 knife, he would praise the Lord. 
 
 Mr. Fishpond was no " gentleman" 
 farmer, a class he utterly despised, " as bad 
 for thursens, and wuss for their families." 
 He lived with his servants, and worked with 
 his men. There was no farm-work that he 
 was above putting his hand to. It was his 
 boast that he had done half a day's work 
 before your " gents" had turned out of bed. 
 
 Mr. Fishpond's farm consisted of about 
 two hundred acres, the greater part of which 
 belonged to himself. Against all " new- 
 fangled, providence-defying notions of farm- 
 ing," Mr. Fishpond set his face. His 
 system of agriculture was the same as that 
 pursued by his uncle, from which no- 
 thing could induce him to depart. And 
 why should he ? Since everybody in the 
 neighbourhood, except two or three, farmed 
 
 VOL. I. 2
 
 18 
 
 SCHOOL. 
 
 in the same way as liimseif. This feeble 
 minoritj, who, on some points, deviated 
 from the beaten trach, he set down as either 
 fools or madmen.
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. 
 
 OAV, Mr. Fishpond had returned 
 from the market, with his head full 
 of a plan connected with the future 
 prospects of his son Jonah, which he wished 
 to lay hefore his wife. Circumstances, as 
 we have seen, were hy no means favourable 
 for the calm and dispassionate consideration 
 of any important domestic project. Mr. 
 Fishpond therefore very discreetly resolved 
 to postpone the subject to a more fitting 
 opportunity, which, he thought, would occur 
 on the morrow, when the Eev. Malachi 
 Mealey, Mrs. Fishpond's favourite minister, 
 was to be his e^uest. This rev. ""entleman 
 was advertised to preach the annual sermons 
 
 2 -2
 
 20 SCHOOL. 
 
 in aid of the Sunday-school attached to the 
 chapel at Toddesley. Two excellent sermons, 
 full congregations, and good collections, had 
 put Mrs. Fishpond into an unusually amiable 
 frame of mind. She smiled pleasantly upon 
 the minister, as she invited him to partake 
 of the hot, savoury supper she had provided 
 for him. "When supper was ended, and the 
 two gentlemen had taken their pipes, Mr. 
 Fishpond took out of his pocket a small, 
 elegantly-bound volume, and said — 
 
 " I think, my dear, now as our brother is 
 here, we may as well ax his advice about 
 sendin' Jonah to school. As he hez larnt 
 all as can be larnt at old Springley's school, 
 it's time he went to a better; and yesterday 
 I met in the corn-market a Mr. Mavine, a 
 teacher in Dr. Griggles' Legion Constitution, 
 and be gav me this little book, which tells 
 you all about the school, and I should say, 
 from what I have read on it, it's just the 
 place to send the lad to." 
 
 Mr. Mealey, taking the book, read out
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. ^1 
 
 the title-page : " ' Prospectus of Worthesley 
 Hall Collegiate Institution for Young Grentle- 
 men, and Establishment for Young Ladies, 
 conducted by Dr. and Mrs. Griggles.' Why, 
 it's quite a nobleman's mansion and park," 
 exclaimed the preacher, as he looked at the 
 grand drawing of the hall and its grounds, 
 which fronted the title-page. 
 
 As he turned over page after page, other 
 well-executed drawings, representing dif- 
 ferent views of the hall, excited his wonder 
 and admiration. On the side looking south 
 were gardens, sprinkled with young ladies 
 amusing themselves by plucking flowers 
 and fruit, playing, or sitting under shady 
 bowers ; whilst that on the north was set 
 off by extensive playgrounds, with young 
 gentlemen drilling, gymnasticizing, playing, 
 and riding on rocking-horses and real ponies. 
 Pictures of the school-rooms, showing the 
 young ladies and gentlemen at their lessons ; 
 of the dining-rooms, displaying them at 
 their meals ; and of the chapel, representing
 
 22 SCHOOL. 
 
 them at their devotions, called forth the 
 applause of the delighted parents. Speci- 
 mens of penmanship, book-keeping, geo- 
 metry, drawing, English composition, and 
 translations from both dead and living 
 languages, executed by pupils, were fit- 
 tingly introduced, furnishing the strongest 
 possible evidence of the practical efficiency 
 of Dr. Griggles' system of education, which 
 he announced " as upon an entirely new 
 principle of his own discovery, and exactly 
 suited to the wants of the present age." 
 The part of the prospectus which most 
 interested Mrs. Fishpond was that which 
 set forth the ample provision made for the 
 moral and religious training of the " young 
 immortals" committed to the responsible 
 charge of the able conductors of the 
 school. After some brief but telling re- 
 marks upon the great importance of reli- 
 gious culture, the following curriculum was 
 exhibited : — 
 
 Daily. — Morning and evening prayer.
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. 23 
 
 with expounding of the Word by Dr. 
 Grrio^o^les. 
 
 Weekly. — Two full services on the 
 Sabbath, and one on the Wednesday 
 evening. 
 
 Class meetings for Christian experience 
 on Monday, and a public prayer meeting 
 on Friday evening. 
 
 Saturday Evening. — A preparation meet- 
 ing for the Sabbath. 
 
 Montlily. — Eeligious examination by a 
 godly minister of Christ. 
 
 Quarterly. — A love-feast. 
 
 Half 'Yearly. — A missionary meeting, or 
 other religious celebration. 
 
 N.B. — Seats at the Parish Church pro- 
 vided for pupils whose parents wish them 
 to attend there. 
 
 "This is a school," said Mr. Fishpond, 
 after glancing over the pages of the pro- 
 spectus. " Why, everything seems to be 
 teached, and in a wonderful way seemingly. 
 We can't do better than send Jonah; for
 
 24 SCHOOL. 
 
 the price is uncommon low considerin' ; 
 only twenty guineas a-year for a lad of 
 Jonah's age ; and what's so good is, Dr. 
 Grriggles will take out the schooling in 
 mutton andtaters." 
 
 "What do you think upon the subject, 
 brother?" said Mrs. Fishpond to the 
 preacher. 
 
 " If you tliink of sending Jonah to a 
 boarding-school," replied Mr. Mealey, "you 
 can't do better than let him go to Dr. 
 Griggles, of whose school I have heard the 
 highest praise. I had no idea till now that 
 it was such a wonderful establishment ; and 
 the terms, considering the advantages, are 
 remarkably low." 
 
 " Yes, Jonah must go," exclaimed Mr. 
 Fishpond, earnestly ; " mustn't he, my dear ? 
 Xo more going to plough for the lad, or 
 shepherdin', or to old Springley's school ; 
 but he shall go to a grand collegian insti- 
 tution, f/uil he shalir 
 
 " This is what I've long and earnestly
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. 25 
 
 prayed for," replied Mrs. Fishpond; "and 
 I tliink Jonah may as well go at Christmas 
 to Dr. Griggles, where, I find, there is no 
 lack of the means of grace, which I consider 
 as the principal thing. It will be a good 
 place for him to go to, to prepare him for 
 college, to be a man of great degree, like 
 the venerable founder of our great Con- 
 nexion." 
 
 "A grain of divine grace is worth a 
 pound — ah ! a ton of worldly learning," ob- 
 served Mr. Mealey. 
 
 " Eight, brother, right," exclaimed Mr. 
 Fishpond. 
 
 Jonah, meanwhile, was busying himself 
 wdtli turning over the leaves of the grand 
 prospectus, and giving expression to his ex- 
 cited feelings of wonder and delight. 
 
 " Now, my lad," at length said the father, 
 " put down the book, and call in Jim and 
 Sally to prayer." 
 
 Jonah, having done his father's bidding, 
 fetched the Bible, and proceeded to find the
 
 2G SCHOOL, 
 
 chapter from wliicli the evening text had 
 been taken, and began to read it, Hffcing up 
 his voice in imitation of the preacher. As 
 a child can ask questions which it would 
 puzzle a philosopher to answer, so our little 
 Timothy (as Mrs. Fishpond loved to call 
 her son), as he read, proposed several ques- 
 tions, which the preacher found much be- 
 yond his power to answer. Mr. Fishpond 
 at length checked Jonah's inquisitiveness ; 
 and the chapter ended, Mr. Mealey offered 
 up a prayer. 
 
 " I suppose, brother," said Mrs. Fishpond, 
 on rising from her knees, '' you would like 
 to go to bed, for I'm sure you must be very 
 tired after your heavy labours." 
 
 *' Like the great Apostle," replied the 
 preacher, " daily am I in w^eariness and 
 painfulness, feebly endeavouring to make 
 i'ull proof of my ministry ; and to-day, in 
 the saddle, and in the pulpit, 1 have been 
 engaged eight hours in doing the work of 
 an Evangelist, and I must confess, that,
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. 27 
 
 however willing the spirit may even yet 
 be, the flesh is very weak and fatigued. 
 But I glory in mine infirmities, and would 
 spend, and be spent, in my Master's ser- 
 vice. 
 
 "So would I, wouldn^t I, mother?" put 
 in Mrs. Fishpond's little Timothy. 
 
 " Jonah, my lad, you'd better go to bed," 
 said the father ; '' and so say good night to 
 Mr. Mealey, and be up in the morning at 
 six, and help Jim." 
 
 Mrs. rishpond having taken off Jonah's 
 frill and pinafore, dismissed him to his 
 slumbers. 
 
 A small bright saucepan was now brought 
 by Mrs. Fishpond, into which she poured 
 some elder wine, and grating nutmeg into 
 it, and placing it upon the fire, she re- 
 marked — 
 
 " This will warm and comfort you, 
 brother, and send you to sleep. It was 
 spiced wine, you will remember, that good 
 Joseph Bradford gave to our venerable
 
 28 SCHOOL. 
 
 Founder, when taken ill at the preacher's 
 house at City Eoad Chapel." 
 
 Jonah, who had discovered through the 
 keyhole the introduction of the heverage, 
 returned to the parlour to ask Mr. Mealey 
 when the end of the world would be. 
 
 " Not yet, my boy," replied the preacher; 
 " a deal has to be done before that comes to 
 pass. The world must be converted first ; 
 and that, I reckon, will take some 'undreds 
 of years, according to the present dispensa- 
 tion of grace." 
 
 Jonah, looking wistfully at a small mug 
 of hot elder wine, which his mother was 
 sipping, expressed himself as glad that the 
 world would not come to an end before he 
 should receive his call to the ministry. The 
 loving mother, anticipating her boy's re- 
 quest, bade him take a drop for his stomach's 
 sake, and not 'wilder his little head about 
 secret things, which belonged unto the Lord, 
 and make haste to bed. 
 
 Whilst Mrs. Fishpond was attending her
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. 29 
 
 ministerial friend to his sleeping apartment, 
 her delighted spouse helped himself rather 
 freely to brandy which, having slightly 
 mixed it with water, he speedil}'' despatched ; 
 and was about to repeat the dose, as the 
 good lady re-entered the room. 
 
 " Only a little drain, my dear," said the 
 husband, coaxingly. 
 
 " It must be only a very little," returned 
 the wife, taking the bottle and pouring 
 about a tablespoonful into the glass ; and 
 then, as she held the bottle before the 
 candle to mark the remaining quantity, a 
 dark suspicion of her husband's delinquency 
 crossed her mind^ which, however, not wish- 
 ing to have any words that night, she let 
 pass, with only a severe look of reproach and 
 a remonstrant shake of the head. Havinir 
 locked up the spirits, she left the room to 
 retire to rest, charging Mr. Fishpond to 
 follow her speedily. As she passed the 
 room in which Jonah and Jim slept, she 
 was surprised to hear the voice of her boy
 
 30 SCHOOL. 
 
 engaged in prayer. Gently opening the 
 door, she saw Jim and Jonah kneeling by 
 the bed ; the former, fast asleep ; whilst the 
 latter was fervently praying for the servant 
 lad's conversion. 
 
 For some moments the mother stood in 
 speechless delight, looking, and listening, 
 and admiring the grace of God, which, out 
 of the mouths of babes and sucklings, could 
 thus perfect praise. 
 
 Jonah, though apparently ignorant, was 
 quite aware of the presence of his mother, 
 and therefore played the more vehemently, 
 lifting up his arms, and shaking his head 
 violently, after the manner in which old 
 John, Mr. Fishpond's labouring man, was 
 wont to do in the chapel. 
 
 " Come, mother," said Jonah, turning his 
 head towards her, as she approached the bed, 
 " kneel down, and help me to convert Jim." 
 
 Jim was fast asleep. Mrs. Fishpond, having 
 vigorously shaken and aroused him, said — 
 " You had better both of you get into bed ;
 
 SCHOOL DISCUSSED. 31 
 
 for however williDg the si^irit may be, the 
 flesh is weak." 
 
 Jim, rising from his knees, and rubbing 
 his eyes, proceeded to obey his mistress's 
 bidding, promising Jonah that he would 
 *' 'ev it out wi' im sum other time." Jonah 
 protested against such dangerous procrasti- 
 nation, but without effect. 
 
 Jim was quickly undressed, and plunging 
 into bed, was immediately snoring away, to 
 Jonah's great disgust.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE REV. MALACHl MEALEY. 
 
 T was Mr. Mealey's boast that he 
 was a Methodist to the backbone, 
 and that he loved every bit and 
 shred of the system, and that he wouhl 
 stick by it to the latest moment of his life. 
 The fervour of the good man's attachment 
 to Methodism, and the tenacity of his ad- 
 hesion to it, were not to be wondered at, 
 since he owed to it social position, official 
 importance, ample funds, and a commodious 
 well-furnished house. 
 
 Mr. Mealey, senior, the father of Malachi, 
 originally a stocking-frame-knitter, had 
 brought up his poor, pallid, weakly children 
 to the same miserable, ill-paid trade. The
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 33 
 
 whole family liad to work very hard to earn 
 a scanty subsistence. Malachi, the last- 
 born, best-beloved, and cleverest child of the 
 family, worked for many years at his father's 
 trade. At an early age the dear boy ex- 
 perienced a change of heart ; became a 
 member of the Methodist Society ; in due 
 course a Sunday-school teacher, tract dis- 
 tributor, class-leader, exhorter, local, and 
 finally, travelling preacher. 
 
 Yery proud and happy were the Mealey 
 family when the clever Malachi was ap- 
 pointed to his first circuit ; and in high 
 spirits were they when, after the usual four 
 years' celibate, they heard that the ornament 
 of their family was about to take to himself 
 a wife, richly dowered with four thousand 
 )Ounds. The sagacious and scheming Ma- 
 lachi had jilted two poor girls on his cir- 
 cuits ; at least, so it was reported ; and I 
 can well believe it. The lady to whom Mr. 
 Mealey had now made proposals was past 
 the flower of her age ; diminutive, and 
 VOL. I. 3
 
 34 SCHOOL. 
 
 plain in person, but a sincere, pure-minded 
 Christian. 
 
 Before a Methodist preacher takes a step 
 towards marriage, he is required by the 
 rules of the Connexion to consult with his 
 brethren, and in particular with the super- 
 intendent of his circuit, upon the important 
 subject. Malachi, as in duty bound, con- 
 sulted his superior respecting the important 
 step which he was about to take, who was 
 no little surprised at the intelligence. In 
 the most solemn and earnest manner, the 
 superintendent advised his brother against 
 making proposals of marriage to the lady, 
 on the ground of her disparity in years, and 
 unfitness for an itinerant life. 
 
 " You had better, brother," said the 
 superintendent, " weigh the matter over 
 seriously before you take so important a 
 step, on which depends the happiness or 
 misery of your life ; and, above all, pray to 
 God for Divine direction. A delicate, softly- 
 brought-up, sickly creature like Miss Dobbin,
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALET. 35 
 
 is quite unfit for tlie wear and tear of tlie life 
 of a travelling preacher's wife, who moves 
 from place to place, and has to contend with 
 all the inconveniences and annoyances of cir- 
 cuit^ife. Judging from her irregular atten- 
 dance at the means of grace. I should be 
 led to doubt the depth of her piety, a most 
 momentous question, over which you would 
 do well to ponder. Besides, she is much older 
 than yourself, which is very objectionable. 
 I never knew a case, in which a man 
 married a woman much older than himself, 
 turn out well. Such marriages are contrary 
 to nature, to common sense, and to all 
 proper feeling. They always cause people, 
 when the lady has a good fortune, to sus- 
 pect that money, not love, was the cause of 
 the union — a suspicion most damaging to 
 the ministerial character and usefulness." 
 
 Mr. Mealey listened to the superin- 
 tendent's remarks with respectful attention, 
 admitted their propriety, and promised to 
 give them due consideration. 
 
 3—2
 
 36 SCHOOL. 
 
 Next day the superintendent, who had 
 himself cast a wistful eye upon the repre- 
 sentative of four thousand pounds, called 
 upon her, and made to her his own 
 passionate avowals and disinterested offer, 
 when, to his chagrin and disappointment, 
 the widower found that he had been fore- 
 stalled by his younger rival. 
 
 Very glad was Mr. Mealey when Con- 
 ference came round, releasing him from the 
 petty and vexatious tyranny of his superin- 
 tendent, and enabling him to secure his 
 prize. Xot long was Mr, Mealey in finding 
 a profitable investment for his wife's money, 
 by setting up his father in the stocking 
 trade, he himself being a secret partner in 
 the business. 
 
 The Mealey family soon began to lift up 
 their heads. They took a better house, 
 built a factory, and carried on a large and 
 profitable trade. 
 
 The minister's thoughts were much more 
 taken up with making stockings than with
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 87 
 
 making sermons ; and the progress of the 
 hosiery trade was of much greater interest 
 for him than the progress of LFethodism. 
 
 His good and amiable wife failed not to 
 remonstrate with her husband upon the 
 inconsistency and impropriety of combining 
 worldly business with his sacred calling. 
 To every remonstrance Mr. Mealey replied, 
 that he had Apostolic precedent for his 
 conduct, for, said he, " Was not St. Paul 
 himself a tent-maker? And I maintain 
 that it is not more inconsistent with the 
 ministerial office to make stockinsrs than 
 to make tents ; and as the Apostle pursued 
 his trade in order that he might not be 
 chargeable to the churches, so do I 
 pursue mine, that I may not, in old age, 
 become chargeable to our Connexion. Be- 
 sides, the more money I am able to get, the 
 more shall I be able to do in furtherins^ the 
 the cause of Christ both at home and 
 abroad." 
 
 This was said in so strong and decided a
 
 38 SCHOOL. 
 
 tone as to effectually silence the meek and 
 gentle wife, whose opinion upon the sub- 
 ject, however, in spite of Mr. Mealey's 
 plausible reasoning, was unchanged. She 
 could not help observing the ill effect which 
 the superintendent's business transactions 
 had upon him — distracting his mind, dead- 
 ening his religious sensibilities, and en- 
 feebling his ministry. Not that Mr. Mealey 
 neglected his professional duties ; he was 
 most regular in their performance — preach- 
 ing the same sermons, and praying the same 
 prayers, in the same powerful chest voice as 
 in his previous circuits ; but to Mrs. Mealey's 
 sensitive ear, not with the same fervour and 
 " unction'' as formerly. At home the dif- 
 ference wrought in him was most perceptible 
 — he showed a greatly diminished interest 
 in the circuit affairs, and his own domestic 
 concerns ; and betrayed frequent absence of 
 mind at meals, and on other occasions. 
 
 Had the superintendent been much given 
 to reading and study, the many hours
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 39 
 
 which he now passed in his library might 
 have appeared as the natural growth of a 
 most commendable habit; but since the 
 contrary had been his practice, the wife was 
 reluctantly driven to the conclusion that it 
 was secular, rather than sacred business, 
 which occupied the ' minister's time and 
 attention. Mr. Mealey had intimated to 
 the Stationing Committee, on which he had 
 several influential friends, that he was de- 
 sirous to be appointed to circuits adjacent 
 to Dockington, in order to be near his aged 
 parents, whose failing health required his 
 frequent personal attention and care. The 
 old man, the father, however, was not so 
 enfeebled by age but that he could pay 
 occasional visits to his son, when the two 
 would have long and earnest conversations 
 together in the study, upon " rotary ma- 
 chines," " middle-men," " setters up," " che- 
 vening," and bad debts, which were often 
 followed by depression of spirits and irrita- 
 tion of temper on the part of the minister.
 
 40 SCHOOL. 
 
 Very trying did the minister find it to carry 
 on harmoniously and successfully two such 
 distinct pursuits as these in which he was 
 engaged. He would, however, endeavour 
 to do his duty in the complex position in 
 which Providence had clearly placed him, 
 making it, as far as possible, subservient to 
 the promotion of the cause of Christ and 
 the. glory of God. With such self-deceiving 
 guile did Mr. Mealey reconcile his conscience 
 to the course he was pursuing, which his 
 affectionate and faithful wife regarded with 
 anxiety and alarm for his spiritual state and 
 prospects. In fine, so acutely and per- 
 sistently did she feel on this point, that it 
 gradually undermined her delicate health, 
 and left her an easy prey to a serious attack 
 of illness, which, soon after, carried her off. 
 The agony of Mr. Mealey at his bereavement 
 was truly fearful to behold. Time — that 
 great soother and healer of mortal anguish — • 
 wrought kindly with the minister. To find a 
 person who should be at once a good house-
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 41 
 
 keeper and a mother to his children, was Mr. 
 Mealey's anxious care. A Mrs. Disward, a 
 widow, a most pious person, whose family, 
 with the exception of a boy, were out in the 
 world, was at length met with, with whose 
 management of the household the minister 
 was very well satisfied. What with Mr. 
 Mealey's itinerant duties and commercial 
 engagements, he had little time to devote 
 to the training of his children. His inven- 
 tive genius was much occupied in devising 
 some great improvement in the stocking- 
 frame, from which he was not to be deterred 
 by the published list of previous improvers, 
 showing that out of forty names, half had 
 come to misery and degradation, to the 
 gaol, to transportation, or to the gallows ; 
 whilst one had been hanged and beheaded 
 as a traitor. All his spare time from his 
 ministerial duties he passed in his study, or 
 rather office, perfecting his great invention. 
 Whilst Mr. Mealey was employing his 
 mechanical genius in devising machinery
 
 42 SCHOOL. 
 
 that sliould enable him rapidly to accumu- 
 late a large fortune, his housekeeper, seized 
 by the same passion of gain, had been in- 
 duced, by a tempting poster upon the walls, 
 to invest her little savings in the purchase 
 of a lottery ticket. 
 
 Mrs. Disward, upon showing Mr. Mealey 
 her purchase, received from him a severe 
 lecture for her folly and wickedness in en- 
 tering into what, he designated, as neither 
 more nor less than a regular gambling affair. 
 
 In process of time a list of the successful 
 tickets appeared in the county paper, when, 
 to the astonishment of Mr. Mealey, he found 
 the ticket No. 59 entitled to the prize of 
 5000/. — which was the number, unless he 
 was greatly mistaken, of Mrs. Dis ward's 
 ticket. In the evening, Mr. Mealey, in con- 
 versation with his housekeeper, brought up 
 the subject of lotteries, and drew out of her 
 the number of her ticket. Finding his con- 
 jecture as to the number correct, after a 
 momentary pause, he thus proceeded —
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 43 
 
 "Mrs. Disward, I cannot be sufficiently 
 thankful to Divine Providence for sending 
 me, in my sad bereavement, so good and 
 kind a person as yourself, to superintend 
 my domestic affairs. You have been as a 
 mother to my dear children ; and no wife 
 could have managed my household better 
 than you have managed it." 
 
 " I've done my best for you," replied 
 Mrs. Disward, as she sat rubbing her knees, 
 and looking humbly to the ground. 
 
 " Indeed you have," returned the minister, 
 in his tenderest tone, and drawing his chair 
 closer to his housekeeper. " I am under 
 the ■ deepest obligation to you, and know 
 not how to requite you for your inestimable 
 kindness. You, Mrs. Disward, can fully 
 sympathize with me in my bereft condition. 
 You know what it is to lose a dear partner, 
 and to feel the desolation of widowhood; 
 though I hope you have felt in some mea- 
 sure relieved since you have been under my 
 roof."
 
 44 SCHOOL. 
 
 " It has been indeed a great comfort to 
 me living under the same roof with a 
 minister of Christ, good and kind as you 
 are. 
 
 "J'm glad to hear you say that," re- 
 joined the preacher, caressing her hand, 
 and looking tenderly into her eyes ; " but 
 I assure you, that no less a comfort has 
 your presence been to me ; and for some 
 time past, I have thought that there is only 
 one thing wanting to make my haj)piness 
 complete. Can you guess what that is, 
 dear Mrs. Disward?" 
 
 " Indeed not, sir, I'm a very bad guesser," 
 replied the lady, trembling with emotion. 
 
 " Shall I tell you ? " said the minister, 
 twining his arm round the portly waist of 
 his housekeeper. 
 
 " If you please ; for I can't imagine," said 
 she, making a faint and inviting resistance 
 to Mr. Mealey's affectionate passion. 
 
 " It is this, dear Mrs. Disward, tliat you 
 should consent to be Mrs. Mcaley, and
 
 THE REV. MALACIII MEALEY. 45 
 
 make me again a liappy husband/' said the 
 minister, sealing his declaration with a loud 
 kiss. 
 
 Mrs. Disward vainly endeavoured to reply; 
 her words were choked by strong emotion, 
 but her eyes spoke the wished for answer, 
 as her head fell lovingly upon the minister's 
 breast. 
 
 The next day Mr. Mealey obtained the 
 licence, and on the following morning, un- 
 observed by anyone, master and house- 
 keeper, one after the other, entered the 
 church, and were united in the holy bonds 
 of matrimony. 
 
 A few days after the happy events as 
 Mr. Mealey was sitting with his wife read- 
 ing out to her the week's news, his eye fell 
 upon the list of lottery prizes, which he 
 proceeded to read with great deliberation, 
 especially emphasizing the lucky number 
 that pertained to Mrs. Mealey. 
 
 "Fifty-nine, did you say, dear? 5000/.?" 
 eagerly asked the wife.
 
 46 SCHOOL. 
 
 " Yes, love," replied the minister, uncon- 
 cernedly. 
 
 " Why, that's my number ! " exclaimed 
 Mrs. Mealey. 
 
 " Impossible !" uttered the minister, with 
 well- feigned incredulity. "Fetch your ticket, 
 and let me look at it." 
 
 " I've not got it," answered Mrs. Mealey, 
 in a dejected tone. 
 
 " Not got it !" vociferated the minister. 
 
 " No ; I gave it to Mr. Wills for 'pren- 
 ticing John." 
 
 " Why didn't you tell me you had dis- 
 posed of it ? Such tomfoolery ! Give me 
 my topcoat." 
 
 Mr. Mealey, having thrust himself into 
 his overcoat, forthwith hastened to the 
 stable and saddled the circuit horse to ride 
 over to the neighbouring village, where 
 Mr. Wills, the possessor of the lucky 
 ticket, resided. 
 
 The minister mounting his nag, and apply- 
 ing the whip vigorously to her flank, hurried
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 47 
 
 at full speed to Einsingfcon, the small village 
 that owned Mr. Wills as its wheelwright 
 and carpenter. Mrs. Wills, the buxom wife 
 of the lucky carpenter, with a chubby, 
 crowing child in her arms, received her 
 minister with a radiant countenance, offering 
 him refreshment, and congratulating him 
 upon his marriage, of which she had heard 
 only the day before. Mr. Mealey hurriedly 
 thanked her for her good wishes, and in- 
 quired if her husband was about. 
 
 " No, sir, he's gone from 'ome for a day 
 or two." 
 
 " Ts he gone far?" 
 
 " Yes, a goodish way ; he's gone to 
 Lunun." 
 
 "To London is he; upon business, I 
 suppose." 
 
 " Yes ; on very particular business." 
 
 Mr. Mealey was not slow to divine the 
 particular business that had taken Mr. Wills 
 to the metropolis ; and so, without pressing 
 his queries further, he remounted his nag,
 
 48 SCHOOL. 
 
 and jogged home to liis dejected and terrified 
 wife. 
 
 Mrs. Wills not incorrectly conjectured 
 the object of Mr. Mealey's visit, and in- 
 wardly chuckled, as she attended the de- 
 parture of the sad-visaged minister. Quickly 
 through the circuit ran the story of Mr- 
 Mealey's misadventure, to the amusement 
 of some and the disgust of others. 
 
 Very glad was tlie minister when the Con- 
 ference came round, and he was removed to 
 another circuit ; hut wherever he went, the 
 rumour of his unlucky marriage followed 
 him. Not long had he been at Wisely 
 before he discovered that it was known to 
 the Society. 
 
 As the reverend gentleman was taking tea 
 at the circuit steward's, and pouring into 
 the ears of a large party the most unctuous 
 pietism, a sarcastic old lady said to him, 
 "Oh! Mr. Mealey, there is a text I 
 should like to hear preached from ; and, as 
 I know% that nobody is so able as yourself
 
 THE REV. MALACHI MEALEY. 49 
 
 to do justice to it, I should be much obliged 
 to you if you would give us a discourse 
 upon it/' 
 
 "My dear sister," replied Mr. Mealey, 
 " I shall be most 'appy to take for my text 
 any portion of Holy Scripture, from which 
 a sermon may be preached to the edification 
 of my hearers." 
 
 " The text, sir, is this," rejoined the lady, 
 *' Eemember Lot's wife." 
 
 The titter that went round the table made 
 Mr. Mealey painfully conscious of the allu- 
 sion, — covering him with shame and con- 
 fusion of face. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 CHAPTEE Y. 
 
 THE PARISH CLERK, 
 
 ONAH'S spirits are rampant. He is 
 impatient to be decked out in his 
 new suit and a four-cornered cap. 
 Permission lias been given him to run down 
 to Dame Muggins' and John Springley's to 
 show them the prospectus of Dr. Griggles' 
 school, and tell them of his grand destiny. 
 Dame Muggins is the old woman who has 
 taught him his alphabet, and to read, up 
 to three -syllables. John Springley is the 
 master who has taught him reading, writing, 
 and arithmetic. He is the master of the 
 parish school, which he conducts in a por- 
 tion of the nave of the church, which has 
 been partitioned off for educational pur-
 
 THE PARISH CLERK. 51 
 
 poses and parish meetings. For many years 
 Springley has been a leading man in Tod- 
 desley, esteeming himself the most im- 
 portant and useful person in the parish, the 
 vicar not excepted. At the '' Three Horse- 
 shoes," and elsewhere, he is frequently 
 in the habit of discussing the comparative 
 merits of the parson and the clerk, and 
 invariably, amid loud cheers, he carries off 
 the palm. 
 
 He would say — " What does the parson 
 do for the parish equal to what I do ? 
 The parson reads one part of the prayers ; 
 I read the other. He preaches the sermons ; 
 I write them out for him. He has the 
 cure of souls ; I have the cure of bodies. 
 He takes the dues ; I collect them for him. 
 He christens the children; I stand god- 
 father for them. He marries the folk ; I 
 witness for them. He reads the burial ser- 
 vice; I dig the grave and bury the dead. 
 He doesn't live in the parish ; I've lived in 
 it all my life. He spends his time mostly 
 
 4—2 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF HUNtWS
 
 52 SCHOOL. 
 
 in hunting and farming ; I spend mine in 
 teaching the youth and keeping order in 
 the parish. And, then, what has the par- 
 son to set against ringing the hells, leading 
 the singing, keeping the register, overseeing 
 the poor; not to mention measuring land, 
 making wills, and writing letters?" 
 
 This was a great speech of Springley's 
 wherever he went. At the " Three Horse- 
 shoes" it always elicited rounds of applause, 
 and the verdict " That the clerk was a much 
 better man than the parson." The " Three 
 Horseshoes " was under great obligation 
 to Springley, not only for his own custom, 
 which was by no means small, but also for 
 the custom his attendance drew to the house. 
 He could sing a good song ; play the fiddle ; 
 imitate the notes of birds ; talk politics ; 
 tell amusing stories ; and was well primed 
 with all the malicious stories of the neigh- 
 bourhood. 
 
 At holiday times his services were in 
 great request. He presided over the village
 
 THE PARISH CLERK. 53 
 
 games, and led the country dances with his 
 fiddle. To his arbitration were referred all 
 disputes ; and he not unfrequently prevented 
 words from issuing in blows. 
 
 With the farmers Springley was on very 
 good terms ; much better than with their 
 landlords. He was strongly suspected of 
 being addicted to poaching. It must be 
 confessed, that this mighty parish official 
 was very much given to the nocturnal pur- 
 suit of game. His two sons, as they grew 
 up, following the example of their sire, 
 found great pleasure, and some profit, in 
 the invasion of the neighbouring preserves. 
 Fortunate in catching, and in not being 
 caught, father and son for years made a 
 good thing out of poaching. Of its inno- 
 cence, Springley professed to have no doubt. 
 " For what is poaching," he would say, 
 " but just taking a pleasant walk over the 
 fields, and knocking down a wild animal, 
 which happens to cross your path, and 
 which belongs to nobody ?"
 
 54 SCHOOL. 
 
 He held the poacher to be the benefactor 
 of both farmers and townsmen ; of the one, 
 by destroying animals, which greatly in- 
 jured his crops; of the other, by bringing 
 within his reach a delicate meat, from the 
 enjoyment of which he was most unjustly 
 excluded. His conscience was therefore very 
 easy under his repeated violation of the laws 
 of his country. He was no less expert at 
 killing rats than hares — and it was for the 
 destruction of the former that he professed 
 to keep his dogs. 
 
 On the evening previous to Jonah's 
 departure to Worthesley Hall, Springley 
 called upon Mr. Fishpond to be paid for a 
 bout of rat-catching which he had per- 
 formed for the farmer. 
 
 My. Fishpond, as he placed the money 
 in Springley's hand, said — " Drat the rats, 
 what a curse they is — I canner see what 
 good they is anyhow." 
 
 " A blessing to the poor," replied the
 
 THE PARISH CLERK. 55 
 
 clerk, " in helping them to bread ; for 
 wasn't it for the rats, farmers would never 
 sell their corn under at least 5/. a quarter. 
 They find it a losing game to keep their 
 corn too long." 
 
 " There is something in that, John, I 
 admit," replied Mr. Fishpond. "Keepin' 
 corn too long don't pay, as I've found out. 
 But as for rats bein' sent to help the poor 
 to bread, I canner see that, since the poor 
 will be allays provided for ; for so the Lord 
 has promised. And so it is ; for look how 
 strong and hearty the poor allays is, men, 
 women and children, as it's quite a sight 
 to see. It's only the old and sick as is put to 
 it. But, as I say, them as can work must 
 help them as canner — and the parson and his 
 sister will take care as nobody is in want." 
 
 Jonah's entering the kitchen at this point, 
 gave occasion to the clerk to express to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Fishpond his entire approval of 
 their sending the boy to Worthesley Hall,
 
 56 SCHOOL. 
 
 and thence to college. The old schoolmaster, 
 taking Jonah between his knees, and caress- 
 ingly stroking down his hair, said — '' Bless 
 thee, my lad, you'll be a good lad I hope, 
 and mind your master, and give your mind 
 to learning. IVe given you a good start, 
 and you've only now to go in and win. 
 I expect you'll do me credit, my lad, and 
 confer honour upon Toddesley. I'm sorry," 
 continued the speaker, addressing Mr. and 
 Mrs. Fishpond, "that Jonah is not going 
 into the Church, where he might probably 
 be a bishop." 
 
 " What's a bishop ?" asked Jonah, who 
 had been listening, with upturned eyes, to 
 Springley's address. 
 
 "A bishop, my lad," replied the clerk, 
 " is a very grand man, a lord, whose business 
 it is to ordain ministers, confirm youth, 
 consecrate churches, and look after the 
 clergy of the diocese, to see that they do 
 their duty. He is a wonderful man, is a 
 bishop, I can tell you ; and boys, as little
 
 THE PARISH CLERK. 57 
 
 likely as yourself, have mounted up to the 
 episcopal bench — as the great Bishop Lati- 
 mer, who was the son of a small Leicester- 
 shire farmer/' 
 
 Springley now drained the pot of beer, 
 which had just been drawn for him, and 
 taking hold of Jonah's hand, said, " Good- 
 bye, ni}^ lad, and God bless you. Only go 
 on as you've begun, and you'll do. I should 
 like to see you a bishop, that I should. 
 Who knows, but you might be archbishop ; 
 stranger things than that have come to pass. 
 Fancy, old John Springley an archbishop's 
 master! Well, my lad, bishop or no bishop, 
 God be with you and bless you ; and be 
 sure and don't forget that short way I told 
 you to prove multiplication." 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond was not sorry when 
 Springley had crossed the doorsill, as she 
 was anxious to finish her preparations for 
 Jonah's departure on the morrow. 
 
 The kitchen is full of business ; not an 
 idle hand is there, and scarcely an idle
 
 58 SCHOOL. 
 
 tongue. Mrs. Fishpond is engaged in 
 packing up Jonah's clothes, and sundry 
 edibles and drinkables. Mr. Fishpond is 
 calculating, on paper, the value of an old 
 sheep affected with the rot, which he has 
 marked out as a first instalment towards his 
 boy's schooling. Sally is trying, in vain, to 
 put a polish on Jonah's boots. Jim is la- 
 bouring at the churn, and declaring that 
 the butter never will come ; whereupon 
 Mrs. Fishpond reminds him of the saying of 
 the wise man, " The churning of milk 
 bringeth forth butter." Old John, the la- 
 bouring man, seated at the table, at the far 
 end of the kitchen, is devouring, with vo- 
 racious appetite, cold potatoes and fat bacon; 
 whilst Eover^ seated on his haunches, 
 keeps touching . John's leg with his paw, 
 to intimate his willingness to join in the 
 repast. In honour of the occasion, an extra 
 mug of ale is given to the old man, which 
 he drinks, with good wishes for Jonah's 
 happiness and success at school. Jonah, at
 
 THE PARISH CLERK. 59 
 
 his mother's prompting, turns round, from 
 caressing a little cade lamb, and, with a look 
 of pride and pleasure, thanks the speaker for 
 his good wishes. 
 
 The thought of Jonah's departure lies 
 heavy on the mother's heart. Tears stand 
 in her eyes, which she wipes away with the 
 corner of her apron. 
 
 It was now time for Jonah to retire to 
 rest. The loving, anxious mother attends 
 him to his room, where he now sleeps alone, 
 as more befitting his present position and 
 future destiny. The room of fair size, fur- 
 tively ill-lighted to evade the window-tax, 
 has a plaster floor, partly covered with 
 rosy-cheeked apples, which emit a faint 
 and sickly odour; the whitewashed walls 
 are festooned with strings of onions. The 
 bright and varied-coloured patchwork of 
 quilt and bed-hangings contrast agreeably 
 with the general coldness and bareness of 
 the apartment. 
 
 After a few words of c^ood counsel, and an
 
 60 SCHOOL. 
 
 earnest prayer for Divine guidance and pro- 
 tection, the mother leaves her boy ; but her 
 yearning heart, ere she has closed the door, 
 draws her back, to imprint another impas- 
 sioned kiss upon his flushed cheek, and to 
 give him her maternal benediction.
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 
 
 l^^f^ONGr before dawn was Jonali roused 
 i^^ to prepare for his departure. By 
 the time he has swallowed his 
 breakfast the carrier's horn is heard, and, 
 after a sad farewell, the dear boy, well 
 wrapped up in his father's old topcoat, is 
 lodged in the rumbling vehicle. After a 
 dreary and tedious journey, the shivering 
 passenger reaches Wisely, where he finds 
 his father, who had ridden to market, wait- 
 inof to receive him. In the evenino: he 
 proceeds in a van to Worthesley Hall, 
 where he arrives just in time for supper. 
 Dr. and Mrs. Griggles received their pupil
 
 62 SCHOOL. 
 
 with parental kindness, to which Jonah 
 most fraternally responded, thanking his 
 dear brother and sister for their loving- 
 kindness to him. At this unusual frater- 
 nization Dr. Griggles smiled, whilst the 
 ushers present audibly tittered. Jonah, 
 well warmed both externally and internally, 
 w^as conducted by one of the ushers to the 
 dormitory. This w^as a spacious and well 
 ventilated room, containing twelve beds, in 
 which reposed four-and-twenty boys. The 
 teacher waited to see his pupil in bed, whilst 
 Jonah, in obedience to his mother's injunc- 
 tion, " to be sure and let his light shine," 
 prolonged his Scripture-reading and de- 
 votions to such a length as to astonish and 
 weary the teacher, who, to w^arm himself, 
 paced up and down the room. Fast asleep 
 were all the boys, except two, at the farther 
 end of the room, who were w^atching 
 Jonah's movements with great interest, and 
 every now and then whispering and in- 
 wardly chuckling.
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 63 
 
 At last, to the great relief of Mr. 
 Mincing, Jonah got into bed. 
 
 " Good night, my boy," said the teacher ; 
 " when you hear the bell ring in the morn- 
 ing you are to get up." 
 
 " Good night, brother, and thank you," 
 returned the pupil. 
 
 The two wide-awake boys had resolved 
 upon having a lark with Jonah; when, 
 however, they heard him call Mr. Mincing 
 brother, they deemed it prudent to change 
 their determination. 
 
 In the morning, whilst it was yet dark, 
 Jonah was awoke by the loud ringing of 
 the bell, calling up the pupils to attend the 
 prayer-meeting in the chapel, at seven 
 o'clock. Without a moment's delay he 
 rose, and commenced dressing. A few other 
 new boys reluctantly followed his example. 
 After a short time the sound of approaching 
 footsteps caused a general movement. The 
 entrance of Mr. Mincing was the signal for 
 a universal rising ; having seen that no
 
 64 SCHOOL 
 
 bed contained a lurking sluggard, he ordered 
 quick dressing, and departed to visit the 
 other dormitories. A violent scuffle now 
 ensued in the lavatory, to secure the 
 washing-basins. Jonah, shocked and pained 
 at the sight, burst into tears. 
 
 *' What are you crying for ?" asked his 
 bedfellow. 
 
 Sob ! sob ! sob ! was all the inquiry 
 elicited. 
 
 " Come out of the road, carroty nob," said 
 a big boy, nicknamed Prigger. " What's 
 your name, and where do you come from?" 
 
 " Jonah Fishpond, and I come from 
 Toddesley," he answered, Tvith choking 
 utterance. 
 
 " I thought your name was Mincing," 
 observed a sharp, good-looking lad, named 
 Thompson. *' Didn't you call Mincing 
 brother last night?" 
 
 " Yes," said Jonah ; " I called him 
 brother — a brother in Christ. We are all 
 brethren."
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 65 
 
 " A nice family we are, too/' replied 
 Thompson. "Where do you come from?" con- 
 tinued the speaker; "and what's your father?" 
 
 By this time Jonah was surrounded by 
 some twenty boys, eyeing him over, and 
 chuckling. Not boys — '' young gentlemen' — 
 for so Dr. Griggles insisted upon his pupils 
 being called. 
 
 " I come from Toddesley, and my father 
 is a farmer," replied Jonah, tremblingly. 
 
 " You'll just suit old Grriggles," said 
 Thompson, " for he wants some fellows 
 like you, tliat know something about farm- 
 ing, to help him on his land. He will give 
 you some lessons in what he calls ' the 
 practical department of agricultural science,' 
 in digging up his potatoes, and pulling up 
 his w^eeds, which may be useful to you 
 hereafter in your business." 
 
 " I'm not going to be a farmer.'" replied 
 Jonah ; " I'm to be a preacher like Mr. 
 Wesley, and I'm going to college to be a 
 man of great degree." 
 
 VOL. I. 5
 
 66 SCHOOL. 
 
 " I propose," said Thompson, with great 
 seriousness, "that our reverend brother 
 o-ives us a short sermon for our edification. 
 What say 3'ou to it, gentlemen ?" 
 
 To this proposal all agreed. A chair was 
 placed for Jonah to stand upon, two boys 
 kindly lending him their assistance in 
 mounting it. Whilst thus engaged, the 
 prayer-meeting bell rung, summoning 
 preacher and hearers to the chapel. A 
 great scuffle and commotion now ensued, 
 to the great amusement of some of the 
 older boys, who were doggedly resolved 
 not to attend the devotional service. 
 
 " I'll not stir a peg,'' said a big boy, as he 
 turned himself round in his bed. 
 
 " Curse the prayer-meetings," exclaimed 
 a gruflP voice from the end of the room. 
 
 " And class-meetings too, says I," growled 
 another voice. 
 
 •"' I wish there was not a single Sunday in 
 the year," grumbled another voice. 
 
 '•' My opinion is," said Thompson,
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 67 
 
 " Religion never was designed 
 To make our pleasures less, 
 But humbug surely was designed 
 Our pleasures to suppress." 
 
 " I say, Thompson," said Prigger, " now 
 those saints are gone, let's be looking if we 
 can't find something tasty, for we shall 
 want something to eat when we are shut 
 
 7) 
 lip. 
 
 " All right," replied the youth addressed. 
 
 Jonah's box was forthwith broken open, 
 and great was the exultation when two large 
 plum-cakes, a pork-pie, and a bottle of elder- 
 berry wine were exhibited to view. The 
 cake was at once cut into, and the wine 
 tasted, but the pie was reserved for the 
 after part of the day. In the meantime 
 the prayer-meeting had commenced in the 
 chapel. 
 
 The young ladies and gentlemen are 
 kneeling in long rows, shivering and sleepy. 
 Dr. and Mrs. Griggles are not present, 
 being indisposed ; but all the teachers, both 
 male and female, are in their places. Mr. 
 
 5—2
 
 68 • SCHOOL. 
 
 Mavine opens the meeting witli a hymn 
 and a prayer; other hjmins and prayers 
 follow in quick succession, most of which 
 have heen heard scores of times before. 
 Jonah is deligiited to find that the young 
 ladies and gentlemen are permitted to exer- 
 cise their gifts in prayer, and he anticipates 
 with proud delight the time when he shall 
 be allowed to display his devotional talents. 
 At eight o'clock Mr. JMavine pronounces 
 the benediction, and the meeting breaks up. 
 Now comes the reckoning with the refrac- 
 tory absentees. Dr. Griggles, with serious 
 air and knitted brow, enters tlie room and 
 delivers his usual address upon the sin of 
 disobedience, varying it, on the present oc- 
 casion, with a few remarks which had been 
 suggested by Mr. Mavine. With admirable 
 skill he affected the most overpowering 
 grief, as he said, in conclusion, — '' It is only 
 from a sense of m}' d-uty to God, and com- 
 passion to your immortal souls, that I can 
 bring myself to punish you. But however
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 69 
 
 painful to my own feelings, I must do it. I 
 therefore order you to remain in your bed- 
 room all day, and to learn the 105th 
 Psalm ; and I shall restrict your diet to 
 bread and water." 
 
 " How dreadfully cut up old Griggles 
 seems," said Thompson, as soon as that 
 gentleman had left the room. 
 
 " Did you see him wipe the tears from his 
 eyes ?" asked Slip. 
 
 '' How wringing wet his handkerchief 
 must be," exclaimed Thompson, laughing. 
 *' Just see. Crib," continued he, in a changed 
 tone, " how long that Psalm is we have to 
 get off. I expect it's pretty long." 
 
 Crib having looked, and answered, that it 
 contained forty-five verses, they all declared 
 with one voice that they would not learn it, 
 and that they wished the Bible far enough. 
 
 " Now, boys," said Thompson, " what 
 with our capital prog, and the 'Arabian 
 Nights,' and a game at cards, we shall be 
 able to spend a very pleasant day."
 
 70 SCHOOL. 
 
 " I fear/' said Wormer, " that Griggles, 
 when he finds this sort of punishment 
 doesn't answer, will try some other, not 
 quite so pleasant." 
 
 "I don't care," said Thompson, "what 
 sort of punishment he gives me, so that it 
 is not one of his ' means of grace ' punish- 
 ments." 
 
 " I'll tell you what," said Prigger, " that's 
 a very pretty girl that came on Thursday. 
 I must see if T can't get to know her, and 
 have a lark with her." 
 
 " The only drawback," said Crib, " to 
 spending the Sabbath in this way is, that 
 one doesn't get a sight of the girls." 
 
 *'No doubt," said Thompson, ''it's a 
 great drawback to your enjoyment, not 
 seeing your dear Polly. What fun it was, 
 to see the sweet darling waxed to her seat 
 last half" 
 
 This conversation was now suspended by 
 the entrance of the servant maid, with their 
 allowance of bread and water.
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 71 
 
 After breakfast in the refectory, as Mr. 
 Mavine called the dining-room, Dr. Griggles 
 read and expounded a short chapter, fol- 
 lowed by a long and rambling prayer. 
 Jonah, unlike the rest, kept up his atten- 
 tion to the last, and greatly admired Dr. 
 Griggles' expounding and praying abilities. 
 
 From the dining-room the boys marched 
 with military step to the school-room, to 
 learn a portion of Scripture and a hymn, 
 and to receive religious instruction from 
 Mr. Mavine. After this came dinner; 
 then, attendance at chapel, to listen to 
 an eminent and successful " Eevivalist 
 preacher.'' 
 
 A thunderer was he, loud and appalling. 
 Thousands of souls throughout the country 
 had been awakened under his ministry. He 
 kept an exact account in his day-book of 
 the number of converts which, in each 
 place, had crowned his labours. He was 
 very proud of showing his statistics of con- 
 version. Some places showed very large
 
 72 SCHOOL. 
 
 numbers — as many as two or three hundred 
 eac^. Dr. Griggles hoped that Worthesley 
 HaJl would make no insignificant figure in 
 the " Eevivalist's" records of conversions. 
 In this he was not disappointed. The after- 
 noon sermon was most impressive. In the 
 opinion of the preacher, the good work had 
 begun. There was a stir amongst the dry 
 bones. In the evening the sermon was 
 one of the minister's most alarming pieces 
 of declamation, delivered wdth terrific ges- 
 ture and vehemence. The effect was pro- 
 digious. From every part of the chapel 
 rose the cries and groans of terror-stricken 
 souls. The preacher cut short his discourse, 
 and called upon Dr. Griggles to ofitr up a 
 prayer, whilst he himself descended from 
 the pulpit, and strode over the forms, to 
 speak words of counsel and comfort to the 
 penitents. 
 
 Mrs. Griggles was specially delighted 
 with the result of the day's labours, and 
 besought the minister to tarry a short time
 
 SUNDAY AT SCHOOL. 73 
 
 at the school, to carry on the gracious work 
 which had had so good a beginning. His 
 engagements, unfortunately, would not per- 
 mit of his continuing: more than the follow- 
 ing day at the establishment. To make the 
 most of the short period, it was resolved to 
 suspend the business of the school for the 
 time, and devote it to religious exercises. 
 The day was not thus spent in vain. 
 Streaming tears, and convulsive sobs, and 
 hysterical cries, testified to the power of the 
 preacher in working upon the imagination, 
 and in exciting the feelings of the young 
 and sensitive portion of the congregation. 
 Jonah was carried away with the contagious 
 excitement, and was behind no one in the 
 display of the outward signs of penitential 
 grief and of joyous conversion. 
 
 At the close of the service in the evening 
 the minister showed Dr. Griggles the 
 recorded result of his two days' labour. 
 
 " Glory be to God !" exclaimed the doctor, 
 as he read aloud to his family the entry —
 
 74 SCHOOL. 
 
 " Wortliesley Hall — coaverts, 18; convicts, 
 2d. 
 
 " I'm afraid/' whispered Mr. Mavine to 
 liis fellow-assistant, " that the entries in 
 Mr. Gruff 's day-book do not quite tally 
 with those in the Book of Life." 
 
 The truth of Mr. Mavine's surmises was 
 soon verified. It turned out that as bodies 
 that become soon heated cool rapidly, so 
 the fervour of the young converts, for the 
 most part, quickl}^ abated, and a similar 
 lament was made over them as that which 
 Mr. Wesley made over the great revival 
 amongst the boys at Kingswood School — 
 *' How long shall we weave Penelope's web! 
 Alas ! all good is vanished."
 
 
 ^^.^i^^M 
 
 CHAPTER YII. 
 
 GRAND LARCENY. 
 
 ONAH Lad been so much occupied 
 tlie first three days in the work of 
 23ra3^er and praise, that he had quite 
 forgotten to give Dr. Griggles the present 
 of pork -pie and wine which his mother had 
 sent him. On the AVednesday morning it 
 occurred to him that he had not discharged 
 liis mother's commission ; so straightway 
 he went to his box to get the viands to 
 take to Dr. Griggles. He opened the lid, 
 and bursting into tears, he sobbed out, 
 " Somebody has broke into my box, and " 
 
 " Drop that bawl," said Slip, stopping 
 Jonah short, " or I'll give you something to 
 cry for. We've left you part of the cake,
 
 76 
 
 SCHOOL. 
 
 and be thankful. Every fresh boarder has 
 his nice things cribbed. It's tlie rale of 
 the school, and 3011, when your tarn c mes, 
 will have your revenge." 
 
 When, however, Jonah informed Slip and 
 his pilfering associates that the viands had 
 been sent as a present to Dr. Griggles, they 
 changed their tone, and looked very seriously 
 at one another. 
 
 '* I'll tell you what, boys," said Thompson, 
 after a little deliberation, "I'll make it all 
 right. Griggles, as yet, knows nothing 
 about it ; and he never need know if this 
 nice little preacher wont tell him ; and, by 
 Jove I if he does, I'll duck him in the pond, 
 and give his flesh to the fishes. Now, 
 reverend sir, what say you to it? Will you 
 ever utter a word about the matter to 
 Griggles, or your mother, or anyone else?" 
 
 " Xo," replied Jonah, tremulously. 
 
 " So far, so good," remarked Thompson. 
 " I'll write to ]\Irs. Fishpond in Griggles' 
 name, thanking her for the present, and
 
 GRAND LARCENY. 77 
 
 then, I think, we shall have nothing to 
 fear." 
 
 Thompson at once sat down, and wrote 
 as follows to Mrs. Fishpond — 
 
 " Wortlieslej Hall Collegiate Institution, 
 " January — , 18 — . 
 
 " My dear Madam, — I am happy to in- 
 form you that your dear son arrived here 
 (d.v.) in perfect health, and appears to make 
 himself very happy. The conversation I 
 have had with him, and my observation of 
 his conduct and deportment, have given me 
 a most favourable opinion of his intellectual, 
 moral, religious, and physical character. My 
 aim, my dear Madam, has always been to 
 ensure to my pupils, as the Latins have it, 
 ' Sana wens in sano corpore,' — a sound mind 
 in a sound body. Under the superinten- 
 dence of your humble servant in the Lord, 
 Jonah, I have no doubt, will become a com- 
 fort to his parents, an honour to the school, 
 and a blessing to God's Church and the 
 -ntire world.
 
 78 SCHOOL. 
 
 " Receive, clear Madam, my best thanks 
 for your kind present; and allow me to 
 suggest that an occasional bottle of your 
 delicious wine would be good for Jonali 
 during the cold weather. 
 
 '' Mrs. Griggles joins with me in her 
 Christian love to yourself and your dear 
 husband. 
 
 " I remain, dear Madam, 
 " Your most humble and obedient Servant, 
 
 "John Griggles, Ph.D." 
 
 "What do you think of this, you fel- 
 lows ?" said the delighted composer. 
 
 "It's just the ticket," answered Slip. 
 " What a memory you have for old Griggles' 
 cant phrases ; it's for all the world like what 
 the old hypocrite writes to my mother ; and, 
 by Jove ! the hand is just like his." 
 
 " Not a bad imitation," said the writer, 
 folding up and addressing the letter.
 
 CHAPTEE YIIT. 
 
 MR. MAVINE. 
 
 HE business of the school commenced 
 every morning at seven o'clock, 
 under the superintendence of the 
 classical teachers, Glore and Mincing — gen- 
 tlemen who figured in Dr. Griggles' pro- 
 spectus as members of the University of 
 Oxford, but who had no other connexion 
 with that seat of learning than having had 
 their names entered on the books of one of 
 the colleges. Tliese gentlemen were nephews 
 of Dr. Griggles. Jones, the mathematical 
 master, who was advertised as of St. John's 
 College, Cambridge, was an unfortunate 
 being, who had been plucked for his " little 
 go," and expelled the university for his
 
 so SCHOOL. 
 
 misconduct. Mincing and Glore, in addi- 
 tion to their classical instructions, taught 
 the boys grammar and geography ; and tlie 
 crirls, writinsrand arithmetic. Jones thouf^ht 
 it very hard that he was not allowed to take 
 his turn with the nephews in the education 
 of the young ladies. Mavine was a sound 
 classical scholar, and was thoroughly ac- 
 quainted with many of the modern Continen- 
 tal languages. He had been engaged by Dr. 
 Grisrsrles to teach French. He was the son, 
 he had informed thedoctor, on being engaged 
 by him, of an Italian of noble family, who, by 
 some political offence, had drawn upon him 
 the vengeance of the Papal Government, 
 to escape which he had taken refuge in 
 England. By the confiscation of his pro- 
 perty, being left nearly penniless, he had 
 been driven to earn his livelihood by giving 
 lessons in Italian. In his professional avo- 
 cation he became acquainted with a pupil of 
 gentle birth, a Protestant, whom he married. 
 One child, a boy, was the offspring of the
 
 MR. MAVINE. 81 
 
 marriage. '' To mj father I owe," he said, 
 " in the main, my mental culture and classical 
 attainments ; to my mother, my Protestant 
 faith. By the most assiduous industry, and 
 the exercise of the utmost economy, my 
 father saved money enough to send me to 
 the University of Paris. Before I had 
 finished my studies I had the misfortune to 
 lose my parents. Penniless, as my father 
 once was, I was driven, like him, to get my 
 living by teaching languages ; and hence it 
 is that I am now seeking an engagement, 
 doctor, in your institution. I would rather 
 have a permanent situation in a high-class 
 school, than depend, as I have been doing 
 at Wisely, upon very uncertain teaching." 
 
 The Doctor was well satisfied with the 
 account Mr. Mavine gave of himself, and 
 was much pleased with his appearance and 
 manners. 
 
 His appearance was particularly striking. 
 Tall, well-built, with a noble forehead, 
 piercing eye, and flexibility of feature, 
 
 VOL. 1. 6
 
 82 SCHOOL. 
 
 capable of the most varied expression. 
 His manners were those of a well-bred 
 gentleman, and there was in his voice a 
 penetrating sweetness, that touched and 
 charmed the heart. His long black hair 
 shaded his temples ; and a slight mous- 
 tache set off his countenance and gave him 
 a foreign air. His pale and thin face 
 bespoke the hard student, and gave him the 
 look of a man in middle life ; though he 
 had only seen his thirtieth summer. He had 
 not been long at Wortheslej Hall before he 
 gained the good opinion of Dr. and Mrs. 
 Griggles. He was the admiration of the 
 young ladies. With them Dr. Griggles' 
 nephews were nothing now : Mavine was 
 everything. 
 
 Glore and Mincing hated and dreaded 
 Mr. Mavine, as a formidable rival in their 
 field of love adventure amongst the }oung 
 ladies. Glore had made love to a pretty 
 girl of sixteen ; an orphan, left with a good 
 fortune ; and had succeeded in winning her
 
 MR. MAVINE. 83 
 
 heart, and the promise of her hand. Mincing 
 had been no less successful in his intrigues 
 with a plain girl, the daughter of a wealthy 
 grocer. 
 
 The sharp eye of Ma vine was not long in 
 detecting the young men's secret attach- 
 ment, and he resolved, as a point of duty, 
 to endeavour to frustrate their desiorns. Not 
 for his own sake, but for the sake of the 
 girls and their relatives, and the school 
 itself, he would put a stop to the under- 
 hand proceedings of the adventurers. He 
 had gained the confidence of the two young 
 ladies, and drawn from them the confession 
 of their engagement to the nephews. This 
 fact, Mr. Mavine felt, ought to be made 
 known to Dr. and Mrs. Griggles. Without 
 delay he therefore conveyed to them the 
 important communication. Greatly surprised 
 and indignant were they when they heard of 
 the clandestine proceedings of their nephews. 
 After some discussion of the matter, it was 
 determined that the nephews slioidd receive 
 
 6—2
 
 84 SCHOOL. 
 
 their dismissal; and more competent and 
 trustworthy teachers be obtained in their 
 place. 
 
 " Yes ; the treacherous and ungrateful 
 villains shall go/' said the Doctor, with 
 fierce vehemence. 
 
 " The sooner the better," cried Mrs. 
 Griggles, with great warmth. 
 
 " And now, this being settled," said the 
 Doctor, composing himself, " let us turn 
 to a more agreeable subject. I hope, Mr. 
 Mavine, that the more you see and read of 
 Methodism the better you like it ?" 
 
 " My researches into the history of 
 Methodism and its founder," replied the 
 teacher, " have raised them both unspeak- 
 ably in my estimation. There has not 
 appeared in the world for centuries so great 
 an ecclesiastical reformer as j\Ir. Wesley ; 
 and it will ever be a reproach to the Esta- 
 blished Church, in its intolerance, to have 
 thrust him out of its pale. But well was 
 t for the country and the world at large
 
 MR. MAVINE. 85 
 
 that lie was driven forth to witness against 
 its profligacy and corruption, and to organize 
 a system of godly discipline of unrivalled 
 beauty and efficacy, untrammelled by State 
 vassalage and episcopal tyranny." 
 
 " It's my opinion," returned the Doctor, 
 '' that the sun of this country long since 
 would have set in darkness, had not Mr. 
 Wesley, the morning star of the second 
 Eeformation, risen upon it." 
 
 "I most entirely concur with you," replied 
 Mr. Mavine, " in that opinion. The allu- 
 sion of yours to Mr. Wesley as the morning 
 star of the second Eeformation, is most 
 apposite and beautiful — for truly he was a 
 star that shone with serenest and purest 
 lustre ; unlike the murky, pest-breathing 
 meteors of the sixteenth century ; the 
 vicious, polygamizing, tyrannical, God-rob- 
 bing Harry, and the apostatizing, parasitical 
 Cranmer." 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Mavine," said Mrs. Griggles, 
 with deep earnestness, " how you are hiding
 
 86 SCHOOL. 
 
 your great talents in a napkin ; talents 
 which have been given you by God for the 
 edification of the Church." 
 
 " Very true, my dear," said the Doctor ; 
 *' I have for some time past thought it Mr. 
 Mavine's bounden duty to take up the cross 
 and enter the ministry.'' 
 
 " I am not qualified," replied the teacher, 
 *' for so sacred and responsible an ofiice. I 
 aspire to be nothing higher in God's Church 
 than a hewer of wood and a drawer of 
 water. To quarry and polish, and build up 
 the sacred stones of the Temple, I must leave 
 to more able hands than mine." 
 
 " We may think," observed Mrs. Griggles, 
 *' too little of ourselves as well as too much. 
 It's the opinion of both preachers and people 
 that you ought to let your light shine forth 
 in the pulpit ; and I believe it is the inten- 
 tion of the superintendent to propose you 
 as a local preacher next ' Quarter Day,' and 
 I hope you will not refuse the sacred call." 
 
 " You may be sure, madam," replied the
 
 MR. MAVINE. 87 
 
 teacher, "that, should I receive a call to 
 preach the Word, I shall not lightly dis- 
 regard it/' 
 
 " You will obey it, brother," said the 
 Doctor, emphatically, replenishing his glass. 
 
 " I will consider of it," replied Mr. 
 Mavine, rising from his seat, and saying 
 good night. 
 
 Within a fortnisrht of the foresroins: con- 
 versation, Mr. Mavine was proposed at the 
 " Local Preachers' Meeting," and admitted 
 upon trial. 
 
 After a little demur, the humble-minded 
 convert obeyed the sacred call, and went 
 
 forth into the neighbouring villages, to 
 preach the Gospel to the wretched and 
 down- trodden serfs, as he called the pea- 
 santry. His eloquence and fine delivery 
 soon gained him great popularity through- 
 out his own and the neighbouring circuits.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 DR. AND MRS. GRIGGLES. 
 
 R. GRIGGLES, the Principal of 
 Worthesley Hall, was a middle-sized, 
 stoutly-built person, with a fiery-red 
 eruptive visage ; a square head, with hair 
 carefully brushed back to conceal encroaching 
 baldness, and eyes small and cunning, under 
 beetling brows. His voice was soft, his face 
 smiling, and his manners affectedly bland. 
 Finest black broadcloth was his habitual 
 dress, carefully guarded from wrinkle or 
 stain; an immaculate stiff white stock, and 
 a profusion of frilled shirt completed his 
 costume. A brilliant diamond breast-pin, 
 a flashing jewel on each little finger, and a 
 bunch of large seals attached to a gold
 
 DR. AND MRS. GRIGGLES. 89 
 
 repeater decorated his person. lu extenua- 
 tion of the apparently excessive vanity and 
 extravagance of the Doctor, in the matter of 
 jewellery, it is only fair to state that it was 
 second-hand, taken of a Wisely pawnhroker 
 in payment for the education of his children. 
 
 Yery particular, and very proud was the 
 Doctor of his personal appearance — culti- 
 vating it as a paying scholastic investment. 
 
 Dr. Grriggles commenced life as a mer- 
 chant's clerk. For some years he held a 
 irood situation in a lare^e house enofao^'ed in 
 the South American trade. When he had 
 saved enough money to enable him to com- 
 mence business on his own account, he 
 opened a shop in the outfitting line ; but 
 this not answering his expectations, he 
 parted with it at some slight loss. Whilst 
 engaged in looking out for another shop, in 
 a different branch of business, he fell in with 
 a friend of his who kept a boarding-school, 
 of which, on account of failing health, he 
 wished to dispose. Mr. Griggles proposed
 
 90 SCHOOL. 
 
 to take it off his hands, if the terms suited 
 him. Mattery were satisfactorily arranged, 
 and Mr. Griggles became the proprietor of 
 Shillingliam Chissical and Commercial Aca- 
 demy. By clever adv^ertising and industrious 
 canvassing, he soon so increased the number 
 of pupils, that the house was much too small 
 for their proper accommodation. In the 
 neighbourhood of Wisely there was a large 
 house, called Worthesley Hall, which for 
 some time had been to let. It w^as a good 
 deal out of repair, and was to be had at a 
 moderate rent. Mr. Grig-ales looked over 
 it, and took it on a lease of twentj^one 
 years. Not less fortunate was the school- 
 master in suiting^ himself with a manasrer 
 of his establishment, in good repair, whom 
 he took on a lease for life, and with wdiom 
 the reader is in some measure acquainted. 
 ]\Irs Griggles, under her maiden name of 
 ]\Iiss Floxburn, had for some years conducted 
 a seminary for a select number of young 
 ladies in the vicinity of Shillingliam. When
 
 DR. AND MRS. GRIGGLES. 91 
 
 ahe succeeded to the vacancy occasioned in 
 the heart and household of Mr. Griggles, 
 by the "demise," as the widower expressed it, 
 " of his dearly-beloved and deeply-lamented 
 spouse," she transferred her young ladies, 
 together with her mother, to Worthesley 
 Hall. 
 
 Mrs. Griggles had taken to school-keeping 
 as a genteel mode of obtaining for herself 
 and widowed mother a modest livelihood. 
 Her qualifications for the office of teacher 
 consisted of an imperfect knowledge of the 
 English language, a smattering of French 
 and of music, and tlie ability to cram her 
 pupils with scraps of history and geography, 
 by the aid of " MangnalFs Questions," and 
 to carry them as far as the Eule of Three, 
 with the help of a Key to Walkingham's 
 Arithmetic. 
 
 It was evidently no fascination that had 
 influenced Mr. Gria-srles in the choice of his 
 second wife ; for she was decidedly a very 
 plain person, who had just escaped being
 
 92 SCHOOL. 
 
 ugly, and whose figure was far from being 
 slim. The schoohnaster had been grievously 
 disappointed in his first wife, whom he had 
 married chiefly for her good looks ; and 
 never a^rain, he had said to himself, "will I 
 be taken in by a pretty face, which is no 
 more use in manajj^inG: an establishment like 
 mine than a baby." Mr. Griggles had the 
 satisfaction of findins^ that he had a srood 
 manager of his establishment in his new 
 wdfe — a w^oman with a strong wdll, shrewd 
 common sense, and inclined to be parsi- 
 m.onious. The only thing in which Mrs. 
 Griggles w^as extravagant was in her dress, 
 especially in her caps. She felt that her 
 plainness required adornment, and that 
 she would not be less respected by the 
 children's parents for being handsomely at- 
 tired. In no part of her duties did Mrs. 
 Griggles succeed more admirably than in her 
 treatment of the children's parents and 
 friends. She could please and manage them 
 to perfection, causing them to exclaim, as
 
 DR. AND MRS. GRTGGLES. 93 
 
 they drove awaj^ in their gigs and light 
 spring-carts — '' What a dear, kind, pious 
 woman Mrs. Griggles is ; if the children 
 were her own, she couldn't love and care for 
 them more than she does.'' 
 
 Both duty and interest prompted Mrs. 
 Grio^oles to care for the children under her 
 charge ; but love them she did not. " How 
 is it possible," she would say, " to love 
 other people's children, particularly such 
 vulgar, disagreeal)le, tiresome brats as I 
 have to do with ?" But had the children 
 under LIrs. Gri^-o^les' char^je been the most 
 amiable and best-mannered children in the 
 world, they would have failed to elicit any 
 warmth of affection from her cold and 
 selfish heart. She had an unnatural dislike 
 to children, and she was devoutly thankful 
 that she had none of her own to worry her 
 out of her life. To her assistants she com- 
 mitted the drudgery of teaching the young 
 ladies — exercising, in her s'^'hool, as the 
 doctor in his, only a general superintendence
 
 94 SCHOOL. 
 
 of the discipline and instruction. Her 
 mother, Mrs. Griggles found very useful 
 in attendinc: to the little wants and 
 ailments " of the young immortals ;" so 
 that the schoolmistress was relieved of 
 much of the inconvenience and annoyance 
 pertaining to her position. In the kitchen, 
 and ahout the house, she found more 
 congenial employment for her abilities. 
 With a quick and stealthy step she moved 
 from apartment to apartment, frowning 
 upon the servants with her sharp eyes and 
 scolding tongue. No chance had they of 
 pilfering either morsels of food, or monients 
 of time. 
 
 Mrs. Griggles was constantly changing 
 her servants. And no wonder — since their 
 wages were low, their labour oppressive, and 
 their diet stinted; whilst the only relaxa- 
 tion they had was attendance at their class, 
 and the Wednesdaj^ evening service. 
 
 The Doctor, for Mr. Gviggles had now, 
 with the classical assistance of Mr. Mavine,
 
 DR. AND MRS. GRTGGLES. 95 
 
 and the expenditure of a few pounds, 
 obtained from a German University the 
 degree of Ph.D., notwithstanding he had 
 such a good household manager in Mrs. 
 Griggles, began to regret his second mar- 
 riaofe more even than his first. It was 
 quite natural that such should be the case, 
 since no two persons could be less alike. 
 The Doctor was irascible, weak, and vacil- 
 lating — generous and trustful, vain, ibnd of 
 display and given to hospitality. Mrs. 
 Griggles was cold and calculating, sus- 
 picious, determined, avaricious and nig- 
 gardly. "When the wife desired to gain a 
 point with her husband, she could affect the 
 most insinuating manner, and use the most 
 endearing terms. By gentle persuasion, 
 adroit flattery, and patient perseverance, 
 she gently won over the Doctor's assent to 
 her proposals. If all her arts failed to 
 bring the Doctor round to her views, and 
 he persisted in his opposition to them, she 
 would turn upon him in no pleasant
 
 96 SCHOOT... 
 
 manner, and make liis life for the time a 
 very burden to him. 
 
 In domestic differences and quarrels, Mrs. 
 Griggles could always depend upon finding 
 a faithful ally in her mother. '' In tongue 
 exercise," the Doctor would say, " what 
 chance has a man against two women, and 
 two such women as I have to contend 
 against, whose tongues are like sharp razors, 
 and which always cut into your tenderest 
 parts ?" 
 
 There were two subjects especially that 
 were the cause of great and bitter contention 
 between the Doctor and Mrs. Griggles. 
 Mrs. Griggles would appropriate to herself 
 the entire proceeds of her school. The 
 Doctor maintained that she was only en- 
 titled to the net profits, after the deduction 
 of the w^orking expenses ; and he threatened 
 to take measures to prevent himself from 
 being " im[)osed upon and robbed by her 
 cormorant rapacity." Accordingly, the ex- 
 asperated schoolmaster attempted to forestall
 
 DR. AND MRS. GRIGGLES. 97 
 
 Mrs. Griggles in receiving payment of the 
 young ladies' half-yearly bills. In two 
 cases he succeeded in his purpose ; but such 
 was the castigation that his daring pre- 
 sumption cost him, that he never ventured 
 upon another raid. 
 
 The other subject of constant and angry 
 dispute was the dietary of the establish- 
 ment. In this respect the Doctor was no 
 Mr. Squeers. The boys' table was abun- 
 dantly supplied with the best of food, of 
 which they partook without stint. The 
 Doctor was quite aware that the great 
 majority of the boys' parents were much 
 better judges of corporeal than of mental 
 growth, and could better appreciate rosy 
 cheeks and fleshy limbs than classical and 
 mathematical acquirements. 
 
 " Worthesley Hall, Mrs. Griggles," said 
 the Doctor, when complaining of the extra- 
 vagance of the table, " stands or falls on 
 this point. Keep a good table, and it 
 stands; stint the supply, and it falls. I 
 
 VOL. I. 7
 
 98 SCHOOL. 
 
 tell you at a word, there shall be no altera- 
 tion in either the quality or the quantity of 
 the young gentlemen's food." 
 
 Mrs. Griggles understood the character 
 of her husband too well to carry her 
 resistance too far. Her discretion was such 
 that her power, though often withstood, 
 was never subverted. By timely conces- 
 sions and soft words she soothed the angry 
 billows of connubial strife, and generally, 
 by skilful navigation, reached the haven of 
 her desires.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PROPRIETOR OF WORTHESLEY HALL. 
 
 ORTHESLEY HALL was a large, 
 old-fashioned, many-windowed man- 
 sion, that for some generations had 
 been the residence of the Douglas family. 
 The present representative of the family, 
 Richard Vane Douglas, Esq., like his father, 
 was greatly addicted to the turf; but, lack- 
 ing his sire's cautious and calculating head, 
 he had involved himself considerably in 
 debt. To meet his gambling liabilities, he 
 had borrowed money on mortgage of 
 Mr. Rigby, the head of a flourishing manu- 
 factory at Wisely. Mr. Rigby had in- 
 herited from his father a considerable for- 
 tune, together with a large and profitable 
 
 7—2
 
 100 SCHOOL. 
 
 business. As a master he was beloved by 
 his workpeople, and as a citizen he was 
 much respected by his fellow-townsmen. 
 To his influence, Mr. Douglas had in a 
 great measure been indebted for his return 
 for the borough of Wisely, which he had 
 represented in two Parliaments. The manu- 
 facturer being a well-educated, gentlemanly, 
 intelligent man, and withal very wealthy, 
 the proprietor of Worthesley Hall had 
 found it both agreeable and serviceable to 
 be upon terms of friendship with him. Mr. 
 Eigby was not averse from being reckoned 
 amongst the friends of Squire Douglas, a 
 county magistrate and a late Member of 
 Parliament. Nor did young Eigby, the 
 manufacturer's only son, dislike being kindly 
 noticed by the Squire, and asked to dine 
 at the Hall. Always very welcome guests 
 were both father and son at the hospitable 
 mansion. Mr. Eigby was a widower, with 
 two children ; a daughter, married to a 
 country Eector, and a bachelor son, a part-
 
 THE PROPRIETOR OF WORTHESLEY HALL. 101 
 
 ner in his father's business. The father 
 was justly proud of his son — a tall, hand- 
 some, clever, and generous -hearted fellow 
 of five-and-twenty. Mr. Douglas had an 
 only child, a daughter ; a fair, fragile young 
 creature, of disposition most sweet, and in- 
 telligence most refined. To make a long 
 story short, the manufacturer's son became 
 most ardently attached to the Squire's 
 daughter. Coyly the young maiden re- 
 turned his passionate glances, thrilling his 
 heart with a strange inexpressible joy. 
 Months glided swiftly by, fanning the flame 
 of love that secretly burnt in both their 
 hearts. Eigby had little doubt that he had 
 won the affections of Miss Douglas ; and he 
 fondly cherished the hope of making her 
 his wife. To his father he made known 
 the state of his feelings in regard to the 
 young lady, asking his advice in the matter. 
 The father recommended him to declare his 
 love, and offer marriage to the girl, if he 
 were pretty confident of meeting with a
 
 102 SCHOOL. 
 
 favourable response from her. The son fol- 
 lowing the recommendation thus given him, 
 made his proposals to the lady. With flut- 
 tering heart and blushing cheek the fair 
 girl listened to his passionate declaration, 
 giving a silent assent to his fervent appeal. 
 To see her father, and obtain his approval 
 of the attachment, was the lover's next step; 
 a step he trembled to take from fear of 
 encountering a proud rebuff from the aristo- 
 cratic Squire. Rigby's fear proved quite 
 groundless. Mr. Douglas listened calmly 
 and attentively to his stammering declara- 
 tion of attachment to his daughter, and 
 simply knit his brow when he heard that 
 she was not unfavourable to his proposals. 
 In reply, the Squire expressed himself some- 
 what surprised at the communication to 
 which he had listened; told Rigby how 
 greatly he esteemed him, and how happy 
 he should be to oblige him by granting his 
 request ; but, that considering the extreme 
 youth of his daughter, and her delicate
 
 THE PROPRIETOR OF WORTHESLEY HALL. 103 
 
 state of health, he could not entertain at 
 present, either his or any one else's pro- 
 posals of marriage for her. In vain 
 Eigby appealed to and entreated Mr. Doug- 
 las to change or modify his determination. 
 Not less grieved was Miss Douglas than 
 was Eigby at her father's stern decision, 
 whilst she was deeply pained by the censure 
 she received from her mother for having 
 given Eigby any encouragement. More 
 hard to bear than the father's censure, were 
 the mother's upbraidings, which, accom- 
 panied as they were, by a strict prohibition 
 against holding any communication with 
 Eigby, beyond the requirements of bare 
 civility (for it was advisable to keep that up), 
 entered like cold iron into her soul, freezing 
 her very blood. Change of scene and the 
 lapse of time brought no relief to the 
 wretched girl. Her mental sufferings de- 
 veloped into destructive action the seeds of 
 consumption that were inherent in her con- 
 stitution. She rapidly sickened and, after
 
 104 SCHOOL. 
 
 a few months, died. Eigby's mind, weak- 
 ened and disordered by long suffering, 
 utterly gave way under the tremendous 
 calamity of her death . 
 
 A few days after the death of Miss 
 Douglas he was removed to a private lunatic 
 asylum in the neighbourhood. The melan- 
 choly fate of the two lovers affected the 
 parents with 'keenest sorrow and regret. 
 Worthesley HaU, which for some years 
 they had been threatening to leave, on 
 account of its disagreeable proximity to 
 smoky chimneys, they now resolved at once 
 to quit. Everything was sold off, the house 
 was advertised to be let, and Mr. and Mrs. 
 Douglas set forth on a Continental tour. 
 The fairest scenes, the sunniest skies, the 
 gayest spectacles, the liveliest society, had 
 little power to relieve their sorrow-burdened 
 hearts. To Eome they bent their course, 
 intending to winter there, hoping that amidst 
 its wondrous scenes and varied sights their 
 thoughts, at least, might be diverted from
 
 THE PROPRIETOR OF WORTHESLEY HALL. 105 
 
 the haunting memory of their irreparable 
 loss. 
 
 Whilst viewing the ruins of the Coliseum, 
 they came upon a young man sketching 
 those marvellous remains of architectural 
 grandeur, who, on their approaching him, 
 rose to make way for them to pass, as his 
 seat was so placed as to intercept their 
 path. Apologies for having thus disturbed 
 him in his artistic labours, led to a conver- 
 sation respecting both ancient and modern 
 Borne. The intelligence, affability and 
 politeness of the artist greatly won upon 
 the strangers. He offered to be their guide ; 
 his kind ofi&ces were gratefully accepted. 
 Day after day he was their companion, and 
 eloquent expounder of the treasures of 
 classical and Christian remains with which 
 the city so inexhaustibly abounds. In 
 their walks they fell in wdth friends of his, 
 both English and Italian, all most agree- 
 able people. Before the winter was ended 
 Mrs. Douglas had reposed her heart in the
 
 106 SCHOOL. 
 
 bosom of the Church of Eome. Mr. 
 Douglas, though every art was employed 
 to secure his perversion, clung firmly to his 
 Protestant faith. 
 
 It falls not within the scope of this story 
 to give the details of the well-concerted 
 plot by which the Eomish Church gathered 
 within its toils the sorrow-stricken heart of 
 Mrs. Douglas. Suffice it to say, that one 
 of the principal agents in the conspiracy was 
 a gentleman destined to figure conspicuously 
 on our pages.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 EARLY TROUBLES. 
 
 ASTER JONAH FISHPOND^S 
 
 brass buttons and college cap were 
 nearly the ruin of him, so greatly 
 did they absorb his attention and feed his 
 vanity. His dress he thought not unbe- 
 fitting those attributes of beauty, piety 
 and cleverness which his fond mother had 
 taught him to believe that he possessed. 
 The lad assumed airs and used language, 
 which not unfrequently drew upon him the 
 ridicule of his schoolfellows. It was the 
 voice of the school that Master Jonah must 
 be taken down a " peg or two." The bigger 
 boys set to work to bring down his self- 
 esteem, by making him keenly alive to
 
 108 SCHOOL. 
 
 certain bodily and mental defects, which 
 were less obvious to himself than to others. 
 Caricature, chaff, snubbing and nicknames, 
 were the all-powerful means employed to 
 reduce his conceit. 
 
 Jonah was hourly irritated and annoyed 
 by the attacks of his persecutors. When 
 alone, he wept and sobbed- In the com- 
 pany of his schoolfellows, he was gloomy 
 and silent. The poor fellow's heart was fit 
 to break, and yet he was afraid to complain 
 of his ill-usage to any one in authority, for 
 fear of still worse treatment. 
 
 One day, when especially pained and dis- 
 tressed by the derision and mockery of some 
 of his schoolfellows, to escape their molesta- 
 tion, he had concealed himself in a warm, 
 sheltered spot, under the hedge separating 
 the playground from that part of the garden 
 where the young ladies were amusing them- 
 selves with the games of Les Graces and 
 battledore and shuttlecock. Jonah had not 
 been long in his hiding-place, before a
 
 EARLY TROUBLES. 109 
 
 shuttlecock came flying over the hedge and 
 alighted not far from where he was con- 
 cealed. The girl who had driven it over, 
 pushed her way through an opening in the 
 fence to recover it. As she was running 
 back with the plaything, her steps were 
 arrested by the sound of sobs, as of some 
 one in great distress. She approached the 
 spot whence the sound proceeded, and, peer- 
 ing into the hedge, discovered Jonah crying 
 and sobbing bitterly. 
 
 The afflicted lad was unconscious of the 
 sweet presence which stood before him, 
 looking down upon him with yearning 
 pity. The girl touched him gently on 
 the shoulder, when raising his red and 
 swollen eyes, he burst into a fresh agony 
 of tears. 
 
 " What ails you, poor boy, that you are 
 crying so?" asked she, in a compassionate 
 tone. 
 
 With convulsive sobs and broken ut- 
 terances, Jonah answered, " The young
 
 110 SCHOOL. 
 
 gentlemen tease me and make fun of me, 
 and I can't bear it." 
 
 " Not young gentlemen," returned the 
 sympathizing girl, "but naughty, heartless 
 boys. I've heard of this bad treatment of 
 you, and I've felt very sorry for you." 
 
 " Have you ?" gasped Jonah, looking up 
 at the gentle, pitying face, with wondering, 
 grateful gaze. 
 
 " yes, very sorry," returned the other, 
 as tears welled up in her blue eyes, " and 
 I've prayed to Jesus, as the lover of little 
 children, to help and comfort you." 
 
 " I've prayed too," said Jonah, wiping 
 his weeping eyes — " prayed times and times, 
 without ceasing, as my mother told me to ; 
 but as He didn't seem to hear me, I was 
 about to give it up as a bad job." 
 
 " But you see that He has minded you, 
 and sent me to you to try to help and 
 comfort you," said the innocent, affectionate 
 girl. " And now you must dry your tears, 
 and ' fresh courage take ;' for I will speak to
 
 EARLY TROUBLES. Ill 
 
 Miss Mint about you, and get her to tell 
 Mr. Mavine of your ill-treatment, and he 
 will put a stop to it." 
 
 " Thank you," said Jonah, trying to check 
 his crying, " for your loving kindness to me. 
 I believe my prayers have been heard, and 
 Jesus has sent you to help me out of my 
 troubles. Tell me your name, please, that 
 I may know who it is that is so kind 
 to me." 
 
 " Alice Moreley," the girl replied, as she 
 skipped away, in answer to the call of her 
 schoolfellows, to bring to them the lost 
 plaything. 
 
 No sooner did the knowledge of Jonah's 
 cruel persecution by his schoolfellows come 
 to the ears of Mr. Mavine than he sent 
 for the lad, and counselled and consoled 
 him, and lent him a little book to read, 
 entitled " Steps to the Cross," containing 
 short litanies and brief stoTies of youthful 
 saints. 
 
 Jonah's tormentors were soon brought to
 
 112 SCHOOL. 
 
 account, and duly punished ; and instruc- 
 tions were given by Mr. Mavine to the 
 two new teachers, who had succeeded the 
 nephews, to protect the little fellow from 
 further annoyance. Two of Jonah's greatest 
 plagues now became, apparently, his warm- 
 est friends. They condoled with him on 
 his misfortunes ; pitied his failings and 
 defects ; and talked very piously to him. 
 
 Some of the young ladies made fun of 
 Jonah ; and one in particular, a clever and 
 amusing mimic, especially vexed him by her 
 sportive sallies. Of this he at length com- 
 plained to his " leader," who carried his 
 complaint to Mrs. Griggles, accompanying 
 it with some general remarks on the ill- 
 behaviour of several of the young ladies, 
 which he attributed to the incompetent 
 management of the governess, Miss Mint. 
 This lady was the teacher of music, drawing, 
 and French ; for which she received the 
 salary of twenty-five pounds per annum. 
 
 Mr. Mavine had frequently complained to
 
 EARLY TROUBLES. 113 
 
 Mrs. Griggles of the inefficient services of 
 Miss Mint. He had said once and again, 
 that she was completely ignorant of the 
 science of music and the principles of 
 drawing, and wanting in capacity for teach- 
 ing the little she knew, of either the one or 
 the other. Several other complaints he 
 alleged; closing his animadversions, with 
 the conclusive avowal, that if she were 
 retained in the establishment it would be 
 impossible for him to recommend it as he 
 had hitherto done. 
 
 The heaviest charge that Mr. Mavine 
 brought against the governess was that of 
 teaching the young ladies what he called 
 profane and godless songs — in other words, 
 secular music. This, in the eyes of Mrs. 
 Griggles, was a capital offence, which she 
 could not for a moment tolerate in her 
 pious establishment. 
 
 On the folio win 2: morninor. Miss Mint 
 was summoned into the parlour and received 
 from Mrs. Griggles a severe lecture upon 
 
 VOL. L 8
 
 ]14 SCHOOL. 
 
 her godless conduct, concluding with a notice 
 to leave the establishment. 
 
 The governess was neither surprised at nor 
 sorry for her dismissal. Within a month 
 she quitted the school, but not without 
 leaving behind her a decided refutation, at 
 least of one of Mr. Mavine's charges 
 against her. She had just finished a very 
 fine drawing which, on the morning of her 
 departure, she brought into the schoolroom, 
 and hung up over the fireplace. The sub- 
 ject of the picture was a group of sacred 
 persons assembled in Mrs. Griggles' parlour, 
 engaged in earnest conversation, with a 
 young lady in the background, standing in 
 observant silence. The group was com- 
 posed of spirited and slightly grotesque 
 portraits of Dr. and Mrs. Griggles, and Mr. 
 Mavine, the lady in 'the background being 
 the artist herself Under the figures was 
 written, in large characters — " The Hum- 
 bug;" "The Hypocrite;" "The Impostor;" 
 and in smaller — " The Xot-to-be-duped."
 
 EARLY TROUBLES. 115 
 
 Miss Mint's place was soon supplied by 
 Miss Herbert, a lady of unquestionable abi- 
 lity and attainments, and of most winning 
 manners and deep piety. Her knowledge 
 of modern languages was considerable. She 
 painted with the skill and taste of a master. 
 Her performances on the piano and harp were 
 such as to excite the admiration of professed 
 musicians. Under her able teaching and 
 powerful influence, her pupils made such 
 progress in learning, and improvement in 
 demeanour, as to elicit the j)raise of both 
 Mrs. Griggles and Mr. Mavine. 
 
 Miss Herbert was indeed all that Mrs. 
 Griggles could desire, with the exception of 
 one point — she was not a member of the 
 Society. This desideratum, however, was 
 soon supplied ; she became not only a 
 member of the Society, but also a class 
 leader, her class consisting of about a dozen 
 of the young ladies. 
 
 8—Q,
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BACKSLIDINGS. 
 
 ASTER JOXAH FISHPOND, at 
 
 the end of every half-year, sent 
 home a well-composed and neatly 
 written letter, to show his progress in pen- 
 manship and composition. He also in- 
 variably carried home with him one or 
 more elegantly bound hooks, as rewards for 
 good conduct and proficiency in some 
 branch of learning. With his reward- 
 books was enclosed a monthly report of 
 Jonah's physical, mental, and spiritual pro- 
 gress, which, upon the whole, was regarded 
 by Mr. and j\lrs. Fishpond as highly 
 satisfactory. Of their boy's progress in 
 secular learning the parents had no means
 
 BACKSLIDINGS. 11? 
 
 of judging, except Dr. Griggles' half- 
 yearly report. Of his progress in religious 
 knowledge and Christian experience Mrs. 
 Fishpond was better able to judge. I 
 regret to say that Jonah's conduct during 
 the holidays was not always such as to bear 
 out the representations of the report. 
 
 Jonah assumed great airs, and showed off 
 his learning and politeness in correcting the 
 bad grammar and vulgar manners of his 
 father. The domestic arrangements were 
 offensive to his taste, and so nice was he in 
 his notions that his father began to fear 
 that he was in the way of being spoilt, 
 with " all his turn in up his nose at ivery 
 thing." 
 
 His mother was grieved to find that he 
 was by no means so attentive and devout at 
 chapel as he ought to be ; and he was 
 generally out of the way on a week-day 
 evening, when he was wanted to accompany 
 her to the " means of grace." But, what 
 occasioned Mrs. Fishpond the deepest pain
 
 118 SCHOOL. 
 
 and grief, was Jonah's evident fondness for 
 the society of the Springleys. Springley 
 was always glad to see his old pnpil; he 
 liked to hear of the wonderful doings of 
 Worthesley Hall, and of Jonah's progress 
 in his studies. With his pupil's religious 
 progress the old man was greatly pleased. 
 He found the lad return every half-year 
 with an additional relish for his funny tales 
 and capital songs ; and his pleasant talk of 
 beasts and birds, and plants and flowers, 
 of which the clerk was a keen and fond 
 observer. He revealed to his pupil, by the aid 
 of an old magnifying glass, the fairy plumage 
 of the wing of a butterfly, and the lacy vein- 
 work of a leaf — exciting the lad's wonder 
 and admiration. He showed him, too, how 
 to play the fiddle, and engaged to give him 
 lessons upon it. Occasionally Springley 
 would take Jonah down to the river, and 
 initiate him into the art of fly-fishing. 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond was by no means favour- 
 able to her son's repeated visits to the
 
 BACKSLIDINGS. 119 
 
 Springleys. Jonah justified thorn on the 
 ground of his learning to play the fiddle ; 
 and quoted David's playing on the harp, to 
 prove that there was no impropriety in 
 a Christian praising God on a stringed in- 
 strument. One day, however, Mrs. Fish- 
 pond caught him in the commission of a 
 crime, for which he could ofier no excuse. 
 Jonah, eager to perfect himself in one of 
 Springley's best sentimental songs, was con- 
 stantly trying it over. Now, if he had 
 acted advisedly, and only hummed over the 
 tune, his mother would have been in happy 
 ignorance of his atrocious immorality ; she 
 would have concluded that he was simply 
 practising one of the chapel melodies. But, 
 unfortunately, certain profane words fell 
 upon her ears, greatly shocking her pious 
 feelings, and causing her to place the boy 
 in the category of backsliders. What a fall 
 was this ! How terrible to contemplate ! 
 In her indignation and sorrow she led her 
 lapsed son into the parlour, and there talked
 
 120 SCHOOL. 
 
 to and prayed with him, till he promised 
 amendment. The next day the anxious 
 mother invited two or three of her pious 
 friends to tea and prayer. The tea, with 
 its plum-cake and " piflits," Jonah enjoyed 
 extremely, till the conversation turned upon 
 his obnoxious crime, and prayers com- 
 menced for his recovery from his fallen state. 
 
 Wearied by the long prayers, under pre- 
 tence of being unwell, he glided out of the 
 room into the stable, where Bill Springley, 
 by appointment, had already arrived to 
 practise a few airs upon his father's fiddle. 
 Jim soon joined the party, bringing with 
 him short pipes for himself and Springley. 
 Seated on a truss of freshly-cut hay, the 
 youths commenced their evening's amuse- 
 ment. Scarcely were the pipes lighted, 
 when a cry for Jonah was heard, followed 
 by a rattling at the stable door. 
 
 The pipes, in a moment, were thrust 
 aside, and Jonah and Springley were depo- 
 sited in the mangers. When, therefore.
 
 BACKSLIDTNGS. 121 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond effected an entrance, nothing 
 met her eyes but Jim, very busy in rubbing 
 down " Gillyilower." Something however, 
 of a suspicious character, met the mother's 
 olfactory nerves. 
 
 "Have you seen Jonah ?" inquired the 
 anxious mother. 
 
 *' No, mum," answered Jim. 
 
 *'■ What's this smell of 'bacca mean, Jim ?" 
 asked the mistress. 
 
 " Oud Sam 'ed a pipe afore he went 
 whome," replied the sedate Jim. 
 
 " I've often told him that I wouldn't 
 have any smoking in the stable — it's so 
 very dangerous," continued the mistress. 
 
 " Yez, mum — I knows you 'ev — I teld 
 im on it, but it was no use." 
 
 " Go and see if you can find Jonah, and 
 tell him to come to me directly ;" and 
 with this injunction Mrs. Fishpond left the 
 stable. 
 
 After consultation, it was thought pru- 
 dent for Springley to go home, and for
 
 122 SCHOOL. 
 
 Jonah to slip off to bed, and pretend to his 
 mother to be unwell, should she come to 
 him. He was saved from practising this 
 deception by falling asleep, in which state 
 his mother found him. Mrs. Fishpond 
 stood for a moment gazing upon the glow- 
 ing features of her boy, and impressing a 
 kiss upon his brow, she left him to his 
 peaceful slumbers.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 MR. MAVINE AS LECTURER AND 
 CONTROVERSIALIST. 
 
 OCTOR GEIGGLES, finding Mr. 
 Mavine more successful than him- 
 self in obtaining pupils, employed 
 him during the vacations in canvassing the 
 adjoining counties, agreeing to allow him 
 five per cent, on the bills of the children he 
 brought to the school. Mr. Mavine found 
 his pulpit and platform talents of great 
 service to him in his canvassing opera- 
 tions. At missionary meetings, tea-meet- 
 ings, reform meetings, and every other 
 kind of public meeting he distinguished 
 himself, and reflected honour upon Wor- 
 thesley Hall by his eloquent and powerful
 
 124 SCHOOL. 
 
 speeches. To the members of mechanics' 
 and literary institutions he delivered lectures 
 on ancient and modern literature. In this 
 way he made the acquaintance of many of 
 the leading citizens of the towns he visited. 
 Magisterial dignity and manufacturing opu- 
 lence contended for the honour of enter- 
 taining him at their hospitable board. His 
 pleasing manners, varied knowledge, flash- 
 ing wit, and great conversational powers, 
 made liim the life of the dinner-table ; 
 whilst his fine voice and brilliant execution 
 on the piano, made him the soul of the 
 drawing-room. He could penetrate cha- 
 racter and, with, a natural flexibility of 
 manner, lie could accommodate himself to 
 every variety of disposition, taste, and 
 opinion. 
 
 Dr. Griggles' canvassing agent, by his 
 public exertions and private endeavours, so 
 greatly increased the number of pupils, that 
 Worthesley Hall could scarcely accommo- 
 date them. The increasing applications
 
 MR. MAVINE AS LECTURER. 125 
 
 for admission could be met only by either 
 raising the terms or erecting new buildings. 
 Mr. Mavine was in favour of a largely ex- 
 tending premises, so as to accommodate some 
 two or three hundred pupils, in order to 
 provide a middle-class school, of a high 
 character, for the children of Dissenters. 
 Dr. Griggles was not disposed to incur 
 either the risk, or the trouble and anxiety 
 which the carrying out of so large a project 
 would involve. The former plan he deemed 
 the more advisable. The terms, accord- 
 ingly, were considerably raised, which 
 caused many of the pupils to leave, 
 their places, however, were speedily filled 
 by others of a more respectable class. In 
 fact, applications were made for the ad- 
 mission of more pupils than accommodation 
 could be provided for. The Doctor suggested 
 to Mrs. Griggles the advisability of giving 
 up her own school, to make room for more 
 boys ; since boys paid so much better than 
 girls.
 
 126 SCHOOL. 
 
 Mrs. Griggles, failing to perceive any 
 pecuniary advantage that would accrue to 
 herself from the adoption of the Doctor's 
 suggestion, most emphatically refused to 
 entertain it. 
 
 Mr. Mavine was now virtually the head 
 of the school. He directed its studies, and 
 regulated its discipline. To him, as Vice- 
 Principal, was entrusted the educational 
 department, whilst Dr. Griggles managed 
 the commissariat. The Doctor, however, 
 maintained the form and appearance of 
 supreme authority. Twice in the course of 
 the day, in cap and gown, he would pom- 
 pously pace the schoolroom, surveying the 
 boys ; stopping, now to inspect the writing, 
 and now to examine a sum, and now to 
 listen to a class construing to Mr. Mavine 
 a Latin or a French author. 
 
 " Very shocking. Doctor, is it not?" the 
 teacher would say, when a boy miscon- 
 strued. 
 
 " Barbarous," the Doctor would frown-
 
 MR. MAVINE AS LECTURER. 127 
 
 ingly reply, " and never let me hear such 
 infamous construing again, or I shall be 
 compelled to inflict a severe punishment." 
 
 Mr. Mavine, and the other teachers, in 
 the presence of the boys, always treated 
 the Doctor with the most deferential re- 
 spect, paying, as it were, homage to supe- 
 rior learning and attainments. 
 
 Indefatigable was the Vice-Principal in 
 the school by day, and no less so in his 
 study by night. There the midnight oil 
 lighted his rapid pen in giving form and 
 life to the thoughts of his fruitful brain. He 
 was no less admirable as a writer than as a 
 speaker, — possessing clearness of perception, 
 force of imagination, depth of reflection, 
 with perspicuity and propriety of diction. 
 He did not fritter away his time and abili- 
 ties over the doubtful readings of classic 
 writers, or the useless speculations and 
 theories of ancient philosophers. He lived 
 in and /or the present age. He used the 
 past to affect the present, to influence the
 
 128 SCHOOL. 
 
 future. This was his aim ; and well quali- 
 fied was lie to gain it, from his singular 
 skill in sounding the feelings and observ- 
 ing the tendencies of the times. He knew 
 where, and when, to bring his pen into 
 action. Now in a newspaper ; now in a 
 periodical; now in a pamphlet; and now 
 in a three-volumed novel, would he bring 
 his views to bear upon the public mind. 
 
 At the present time he was engaged in a 
 controversy with the Eoman Catholic priest 
 of Wisely, who had lately enlarged and 
 beautified his chapel, and made its service 
 so attractive as to draw crowds of curious 
 Protestants by its operatic splendour. It 
 was whispered that many converts were 
 being made from the better classes of the 
 neighbourhood. It was reported that 
 Mrs. Douglas, the wife of the owner of 
 Worthesley Hall, had joined the Eoman 
 Catholic Church. Protestantism was said 
 to be in great danger, and much alarm was 
 felt in some quarters for its safety. In this
 
 MR. MAVINE AS LECTURER. 129 
 
 feeling our Vice-Principal greatly partici- 
 pated, and, as no otlier champion in defence 
 of the sacred cause of truth appeared on 
 the field of controversy, he girded on his 
 armour, and flung down his challenge, 
 under the appellation of "Yerax," in the 
 Wisely Reporter. 
 
 The challenge was accepted by the 
 Eoman Catholic priest. Letter upon letter 
 appeared in the weekly paper from the fiery 
 disputants, till its columns were at length 
 closed against both parties, from the con- 
 viction that the champion of Protestantism 
 was injuring rather than benefiting the 
 cause he had undertaken to defend. No 
 one was more unsparing in his censure of 
 ** Verax" than the Yice-Principal, and to 
 repair the damage which the writer's foolish 
 temerity had done to the cause of Pro- 
 testantism was now Mr. Mavine's impatient 
 desire. He accordingly called upon some of 
 the leading Protestants, and expressed to 
 them his indignation and regret at the 
 
 VOL. I. 9
 
 130 SCHOOL. 
 
 signal failure of " Yerax" in his controversy 
 with the priest, and intimated his willing- 
 ness to enter the field of open discussion 
 with the triumphant antagonist, and make 
 reprisals on him. This proposal was eagerly 
 caught at, and the walls of Wisely were 
 forthwith placarded with hills, announcing 
 that a public discussion on Popery would 
 take place between Augustus Mavine, Esq., 
 Vice-Principal of Worthesley Hall, and the 
 Eev. James Swift, Roman Catholic priest, 
 of Wisel3^ 
 
 The well-known abilities of Mr. Mavine 
 as a public speaker drew a crowded 
 audience. Now, it was said, the priest has 
 got his match. And so it seemed on the 
 first evening of the discussion. The next 
 night, however, the partisans of Protestant- 
 ism had a creeping sense that their champion 
 had rather the worse of the argument. 
 The third night the advantage was clearly 
 on the side of the priest, and on the fourth 
 and last Popery gained a decided triumph.
 
 MR. MA VINE AS LECTURER. 131 
 
 The points in which Mr. Mavine failed in 
 his argument were in his gross exaggeration 
 of the practical corruptions of Popery ; in 
 his broad misrepresentation of her dogmas, 
 in his misquotation of her authors, and in 
 his use of the most abusive epithets. The 
 effect was, that more people than ever 
 flocked to the Eoman Catholic Chapel to 
 see and hear for themselves what Popery 
 really was. 
 
 There they saw no " heathen saturnalia," 
 heard no " blasphemous and damnable doc- 
 trines." "With the imposing ritual many 
 were delighted; with the glorious strains 
 of music all were entranced ; and so far as 
 the sermon went, it was much the same as 
 those which they heard from their own 
 pulpits, only made a thousand times more 
 impressive by the fine voice and delivery of 
 the preacher. 
 
 It may be assumed, as a certain truth, 
 that the cause of Protestantism never was, 
 or will be profited, by such of its zealous 
 
 9—2
 
 132 
 
 SCHOOL. 
 
 defenders as brand tlie scarlet lady too freely 
 with the hot iron of bigotry, and bespatter 
 her too profusely with the dirty brush of 
 falsehood.
 
 CHAPTEE XIY. 
 
 THE SECRET BAND. 
 
 HE Secret Band consisted of fifteen 
 members, who were bound to in- 
 violable secrecy. They bad many 
 secrets in common in their keeping — 
 secrets of robbed orchards and pilfered 
 boxes ; of stolen interviews with the young 
 ladies; of feigned conversions, improper 
 song-books, immoral novels, wicked cards, 
 and tricks practised upon teachers and ser- 
 vants. At the present time its members 
 were engaged in concerting a scheme for 
 "serving out" Dr. Griggles for one of his 
 nasty tricks. The Doctor was in the habit 
 of stealthily creeping upstairs, and listening 
 at the doors of the dormitories to the con-
 
 134 SCHOOL. 
 
 versation of the boys when in bed. After 
 some debate, it was resolved to give the 
 Doctor a shower-bath, and a good mobbing, 
 as thougli they took him for a thief. Ac- 
 cordingly six boys posted themselves at the 
 bedroom door, with ewers filled to the brim, 
 waiting the approach of the stealthy lis- 
 tener. Not long had they waited before 
 their straining ears caught the sound of the 
 creaking stair, and then of the softest steps 
 on the landing. 
 
 The door flew open, with the cry of 
 " Thieves 1 thieves T A rush was made 
 into the darkness ; the jugs poured forth 
 their water ; retreating steps were heard, 
 and. thus was liquidated the debt owing to 
 the Doctor. 
 
 The next morning the assailants were 
 greatly afraid of being found out, and 
 severely punished for their audacious con- 
 duct. Mr. Mavine, at his class-meeting in 
 the evening, drew from Jonah a confession 
 of the names of the guilty youths ; for the
 
 THE SECRET BAND. 135 
 
 lad stood in great fear of his class-leader, 
 whose penetration for some time past had 
 seen through and exposed his vam,ped-up 
 spiritual experience. Jonah dared not to 
 decline attendance upon his class, which was 
 a condition of membership of the Society ; 
 nor could he attend without makinsf a fair 
 show of Christian progress. He knew he 
 was playing the hypocrite, and reproached 
 himself for it ; but he was afraid to erase 
 his name from the class-book lest he should 
 incur his mother's displeasure. 
 
 Jonah felt ashamed and disgusted with 
 himself that he had peached upon his com- 
 rades ; but he consoled himself with the 
 reflection that he could not help himself, 
 and that if he had not done it some other 
 boy would. 
 
 However, it turned out that Jonah's con- 
 fession had no immediate ill effect upon the 
 culprits, as Mr. Mavine thought well not to 
 make use of it, in bringing them to punish- 
 ment, since such a course might lead to the
 
 136 SCHOOL. 
 
 exposure to the boys' parents of Dr. 
 Griggles' eavesdropping propensity. 
 
 It was a great relief, therefore, to their 
 minds, when at bedtime the Doctor an- 
 nounced to the school that both boys and 
 girls should have a holiday on the morrow, 
 and walk over to the Eoman Catholic 
 Monastery, that had lately risen up in the 
 neighbourhood.
 
 CHAPTER XY. 
 
 A VISIT TO THE MONASTERY. 
 
 T nine o'clock the next morning the 
 boys, in their best attire, were formed 
 up in double line in the playground, 
 awaiting the inspection of Dr. Griggles, 
 before they proceeded to the monastery. 
 The Doctor having surveyed them, and pro- 
 nounced them " all right," gave the word of 
 command, and they marched off, under the 
 charge of Mr. Mavine. The young ladies 
 followed, under the protection of Miss 
 Herbert. 
 
 The elder boys promised themselves some 
 rare fun with the young ladies during the 
 day. Jonah fondly hoped that he should 
 have a romp and a kiss from his sweetheart
 
 138 SCHOOL. 
 
 as they straggled through the forest where 
 the monastery was situated. In this the 
 poor lad was disappointed, for the line of 
 march was so strictly preserved as only to 
 admit of an occasional darting aside of some 
 bolder spirit to snatch a bunch of violets or 
 primroses, or chase some scampering rabbit, 
 or young bird fluttering along the ground. 
 The day was w^arm ; the pale blue sky dap- 
 pled with light cloudlets ; the air glad with 
 insect life ; the hedgerows newly blown into 
 varied beauty^ and joyous with the singing 
 of birds. 
 
 An hour's walk brought them to the edge 
 of the forest — a wild and undulating plain, 
 dotted here and there with pollard oaks, and 
 strewn with grey boulders, and swelling up 
 into a range of rugged hills, rocky and bare. 
 At length the monastery rose to view ; a 
 large, plain, substantial structure, with a 
 farmyard and buildings attached to it, and 
 surrounded by an ever-widening belt of 
 verdure.
 
 A VISIT TO THE MONASTERY. 139 
 
 Father Ambrose received the party at the 
 entrance with much urbanity and kindness, 
 and showed them over the building, dikting 
 with pride upon its architectual character, 
 admirable arrangements, and holy purposes. 
 In the softest voice, and meekest manner, 
 he described the daily life of the monastery ; 
 its silent and useful labours, frequent 
 prayers, spare repasts, and brotherly har- 
 mony. In the guest-room abundant re- 
 freshment was spread for the pupils, of 
 which they most thankfully partook. Mr. 
 Mavine, on their behalf, thanked Father 
 Ambrose for his kind hospitality, in having 
 thus spread a table for them in the wilder- 
 ness ; to which the holy father, with hands 
 meekly clasped, replied, " Not unto me, but 
 unto Holy Church are your thanks due. I 
 am but the unworthy almoner of her bounty, 
 who, in all ages, has ever proved the truth 
 of her Lord's saying, ' That it is more 
 blessed to give than to receive.' " 
 
 The following day Mr. Mavine gave a
 
 140 SCHOOL. 
 
 lecture to the pupils upon the monastic 
 orders, explaining their origin and rise, and 
 the incalculable service they had rendered 
 in their day to the cause of charity, of 
 religion, of order, of literature, and of 
 science.
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 THE VICAR OF TODDESLEY. 
 
 R. BUELEY, the Vicar of Tod- 
 desley-cum-Barrowell, was a stout, 
 strong - limbed, rubicund, grizzly - 
 haired man, verging on fifty, who had 
 ever a pleasant smile and kind word for 
 everybody about him. He had taken 
 holy orders in compliance with the earnest 
 desire of his father, a well-to-do rector, 
 who hoped to obtain for his son, through 
 his episcopal, or other connexions, some 
 piece of valuable Church preferment. Much 
 sooner than the father had anticipated 
 he had the satisfaction of seeing his son 
 presented by an episcopal friend to the 
 living of Toddesley-cum-Barrowell. Mr.
 
 142 SCHOOL. 
 
 Bueley had only just taken priest's orders 
 when the living fell vacant. He deemed 
 himself a most lucky fellow when he 
 was comfortably settled in the vicarage 
 of Barrowell, for he had narrowly escaped 
 being plucked, both for his degree and 
 ordination. His collesre life had been one 
 of indolence and pleasure — happily free 
 from any of its usual vices. In his expendi- 
 ture he had slightly exceeded his paternal 
 allowance, but before leaving the univer- 
 sity, he had frankly informed his father 
 of the exact amount of his debts owing to 
 the Cambridge tradesmen, accompanying 
 his statement with an honest expression of 
 regret for his extravagance, and a promise 
 to live henceforward within his income. 
 The father, with a good grace, accepted the 
 confession and the promise, and enabled his 
 son to leave the university untrammelled by 
 college debts. 
 
 Within three years of his ordination, Mr. 
 Bueley was the fortunate possessor of a well-
 
 THE VICAR OF TODDESLEY. 143 
 
 furnished house, and an income adequate to 
 its support. 
 
 The vicarage waS a quaint, rambling old 
 house, covered with ivy, with a trim garden, 
 odorous with old-fashioned flowers, and pro- 
 ducing in abundance all kinds of fruits and 
 vegetables. 
 
 The Vicar was a skilful horticulturist, 
 a fact with which his parishioners and 
 neighbours were, to their great delectation, 
 well acquainted. He was a keen sportsman, 
 handling cleverly both rod and gun ; and 
 clearing neatly gate and fence in following 
 the hounds. In course of time, he took to 
 farming his own glebe. He regarded these 
 pursuits as harmless, healthy recreations 
 — by no means incompatible with his 
 sacred calling. Mr. Bueley lived in a 
 great sporting county, and sporting par- 
 sons were by no means uncommon. The 
 class is now happily nearly extinct ; they 
 certainly were a very worldly set ; yet were 
 they a manly, generous, open-hearted and
 
 144 SCHOOL. 
 
 free-handed class of men, who were fre- 
 quently only too well liked by their 
 parishioners. 
 
 In clerical circles, the quiver and the mallet 
 have superseded the rod and the gun ; high- 
 steppers have taken the place of hunters ; 
 the vinery and flow^er-garden, and domestic 
 pets are cultivated, instead of wheat and 
 turnips, flocks and herds. 
 
 A change it will be said decidedly for the 
 better — of more refined, for coarser plea- 
 sures ; admitted ; but in reality how much 
 less worldly ? 
 
 Are the lavender-kid clergy so much more 
 unworldly than those of the buckskin ? 
 Are the hunting-grounds of balls and drums 
 always unexceptionable in their company, 
 and quite fair and free from danger in the 
 running ? Is tuft-hunting more manly and 
 Christian than fox-hunting? 
 
 Farming, the Vicar was in the habit of 
 saying, w^as the most ancient, the most 
 necessary, the most useful, the most healthy
 
 THE VICAR OF TODDESLEY. 145 
 
 of all occupations, consecrated and honoured 
 by the lives of patriarchs and prophets. 
 
 Mr. Bueley doubtless did a good work in 
 farming his own glebe ; he prevented the land 
 from being entirely exhausted; and intro- 
 duced many new plans of cultivation, which 
 the progress of agricultural science had de- 
 veloped. His success turned the jeers of his 
 slow and stupid neighbours into wonder and 
 admiration, and had the effect of leading 
 some of them to the adoption of an im- 
 proved system of culture. Mr. Bueley's 
 portly figure was well known in Wisely 
 Cattle and Corn Markets. No farmer showed 
 better produce. He was an example of 
 fairness and openness in his business trans- 
 actions. He was regarded as the soul of 
 truth and honour. Nobody ever thought of 
 asking him for a warranty of a horse, or for 
 a sample of his corn. He enjoyed the 
 respect and esteem of his parishioners. The 
 Dissenters liked him, as they said, as a man, 
 though not as a minister. Mrs. Fishpond 
 VOL. I. 10
 
 146 SCHOOL. 
 
 allowed that he preached very good moral 
 sermons ; but he did what some popular 
 ministers fail to do in our own times— he 
 embodied his teaching in his daily life. 
 
 The Vicar had an only sister, who for 
 some years had kept their father's house, 
 and, upon the death of her beloved parent, 
 had taken up her abode at Barrowell 
 Vicarage, and brought all her experience 
 of parochial work to bear upon the physical 
 and moral improvement of her brother's too 
 much neglected flock. She was a sweet, even- 
 tempered, simply-religious, little woman, 
 with a frank countenance and cheery voice ; 
 who w^as ever thinking and contriving for 
 the good of others. She was better than 
 any curate to her brother; visiting from 
 house to house ; speaking words in season 
 with gentleness, and doing works of charity 
 with kindness. 
 
 The brother and sister were all in all to 
 each other, being the only surviving chil- 
 dren of their family. It was said, that for
 
 THE VICAR OF TODDESLET. 147 
 
 lier brother's sake, Miss Bueley had de- 
 clined two eligible offers of marriage. As 
 for the Vicar, I fear it cannot be said that 
 he had ever displayed the same self-sacrifice 
 for the sake of his sister. The truth was, 
 his sister made him so thoroughly comfort- 
 able, that he had no desire to change his 
 condition ; and she was so helpl'ul to him in 
 administering to the temporal and spiritual 
 wants of his parishioners, that no wife, he 
 felt, could in that respect adequately supply 
 her place. Mr. Bueley revered his sister 
 for her pure and elevated nature, and un- 
 selfish devotion to the good of others ; and 
 often vaguely wished that he was more 
 like her. He had the comfortable sense, 
 however, that he was as good as the neigh- 
 bouring clergy generally, and better than 
 some of his acquaintance. In some points, 
 he could certainly bear comparison with 
 any of his clerical brethren. He was an 
 excellent master, an affectionate brother, a 
 kind neighbour, a trusty friend, and a 
 
 10—2
 
 148 SCHOOL. 
 
 generous benefactor. The poor, the dis- 
 tressed, the afflicted, ever found from him 
 ready sympathy and aid. Still blame at- 
 tached to him, deep and heavy ; he was 
 unfaithful as a minister of Christ. He pre- 
 ferred his shooting-jacket to his surplice, 
 and his stable to his reading-desk. Whilst 
 his stables and kennels were trim and neat, 
 his churches were in a state of sad dilapi- 
 dation. Of course there was only one ser- 
 vice at each church on the Sunday ; but, 
 whether it was to be in the morning or the 
 afternoon, was not known till the bells gave 
 notice. Often had his sister urged the Vicar 
 to put the churches into decent repair ; but 
 to all her appeals, he invariably replied, 
 " That he would see about it ; that he didn't 
 like to put the parishioners to the expense." 
 The farmers were quite willing to let matters 
 remain as they were, for they could bear 
 mouldering seats and damp walls much 
 better than a heavy church-rate.
 
 CHAPTER XVII, 
 
 AN EPISCOPAL VISIT. 
 
 T happened that a warm and staunch 
 Churchman came to reside at Tod- 
 desley, and, in due time, became 
 churchwarden. The state of the church, 
 and the manner of its services, causing 
 him deep shame and sorrow, he remon- 
 strated with the Vicar respecting them. 
 Mr. Bueley consented to some slight im- 
 provements, but would not hear of a 
 thorough reparation and reform. Almost 
 contemporary with the churchwarden's re- 
 monstrance with the Vicar, a Bishop of 
 great piety, learning, and energy was ap- 
 pointed to the diocese. To him the church- 
 warden addressed a letter, setting forth the
 
 150 SCHOOL. 
 
 dilapidated condition of the churcli, and the 
 irregular and slovenly performance of Divine 
 service. The Bishop replied, stating that 
 lie would, on some Sunday, make a personal 
 visit to the parish, and see for himself the 
 real state of affairs. 
 
 The second Sunday after the receipt of 
 the episcopal letter, a carriage rattled 
 through the village, and pulled up at the 
 church, from which a thin, pale-faced man 
 in episcopal attire alighted. The church 
 doors were all closed, and it wanted only 
 five minutes to the regular hour of service. 
 After a short delay, the churchwarden 
 made his appearance, quickly followed by 
 the clerk. The doors were immediately 
 opened, and the bells set a-ringing ; but no 
 Vicar or officiating minister appearing by 
 five minutes after the hour, the Bishop put 
 on his robes and commenced the service. 
 When he had got to the end of the Psalms, 
 Mr. Bueley came hurrying into tlie church. 
 Down the south aisle to the chancel he
 
 AN EPISCOPAL VISIT. 151 
 
 made his waj, wondering what friend had 
 so kindly undertaken the duty for him. 
 As his eye caught the lawn sleeves, he thus 
 soliloquized : " Why, God bless my life, it's 
 the Bishop ! This is a new sort of thing, 
 quite. Who would ever have thought of 
 his taking one by surprise in this way? 
 It's very ungentlemanly treatment. He 
 might have given me a little notice. I 
 expect it's that Simpson's doings, because 
 I wouldn't put the parish to I don't know 
 what expense." 
 
 In this strain the Vicar soliloquized to 
 the end of the Litany; when the Bishop 
 left the desk, and walked reverently to the 
 Communion Table. The table was a crazy, 
 decayed old thing, without cover or book. 
 The Vicar handed the Bishop his own 
 prayer-book ; Springley followed the Bishop 
 into the chancel, to take off his robes and 
 put on the gown for the sermon, as was his 
 wont with Mr. Bueley, who never troubled 
 Jiimself with saying the Communion Ser-
 
 152 SCHOOL. 
 
 vice. As the Bishop knelt at the Commu- 
 nion Table, Springley stood behind him, 
 waiting for his rising to change his vest- 
 ment. When Springley heard the Bishop 
 commence the Communion Service he stood 
 quite puzzled, not knowing what to make 
 of the strange innovation. The Yicar 
 motioned the old man back to his desk, 
 to which he accordingly hobbled. The 
 Vicar made the responses, as Springley was 
 too bewildered to find them. When the 
 prayers were ended, Mr. Bueley said to the 
 Bishop — 
 
 "My Lord, I am sorry I was not here 
 in time to save you the trouble of reading 
 the prayers; I will, if your Lordship pleases, 
 take the sermon." 
 
 The Bishop preferred taking it himself, 
 as it gave him an opportunity of preaching 
 a discourse upon "The reverence due to 
 God's house." 
 
 The congregation, which at the com- 
 mencement of the service numbered about
 
 AN EPISCOPAL VISIT. 153 
 
 a dozen, had. before its close increased to 
 nearly a hundred. This had been occa- 
 sioned by Springley's sending his lad round 
 the parish, to announce that " My Lord" 
 was preaching. 
 
 The Bishop's visit was never forgotten by 
 Mr. Bueley. A hundred episcopal letters 
 would not have made half the impression 
 upon the reverend offender that this timely 
 visit made ; nor did its good end here. There 
 was not a parish in the neighbourhood that 
 was not benefited by it ; for every negligent 
 parson knew not but that he might be 
 surprised on any Sunday morning by an 
 episcopal visit, and find himself in the same 
 predicament as the Yicar of Toddesley. 
 
 The good effects of the Bishop's visit and 
 counsel were, in due time, made manifest 
 
 A vestry meeting of the parish of Tod- 
 desley was called, to take into consideration 
 the plans that had been prepared for the 
 restoration of the church. After some 
 grumbling, a rate was made for the purpose
 
 154 SCHOOL. 
 
 of carrying them out. The Vicar superin- 
 tended the works as they progressed to com- 
 pletion. The church was re-opened by the 
 Bishop, whose fame as a preacher drew a 
 crowded consrresration. The Barrowell 
 church next underwent a thorough repa- 
 ration. These undertakings occupied much 
 of the time and attention of the Yicar, and 
 drew him from his old worldly pursuits. 
 His repeated interviews with the Bishop, 
 during the work of church restoration, were 
 skilfully used by episcopal sagacity to im- 
 press gradually upon Mr. Bueley the fluties 
 and responsibility of the ministerial office. 
 The Bishop's words took root in the Vicar's 
 heart, and were often pondered over, causing 
 him deep remorse of conscience. He felt 
 that he had sadly neglected his duty ; but 
 then, he had scarcely known an}^ better. 
 He was only like many more of the clergy 
 in the neighbourhood. He had been sent 
 into the Church without having any liking 
 or fitness for the profession; and all he
 
 AN EPISCOPAL VISIT. , 155 
 
 could say wa.s, that he had not disgraced it 
 by immoral conduct. After all, his mode of 
 life was inexcusable, and he would try to 
 amend his ways. Henceforth, he became more 
 attentive to his parochial duties, and less 
 addicted to sporting pursuits. In his efforts 
 to make better proof of his ministry, he was 
 greatly encouraged by his affectionate and 
 pious sister. Tlie batch of sermons, that 
 had run their annual course for thirty years, 
 were left in their well-merited seclusion, 
 and a new set was imported, of a higher 
 cast of thouo^ht and feelin":. The changfe 
 
 o o o 
 
 astonished and delighted the parishioners. 
 Mrs. Fishpond even confessed that the 
 Vicar's sermons had now a " touch of the 
 Gospel." Some of the aged parishioners 
 missed the old famihar discourses, and begged 
 of Mr. Bueley to give one of them occa- 
 sionally, for old acquaintance sake. A 
 curate was now engaged, and two full ser- 
 vices on the Sunday instituted in each 
 parish. Mr. Wilton, the assistant curate.
 
 156 SCHOOL. 
 
 was an impressive preacher and earnest 
 worker, who belonged to the Evangelical 
 school of thought; but did not deem 
 Evangelical views to be incompatible with 
 a proper regard for Church order and 
 discipline. 
 
 That Methodism, or any other " ism," 
 should have gained footing and flourished 
 in Toddesley, under the circumstances de- 
 tailed some pages back, is not to be won- 
 dered at. If the clergy would visit upon 
 the negligence and ungodliness of their pre- 
 decessors in the ministry some of the 
 strictures they so freely direct against the 
 schismatical proceedings of Dissenters, they 
 would show greater fairness and justice in 
 their criticisms. Let bishops, and curates, 
 and laity, only do their duty, and the 
 Church will soon gather into her ample 
 arms ever-increasing numbers of her wan- 
 dering children. 
 
 Justice and charity are more powerful 
 weapons of ecclesiastical warfare than wrong
 
 AN EPISCOPAL VISIT. 157 
 
 and bigotry, as all men will one day see and 
 acknowledge. 
 
 'No one was more annoyed by the Church 
 reform in Toddesley than Mrs. Fishpond, 
 and the new superintendent preacher, Mr. 
 Eime, a sincere Christian and faithful 
 minister, and a zealous partisan of Method- 
 ism. The former had lost several members 
 of her class, whilst the latter found the 
 quarterly payments considerably lessened. 
 Mr. Fishpond was no less displeased than 
 his wife on account of the increased church- 
 rate he had been called upon to pay. Jonah, 
 who was '' a Methodist to the backbone," 
 a phrase he had picked up from Mr. 
 Mealey, quite sympathized with his excellent 
 parents. 
 
 Old John, who was more of a Christian 
 than a Methodist, rejoiced in the general 
 improvement of the parish; and whether 
 people were changed from dad to ^ood, by 
 the Church or by Methodism, he did and 
 would rejoice.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 H'URTHER BACKSLIDINGS. 
 
 'sSn'ONAH's spiritual state was by no 
 means satisfactory to Mrs. Fish- 
 pond, despite his loud professions 
 of " sticking to the last plank of the 
 Methodist ship." He did not attend his 
 class as regularly as his mother thought 
 right. This Jonah excused on the plea 
 that " Sam Sleeve was such an ignorant 
 man, and talked such bad grammar." But 
 what Mrs. Fishpond regarded as the most 
 ominous symptom of Jonah's spiritual de- 
 cline, was his increased fondness for the 
 society of the Springleys, with whom he 
 spent all the spare time he had. 
 
 One evening, when Jonah was having a
 
 FURTHER BACKSLIDINGS. 159 
 
 game at rounders with the clerk's sons, Tom 
 informed himthathimself and his brother Bill 
 were desirous to attend Eowington Wakes. 
 
 A wake, or feast, was originally a religious 
 festivity kept on the anniversary of the day 
 on which the parish church had been dedi- 
 cated to God's service, but now perverted 
 entirely to worldly business, frivolous 
 amusement and pleasure, and well, if to 
 nothing worse. 
 
 Eowington was a large village, twelve 
 miles from Toddesley, through which there 
 passed a coach stopping at Worthesley, on 
 its way to the north. Tom Springley sug- 
 gested to Jonah, that as the day of the 
 Wakes would chime in with the time of his 
 going to school, he should drive him to 
 Eowington. 
 
 " For you see," said he, " you might 
 enjoy some of the fun of the Wakes before 
 the coach started for Worthesley." 
 
 " But suppose anybody sees me there, 
 and tells my mother?" exclaimed Jonah.
 
 160 SCHOOL. 
 
 "Oh, as for that," replied Tom, "I'll 
 manage that. You shall put on Bill's seal- 
 skin cap, and smock and handkerchief, and 
 nobody will know you then. I'll answer 
 for it." 
 
 "All right," returned Jonah; "I'll ask 
 father about it." 
 
 Jonah was not sorry when the time for 
 his return to school arrived. For what 
 with his mother's incessantly boring him 
 about tbe salvation of his soul, and his 
 father's daily harassing him with work, the 
 lad had little rest or peace. Mr. Fishpond 
 would insist on Jonah's labouring on the 
 farm. At five o'clock in the morning, when 
 the hay was about, he would have Jonah 
 out of bed, and make him help Jim, 
 " fettle" the horses, and fetch up the cows 
 for milking, and assist in making the hay. 
 Jonah thought it quite derogatory to a 
 collegian to handle the fork and the spade. 
 He had no objection to " going a shep- 
 herding," since David " followed the ewes
 
 FURTHER BACKSLIDINGS. 161 
 
 great with young;" but sucli things as 
 feeding the pigs, and cleaning out the 
 stable, his aspiring soul completely abhorred. 
 Once and again had his father been greatly 
 enraged by what he called Jonah's "tarna- 
 nation idleness," and " oudacious pride, and 
 uppish college notions." When, therefore, 
 the day came for Jonah's departure for 
 school, the lad was greatly rejoiced, espe- 
 cially as it had been arranged that Tom 
 Springley should drive him to Eowington. 
 
 On the Monday morning, after much 
 good advice and prayer, and many tender 
 caresses from his mother, Jonah mounted 
 the cart, with Tom Springley, to start for 
 Worthesley Hall. Some little way out of 
 the village they picked up Bill Sprirgley, 
 with his fiddle and tambourine, and a 
 bundle of clothes, wherewith Jonah might 
 disguise himself. 
 
 As they approached Eowington, it was 
 suggested that Jonah should assume his 
 disguise ; so when they came to a turn in 
 
 VOL. I. 11
 
 162 SCHOOL. 
 
 the road, where nobody was visible, they 
 stopped, and Jonah changed his dress. 
 
 When they reached Eowington, they put 
 Tip at the Saracen's Head, the principal inn 
 in the place, where the liveliest sport was 
 to be seen. 
 
 After refreshing themselves at Jonah's 
 cost, the trio sallied forth to see w^hat was 
 going on. The village was alive with holi- 
 day-folk. It was the statutes for the hiring 
 of servants, as well as the wake, and many 
 hundreds of them were there, either for hire 
 or for pleasure. 
 
 Down each side of the main street ran a 
 long line of gaily decorated stalls, on which 
 were exposed for sale sweetmeats and toys, 
 and various kinds of wares, forming a 
 thoroughfare, along which an upward and 
 downward stream of pleasure-seekers mingled 
 in struggling confusion. 
 
 At every corner little knots of gamblers 
 were playing at pitch and toss, or thimble- 
 rig, or bowls, or some other game to coax
 
 FURTHER BACKSLIDINGS. 163 
 
 the money out of the pockets of the rustics. 
 Jonah, to his loss, tried his skill at two or 
 three of the games, and would have tried 
 his luck much further had not his friends 
 restrained him. 
 
 The haiting of a badger afforded consider- 
 able amusement to the Springleys. Jonah 
 failed to appreciate the fun, and turned 
 away pained at the spectacle. 
 
 The shows greatly attracted the lad's 
 attention, and he saw many most wonderful 
 things ; more wonderful than any of which 
 natural history treats or philosophers have 
 ever dreamed. 
 
 Holloway's Sans Pareil, with its gay 
 front, lively band; and company of spangled 
 play-actors, mimicry and dancing, riveted 
 his wondering and admiring eyes. Tom 
 Springley suggested that they should go 
 inside and see the play. Jonah, after some 
 demur, for he had some scruples of conscience 
 respecting the sinfulness of compliance, as- 
 cended the steps, paid his money, and had 
 
 11-2
 
 104 scnooL. 
 
 the satisfaction of being terribly agitated 
 and affrighted by the confused scene of 
 blighted love, villany, revenge, and blood 
 presented to his weeping eyes. 
 
 In pushing through the crowd Jonah, 
 to his inconsolable grief, lost his watch ; 
 an old-fashioned chronometer, which had 
 belonged to his grandfather, and which he 
 had persuaded his mother to allow him to 
 wear. Tom Springley went in pursuit of 
 the supposed thief, a fellow whom he had 
 seen suspiciously following Jonah ; but he 
 was nowhere to be found. The watch was 
 irrecoverably gone, and, as Bill Springley 
 consolingly observed, " It's a bad job, and 
 we must make the best on't." 
 
 To cheer the dejected lad, the brothers 
 proposed to him that he should join in a 
 dance which was about to take place in the 
 club-room of the Saracen's Head, to their 
 tambourine and fiddle. Jonah had no heart 
 for jigs and reels, or any kind of pleasure 
 and amusement. The whole surrounding
 
 FURTHER BACKSLIDINGS. 165 
 
 scene jarred upon him, and lie was heartily 
 sorry that he had been enticed to come, 
 and regarded the loss of his watch as the 
 penalty of his trangression. 
 
 Very glad was he when the coach arrived 
 to take him to Worthesley. In great fear 
 and trepidation he took his place, for he 
 was afraid that some one might recognise 
 him. A great crowd was gathered round 
 the coach, and Jonah did his best to conceal 
 his face from the gazing multitude, but just 
 as the horses dashed off, to his inexpressible 
 horror, a female voice shouted in his ears — 
 " Grood-bye, Jonah." 
 
 He knew the voice but too well. It w^as 
 the voice of Sally, Mrs. Smith's servant girl, 
 a neighbour of Mrs. Fishpond's.
 
 CHAPTEE XIX. 
 
 MR. MAVINE AS CLASS LEADER. 
 
 less able was Mr. Mavine as 
 class leader than as a preacher. 
 Class meetings, which are peculiar 
 to the economy of Methodism, are religious 
 experience meetings, at which the members 
 confess their sins, their temptations, and 
 their trials to one another, and receive from 
 the person who presides over them, called 
 a " leader'^ suitable advice and direction. 
 These meetings take place weekly, when each 
 member has to pay not less than a penny. 
 Once a quarter they are presided over by a 
 travelling preacher, who renews the mem- 
 bers' tickets of communion, for which they 
 are each bound by rule to pay not less than
 
 MR. MAVINE AS CLASS LEADER. 167 
 
 a shilling. These weekly and quarterly 
 payments go towards the support of the 
 itinerant or regular ministers. The super- 
 intendent minister of the circuit has the 
 power to admit persons into the Society, or 
 to expel them from it, by giving or with- 
 holding their tickets. 
 
 Mr. Mavine had three classes, one com- 
 posed of grown up people of Worthesley, 
 the second comprised the boys, the third the 
 girls, belongingto the school. He encouraged 
 the members of his classes to disclose their 
 inmost thoughts and most secret actions, 
 their trials and temptations. Those on 
 whose minds he perceived any weiglit of 
 trouble, which they were loth to disburthen 
 before their brethren he met in private 
 confession. No veil of concealment could 
 hide from their leader's piercing eye, the 
 dark corners of their hearts where lurked 
 their secret sins, speechless thoughts, and 
 immature intents. His stethoscope for 
 sounding the conscience was a most delicate
 
 168 SCHOOL. 
 
 and accurate instrument, which rarely failed 
 in detecting the slightest symptom of 
 spiritual disease. 
 
 There was in his village class a retired 
 grocer, an aged tradesman, whom failing 
 health had compelled to give np business. He 
 was a widower, and childless, but his greed 
 of gain was intense. There was no fraudulent 
 trick possible in his small trade that he had 
 practised. Not content with robbing the 
 living he had robbed the dead. Not being 
 able at his wife's decease to get her wedding- 
 ring off he amputated the finger. The 
 old miser was a most devout member of 
 Mr. Mavine's clas3, for he had long ago 
 repented of his fraudulent dealiugs, whilst 
 he had safely stored away the profits 
 they had brought him. In the midst of 
 plenty he starved himself, till he was so 
 weak and attenuated that he was brought 
 to the point of death. Mr. Mavine 
 visited him, and prevailed upon him to 
 call in the doctor, but it was too late for
 
 MR. MAVINE AS CLASS LEADER. 169 
 
 medical treatment to have any restorative 
 effect. 
 
 Very assiduous was Mr. Mavine in liis 
 attendance upon the patient, and very 
 earnest in his efforts to awaken him to a 
 due sense of the sinful manner in which he 
 had made his money, and of the bitter curSe 
 which his fraudulent gains must inevitably 
 bring upon him. Particularly he insisted 
 upon the duty of his making reparation as 
 far as in him lay for the injury and wrong 
 inflicted upon his customers. '' That, alas, is 
 now impossible," said Mr. Mavine. " Many 
 of them are dead, many removed, but even 
 if they were all present, how could you 
 calculate the loss each had suffered through 
 your short weights and measures, or how 
 repair the mischief done to them by your 
 adulterations ? All that you can now do to 
 make amends for the past is to bequeath 
 your property to the cause of charity and 
 piety." 
 
 The dying man followed the directions of
 
 170 SCHOOL. 
 
 his spiritual adviser. He made his will, 
 leaving Mr. Mavine his executor, with full 
 power to dispose of his property in the 
 promotion of such charitable objects as he 
 might deem the most deserving of support. 
 
 Very irate was the deceased grocer's 
 housekeeper when she heard of the way in 
 which her late master had disposed of his 
 property. She deemed herself a very ill- 
 used woman that she should not have been 
 kindly remembered in the will, since she 
 had been the miser's housekeeper many 
 years, and had helped him to make his 
 money. 
 
 " Had I foreseen this," murmured Sally 
 to herself, as she thought over her desti- 
 tute condition, " I'd a took better care o' 
 my sen, that I would — but the lyin', de- 
 ceivin' old rascal led me on year arter year 
 in the belief that he'd leave me comfortable 
 for life at his death. And now, he's gone 
 and left his money in the hands of that 
 forrineerin' feller, to give away in charity.
 
 MR. MAVINE AS CLASS LEADER. 171 
 
 Charity ! I knows very well what charity — 
 he'll give it to Idmsen, that's the charitable 
 object he'll give the money to. Dear me, 
 what a fool I've been for sure ! Pinchin', 
 and starving and scrapin, and robbin' the 
 poor, just for nothen' at all. The old rascal, 
 after all, hasna cheated the devil, I know. 
 Entry to heaven isna to be bought with 
 stolen money ; anyhow that's a comfort." 
 
 The deceased grocer's brothers and sisters 
 were not less angry and disappointed than 
 Sally herself with the will of their relative ; 
 and they threatened to test its validity in a 
 court of law, on the ground of the testator's 
 mental incapacity. 
 
 Mr. Mavine smiled at the idle threat, and 
 proceeded at once to possess himself of the 
 property devised to him, and to consider to 
 what charitable object or objects he should 
 apply it. He found there was no want of 
 applicants for a share of the old miser's 
 bequest ; and to weigh over and determine 
 upon their respective merits was no easy
 
 ] 72 SCHOOL. 
 
 task. The several funds pertaining to the 
 Methodist Connexion were considered by the 
 superintendent minister and his colleagues 
 as having the strongest claims upon property 
 left to religious and charitable purposes 
 by a member of the society. Mr. Mavine 
 politely acknowledged the various applica- 
 tions made to him for a share in the 
 property placed at his disposal, and pro- 
 mised to give them a fair and impartial 
 consideration. The Yice-Principal fulfilled 
 the promise, to which he had pledged him- 
 self, but without arriving, so far as was 
 ever known, at any definite conclusion as 
 to the fittest object to which he could 
 conscientiously devote the old miser's 
 bequest. 
 
 -^^^
 
 CHAPTEE XX, 
 
 FIFTH OF NOVEMBER. 
 
 SPECIAL meeting of tlie mem- 
 bers of the School Board was con- 
 vened to consider what steps should 
 be taken with reference to the proper ob- 
 servance of the approaching .5th of No- 
 vember. Thompson being voted into the 
 chair, he thus opened the question — 
 
 " It is time we began to consider what 
 we are to do about having a bonfire on 
 Gunpowder-plot Day. Last year that beast 
 Mavine prevented our having one, and no 
 doubt he will try the same trick again. I 
 propose that we persist in having a good 
 flare-up this year, and make a Guy Fawkes 
 of the Vice-Principal."
 
 174 SCHOOL. 
 
 The proposal was received with loud 
 applause. 
 
 " I propose, as a slight improvement," 
 said Prigger, " that we get Mavine down to 
 the bonfire, and push him in, by mere 
 accident." 
 
 " Yes — good — very good," rejoined 
 Thompson ; " we'll make him one of the 
 martyrs that he talks so much about." 
 
 *' How are we to collect the fuel, and 
 where are we to put it, so that Mavine 
 may not know what we are after?" asked 
 Smith. 
 
 " leave that to me," said the chairman ; 
 " I'll manage it all right." 
 
 And so it was managed. On the me- 
 morable day, whilst Dr. Griggles and the 
 masters were at tea, a mighty heap of fuel 
 was piled up in the playground. In the 
 centre of it was placed Mr. Mavine, as 
 Guy Fawkes, with his pockets well charged 
 with gunpowder. 
 
 The match was applied; the materials
 
 FIFTH OF NOVEMBER. 175 
 
 quickly ignited ; the flames began to ascend 
 — Guy took fire — explosion followed ex- 
 plosion. The report quickly brought down 
 to the scene the alarmed inmates of the 
 house. 
 
 Dr. Griggles and Mr. Mavine were the 
 first to arrive. The Vice-Principal was 
 hemmed in in a moment, and with diffi- 
 culty extricated himself from his tormentors, 
 after being disagreeably hustled. 
 
 Mr. Mavine, very irate at this open 
 and daring rebellion of the boys, urged 
 upon the Doctor the propriety of inflicting 
 severe corporal punishment upon the ring- 
 leaders. 
 
 Dr. Griggles, however, was strongly op- 
 posed to all corporal punishment. In his 
 prospectus he had thus expressed himself on 
 the subject : " The inhuman, barbarous and 
 degrading system of flogging, a vile relic of 
 Scandinavian savageism, has no place in the 
 Worthesley Hall system of scholastic dis- 
 cipline. Corporal punishment, the expe-
 
 176 SCHOOL. 
 
 dient of ignorance and incapacity, has ever 
 been the deep reproach of our English 
 schools. 
 
 " True philosophy, as well as long expe- 
 rience, have convinced Dr. Grriggles that 
 moral and intellectual means are alone 
 adapted to the discipline and improvement 
 of moral and intellectaal beings.'* 
 
 From this publicly announced principle 
 of scholastic discipline, Dr. Griggles could 
 not be prevailed upon to depart. 
 
 ]\Ir. Mavine was not a little annoyed by 
 Dr. Griggles' firm resistance to his proposal 
 to flog the boys ; whilst the Doctor was 
 considerably nettled by the dictatorial tone 
 assumed by the Vice-Principal ; and the two 
 gentlemen parted for the night, at a late 
 hour, on no very good terms. 
 
 Not long had they been in bed before 
 they were alarmed by the cry of " Fire !" 
 The cry awoke the house, spreading through 
 every room terror and consternation, which, 
 happily, were speedily allayed by the an-
 
 FIFTH OF NOVEMBER. 177 
 
 nouncement that odIj the rickyard was on 
 fire. The great bell summoned help from 
 the village; the parish-engine was set to 
 work, but of course it was out of order; 
 after awhile the Wisely engines arrived, 
 and the fire was brought under — though 
 not till all the stacks were consumed, and 
 the cowshed and stable left with bare walls. 
 With great difiiculty and peril the mad- 
 dened cattle had been rescued from death. 
 
 I regret to say that our poor friend Jonah, 
 whilst assisting to release the cattle, received 
 a kick on the leg from Dr. Griggles' pony. 
 He was lifted from the ground in an ap- 
 parently insensible state, and carried to bed. 
 The surgeon, who was quickly in attendance 
 upon the unfortunate sufierer, after careful 
 examination of the limb, pronounced the 
 injury to be a simple fracture of one of the 
 smaller bones, which, he said, would be all 
 right again in a short time, and with proper 
 care. 
 
 The bone was not unskilfully set, and 
 VOL. I. 12
 
 178 SCHOOL. 
 
 with as little pain as the case would admit 
 of, an operation which Jonah bore better 
 than could have been expected. The Doctor, 
 commending him for his patience and forti- 
 tude, and saying a few cheery words to 
 him, left him to the care of Mrs. Flax- 
 burn, the kind and motherly nurse of the 
 establishment.
 
 CHAPTEE XXL 
 
 DR. GRIGGLES INSURED. 
 
 E. GEIGGLES was fully insured, so 
 that he had no loss to deplore. In 
 truth, he had the comfortable sense 
 that he should be a considerable gainer 
 by the fire, since his premises were insured 
 lor a sum very much above their value, and 
 his hay that year had been badly got in. 
 As the Doctor meditated upon the case, he 
 thought within himself how wonderfully 
 " all things work together for good to them 
 that love God." Jonah's accident was the 
 only thing to be regretted, and that, he 
 justly thought, might have been much 
 worse. A painful task, however, was before 
 him ; he must write to Mrs. Fishpond, to 
 
 U—2
 
 ISO SCHOOL. 
 
 acquaint her with her son's misfortune. 
 The Doctor at once sat down, and wrote as 
 follows : — 
 
 " Wortheslej Hall Collegiate Institution, 
 " November 6tli, . 
 
 " My deau Madam, — It is ray painful 
 duty to inform you of a sad accident that 
 has befallen your dear son Jonah. Thanks 
 be to that Divine Providence which always 
 watches over the pious children of pious 
 parents, the injury is not one of a dan- 
 gerous character. Anxious, as you know I 
 always am, with paternal care to guard and 
 protect my pupils from bodily as well as 
 spiritual injury, I requested them to abstain 
 from indulging in any of those fiery amuse- 
 ments wliich commonly take place on the 
 5th of this month. Against my express 
 injunction, one or two of the baser boys 
 (whom I shall severely punish), aided and 
 abetted by boys of the village, made a huge 
 bonfire on my domain, from which some 
 sparks, I conjecture borne on the wings of
 
 DR. GRIGGLKS INSURED. 181 
 
 the tempestuous wind to my rickyard, set 
 fire to. and caused the combustion of my 
 stacks of hay, and the destruction of my 
 outbuildings. 
 
 " The conflagration, dear madam, was 
 truly awful to behold, reminding me most 
 forcibly and feelingly of the fire that never 
 shall be quenched. 
 
 " «Tonah, dear boy, drawn to the stable by 
 the piteous cries of the horses, with tender 
 and compassionate heart, kindly assisted in 
 rescuing the unfortunate animals from the 
 threatening flames. In doing this, he un- 
 fortunately received a kick on his left leg 
 from my pony, and, I grieve to say, was 
 injured by it. Immediately the surgeon 
 was called in, who, I am happy to say, 
 pronounces the injury of not a serious 
 character. 
 
 " Everything that medical and surgical 
 science, and good nursing can do for him, 
 shall be done. My excellent wife will be 
 to him as a mother. The misfortune and
 
 182 SCHOOL. 
 
 loss, as you must be aware, are most heavy ; 
 but oh, how much w^orse might it have 
 been ! In the midst of deserved punish- 
 ment, tlie Lord has remembered mercy. 
 ' The Lord hath given and the Lord hath 
 taken away;' and by Divine grace I can 
 say, ' Blessed be the name of the Lord/ 
 
 " Trusting that this mysterious dispen- 
 sation of Divine Providence maybe sanctified 
 to onr spiritual and eternal good, and pray- 
 ing that you may be divinely supported 
 under this painful affliction, 
 
 " I remain, dear Madam, 
 
 " Your humble and obedient Servant, 
 
 " John aRiGGLES, Ph.D."
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 A MOTHER S VISIT. 
 
 HE Toddesley people usually received 
 their letters once a week, Mr. Fish- 
 pond not unfrequently discharging 
 the office of letter-carrier for them. His 
 waistcoat-pocket served as an ample letter- 
 bag to carry to and from Wisely their 
 weekly correspondence. Little did the 
 merry postman, as he trotted home one 
 evening from market, imagine what sad 
 news he was carrying to his wife. 
 
 Not without many tears, mingled with 
 many thanks, did Mrs. Fishpond read over 
 Dr. Grriggles' melancholy letter. That 
 Jonah's life was spared filled her heart 
 with thankfulness. The accident she re-
 
 184 SCHOOL. 
 
 garded as a visitation of Divine Providence 
 in punishment of her boy for going to Eow- 
 ington wakes, of which she had been in- 
 formed by Mrs. Smith's servant girl Sally, 
 who had recognised Jonah on the coach. 
 No sooner had Mrs. Fishpond heard of 
 Jonah's wicked behaviour, than she wrote 
 the boy a letter of severe reproof and 
 earnest expostulation, concluding with the 
 emphatic warning " Be sure your sin will 
 find you out." 
 
 Greatly surprised and annoyed was Jonah 
 at finding that his mother had become ac- 
 quainted with his Eowington adventures. 
 
 Having glanced over his mother's epistle 
 and collected its purport, he had committed 
 it to the flames ; and with it, if possible, all 
 thought of its contents. This, however, he 
 found it difficult to do, for the last signi- 
 ficant words were as a nail fastened in the 
 surest place of his memory, which he could 
 not wrench out ; and now the blow of afflic- 
 tion strikes it in still deeper, and he feels
 
 A mother's visit. 185 
 
 how hard to bear is a wounded spirit. His 
 sin has found him out in a way, and at a 
 time, and with a retribution, he could little 
 have anticipated ; and he lies suffering the 
 anguish of a repentant spirit as well as the 
 pain of a broken leg. 
 
 Bitterly; he wept, loudly he sobbed, and 
 earnestly he prayed. He anxiously longed 
 to see his mother, to confess to her his 
 sins, to crave forgiveness, and to comfort 
 her with the promise of amendment. No 
 less anxious was the mother to see her boy; 
 and as soon as she could leave home, Mrs. 
 Fishpond hastened to the bedside of her 
 suffering child. Wet, cold, weary and sad 
 was the mother when she reached Wor- 
 thesley Hall. 
 
 It was now the third day of Jonah's 
 illness ; the poor lad had become quite 
 delirious, and the medical attendant had 
 given strict orders that he must be kept 
 perfectly quiet, and that on no account was 
 any one to be allowed to see him. An
 
 186 SCHOOL. 
 
 inter\dew with his mother might be at- 
 tended with the most serious consequences 
 to him. IN^othing therefore remained for 
 Mrs. Fishpond but to weep, and pray, and 
 take counsel with Mrs. Griggles upon the 
 manner of Jonah's treatment, and return 
 home — heart-breaking thought ! without 
 even seeino^ her sufFerino^ child. After 
 dinner, Jonah dropped off into a restless 
 doze; and Mrs. Griggles, wishing if pos- 
 sible to gratify Mrs. Fishpond's yearning to 
 see her child, suffered her to have just a 
 momentary look at him. 
 
 Noiselessly the mother stole into the room, 
 and for a moment peeped through the nar- 
 row opening of the curtains upon his hot 
 and fevered countenance. The sight was 
 more than she could bear ; quickly retreat- 
 ing from the room, she gave vent to her 
 suppressed feelings in an agony of tears. 
 When she had recovered herself, and had 
 taken her seat in the parlour, listening to 
 the pious and consoling talk of Dr. Griggles,
 
 A MOTHER S VISIT. 187 
 
 the medical attendant, Mr. Lively, was an- 
 nounced, who greatly relieved Mrs. Fish- 
 pond's anxiety, by assuring her that her 
 son was in no immediate danger, and that 
 with proper care he would speedily recovei. 
 On hearing this, Mrs. Fishpond ejaculated, 
 " Praise the Lord !" and then said, " If the 
 Lord will, my Jonah will recover. With- 
 out His blessing, the doctor and his physic 
 will be all in vain; let us therefore, brethren, 
 kneel down and pray that Grod may bless the 
 means used for my dear boy's recovery." 
 
 Ere the words were off her lips, Mrs. 
 Fishpond was on her knees. Long and 
 fervent were her supplications ; which were 
 followed by prayers from both Doctor and 
 Mrs. Griggles. Mr. Lively, though much 
 pressed and long waited for, could not be 
 prevailed upon to give audible expression 
 to his devotional feelings. In truth, he was 
 little inclined to join in such prayers as 
 he had listened to, which, if answered, 
 would ruin his practice.
 
 188 SCHOOL. 
 
 " I hope, sir," said Mrs. Fishpond to the 
 surgeon, on rising from her knees, '' that 
 you will do all you can for my dear boy ; 
 and, if you like, I will pay you, as far as 
 you have gone." 
 
 Having assured the mother, that all 
 should be done for her boy that skill and 
 attention could effect, and declined pay- 
 ment till his attendance should be over, 
 Mr. Lively rose to withdraw. Mrs. Fish- 
 pond, warmly shaking hands with the 
 gentleman, said, " Never forget, brother, 
 'That there is balm in Gilead;' there is 
 a physician there." 
 
 Mrs. Fishpond feeling, as she said, that 
 she could do no good by prolonging her 
 stay, and wishing to get home before the 
 evening closed in, mounted her nag, and 
 with downcast head and sorrowing heart, 
 took her departure.
 
 CHAPTEE XXIII. 
 
 RECOVERY. 
 
 NDEE skilfal medical treatment and 
 good nursing Jonah gradually pro- 
 gressed towards convalescence. Fre- 
 quent were tlie visits of his mother during 
 his illness ; and great were her spiritual 
 efforts to plant the good seed in the soil 
 softened hy affliction. It was not for want 
 of plentiful husbandry if the seed did not 
 take deep root, and bring forth fruit abun- 
 dantly. Too many unskilful hands were 
 employed in the tillage of Jonah's soul. 
 The plough and the harrow were so un- 
 ceasingly at work, that the soil was scarcely 
 suffered for a moment to lie fallow, to 
 imbibe the gentle and silent influences of
 
 190 SCHOOL. 
 
 heaven. Various kinds of seed too were 
 thrown in, which might "produce a granary, 
 but no living harvest field." Somebody 
 or other was incessantly at the lad, boring 
 him with lectures, and chapters, and prayers, 
 so that, when all fear of death was past, 
 and health again leaped in his veins, they 
 became to him intolerable. His school 
 friends were greatly concerned about him, 
 lest the pious exertions of his spiritual 
 advisers should end in his conversion. 
 
 When, therefore, he was well enough to 
 admit of their seeing him, they did their 
 best to help the devil in snatching away 
 every good seed from his heart, and harden- 
 ing it against receiving any more. Their 
 efforts, alas ! were not altogether in vain. 
 Jonah found their lively society, an agree- 
 able change from the dull companionship 
 to which he had been accustomed. I3y no 
 means disagreeable was it to him to turn 
 from fanatical tracts and devout treatises, 
 from the lives of saints, and spiritual exer-
 
 RECOVEUY. 191 
 
 cises, to works of fiction and of travel, and 
 the lives of warriors, by sea and by land, 
 supplied him by his schoolfellows. It must 
 be confessed that Jonah's intercourse with 
 his young friends and their favourite authors 
 was much more conducive to his bodily 
 than to his spiritual health. But what most 
 diverted the patient's thoughts from holy 
 things J was the ever present image of his 
 much loved Alice. During his illness, 
 several letters, breathing boundless love and 
 eternal constancy, had passed between the 
 two lovers, through the medium of one of 
 the housemaids. 
 
 Jonah, though feeding constantly on the 
 image of his beloved, found it after all but 
 very poor fare ; and hungered for a more 
 real and substantial banquet, to feast his 
 eyes with her presence, and his ears with 
 her conversation. 
 
 Nothing had so much cheered the in- 
 valid's spirits, and impressed his heart for 
 good, as Alice's letters. Certainly there
 
 192 SCHOOL. 
 
 was a great deal in them, which ladies 
 whose blood has been cooled by the chill- 
 ing breath of thirty winters, might ridicule 
 as weak, silly, and romantic. The full and 
 spontaneous flow of the affections of young 
 and innocent hearts, whether in speech or 
 on paper, I count neither silly nor weak. 
 The deep spring of love is in every breast, 
 and its source is in heaven. There it is, 
 awaiting the magician with his divining 
 rod to discover its presence, and bid it gush 
 forth. And happy they whose affections 
 meet and mingle in early life, ere their 
 fresh and pure streams have been sullied 
 by the pollutions of a selfish and deceitful 
 world. 
 
 Inexpressible was the rapture of Jonah's 
 first meeting with Alice after his recovery. 
 Their trysting -place was a retired spot in 
 the garden. Tears and kisses strangely 
 intermingled as they fondly embraced. 
 When the first burst of feeling had sub- 
 sided, Alice said, in her tenderest tone,
 
 RECOVERY. 193 
 
 " You have had, dearest, a sad time of it. 
 Your ilhiess has been a great grief to me. 
 You have been scarcely ever out of my 
 thoughts ; and, oh ! how happy I am to see 
 you restored to health. Thankful should 
 we be to our Heavenly Father for his great 
 goodness to you ; and let us pray to Him 
 that your affliction may be made a lasting 
 blessing to you. I have something to tell 
 you which I know will cause you pain. 1 
 am going to leave school at the end of this 
 half." 
 
 " Surely not," interrupted Jonah, in a 
 doleful tone. 
 
 '' Yes," said Alice ; " my father wills 
 it, and I don't regret it, except on your 
 account. I'm not the only girl that is about 
 to leave. The parents complain so much 
 of the ' extras Mrs. Griggles charges, 
 making their bills mount up so : and the 
 pupils, of the increasing niggardliness of 
 Mrs. Griggles — giving such washy tea, and 
 scarcely a varnish of butter upon their thick 
 
 VOL. I. 13
 
 194 SCHOOL. 
 
 pieces of bread, and allowing only one small 
 helping of meat at dinner — that, unless 
 matters improve, several of the young 
 ladies will leave. I have often told you 
 how I dislike the school, where you must 
 either be a hypocrite or an exile. ' Nothing 
 can tend,' as my father says, ' to promote 
 hypocrisy more than class-meetings — caus- 
 ing some to make themselves, out of mock 
 humility, worse than they are ; and others, 
 out of spiritual pride, better than they are.' 
 Besides, it is against every feeling of proper 
 delicacy and reserve to expose one's most 
 sacred feelings and most secret thoughts 
 and temptations to the gaze of a mixed 
 company. Whatever you do, Jonah, be 
 not a hypocrite at class : be true, be 
 real. The less you say there the better. 
 I am now quite out of Miss Herbert's good 
 books, because I wont meet any longer in 
 class, and keep the quarterly fasts, and say 
 long prayers, and read all sorts of super-
 
 RECOVERY. 195 
 
 stitious books, and wear a plain stuff dress, 
 and half a yard of narrow ribbon in my 
 bonnet Because I wont do these things I 
 am harshly treated. But, never mind, it is 
 all over now, and I must try to forget the 
 past" 
 
 " I'm very sorry, dearest," replied Jonah, 
 with tears, " that youVe been so unhappy. 
 My father, too, complains of Dr. Griggles* 
 extras — which make the bills mount up 
 sometimes beyond all bearing. I'm quite 
 sick of the ways of the school. I can't 
 bear Mr. Mavine, Thompson says he is no 
 good, and that the members of the Secret 
 Band have found out some strange things 
 about him, but what they are he wont say. 
 It breaks my heart to think you are going 
 away. It will break my heart — I know it 
 will." 
 
 " Don't talk so," returned Alice, chidingly. 
 " It's not right to give way so to your feel- 
 ings. It is God's will, and to that we must 
 
 13—2
 
 196 SCHOOL. 
 
 bow ; and Grod's grace will support us under 
 every trial. So long as we do our duty all 
 will be well. And now, dearest Jonah, 
 don't forget what I have so often told you. 
 Don't be led away by bad companions. 
 Don't be a hypocrite to please any one. 
 Attend to j^our studies, that you may be 
 well prepared for college, and then you will 
 be both happy and useful." 
 
 " If I'd always followed your advice it 
 would have been much better for me," re- 
 turned Jonah, mournfully. " I'll do as you 
 wish me, that I will. And now," con- 
 tinued he, taking Alice's right hand into 
 his, "let us go through those words we 
 said we would /' and he repeated — " I, 
 Jonah, take thee, Alice, to my wedded wife 
 to have and to hold from this day forward, 
 for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, 
 in sickness and in health, to love and to 
 cherish till death us do part, according to 
 God's holy ordinance, and thereto I plight 
 thee my troth."
 
 RECOVERY. 197 
 
 Alice now took Jonah's right hand into 
 hers, and repeated the same words. 
 
 The ceremony concluded, they parted 
 with a passionate kiss, hoping that their 
 separation would not be of long duration.
 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIV. 
 
 EUREKA. 
 
 HE month before the Christmas 
 holidays was a busy and anxious 
 time for Dr. Griggles. What little 
 talent he possessed as a schoolmaster was, 
 during that time, in constant requisition in 
 assisting to prepare the cleverest boys for 
 the annual examination. The dull boys 
 had a jolly time of it during these weeks of 
 busy preparation for the annual show. The 
 Doctor superintended the penmanship and 
 elocution of the most promising pupils. At 
 the last two examinations the Doctor had 
 aspired to something higher than mere 
 recitations ; and had got up a performance 
 of one of Mrs. Hannah More's sacred
 
 EUREKA. 199 
 
 dramas. This year he hit upon a most 
 happy novelty — a dramatic missionary meet- 
 ing. The idea dawned upon the lucky 
 Principal at half-past two o'clock of the 
 morning of the fifteenth of November, 
 when he called out " Eureka ! Eureka!" and 
 kicked about in such ecstasies, that he 
 awoke Mrs. Griggles out of a state of 
 stertorous slumber. 
 
 Eager was the Doctor, when he rose, to 
 communicate to the Vice-Principal his novel 
 idea. The two gentlemen fortunately met 
 on the stairs. The Doctor accosted Mr. 
 Mavine, exclaiming, " Eureka, brother ! 
 Eureka! I have got it at last — a most 
 beautiful and telling novelty for the ensuing 
 examination." 
 
 *' I am glad to hear it," replied Mr. 
 Mavine, following the Doctor into the 
 sitting-room. 
 
 " What do you think of a dramatic mis- 
 sionary meeting ?" interrogated the Doctor, 
 rubbing his hands with rapturous glee.
 
 200 SCHOOL. 
 
 " No bad idea," replied the Vice-Principal, 
 " if properly carried out. I see what you 
 mean, I think. Your idea is to get up 
 a dramatic representation, something like 
 that we have had before ; only, instead 
 of King David and Groliath, and Samuel, 
 and other Scripture characters figuring 
 on the stage, you would have the great 
 Mogul, and a Cannibal chief, and mission- 
 aries." 
 
 " That is just my idea." 
 
 " I suppose, Doctor, you would have a 
 drama written in which these or similar 
 characters would be introduced ?" 
 
 "You have hit it exactly, brother. I 
 don't doubt that, together, we could produce 
 a beautiful piece, which would obtain great 
 applause, and immortalize both its autliors 
 and the school. Let us just see, now, what 
 scenes we might introduce. 
 
 " We cannot, Doctor, in a moment con- 
 struct the plot of a drama which shall im- 
 mortalize its authors. It requires great
 
 EUREKA. 201 
 
 thought, and much skilful arrangement. 
 We might, perhaps, be able to strike out a 
 rough draft. Your idea would require about 
 three scenes for its development. One of 
 the scenes, as you propose, might be laid in 
 India, in which a missionary, and his wife 
 and family, could be introduced, and a 
 Hindoo, and his family ; also a Brahmini- 
 cal priest, with some of his idols, concluding 
 with Bishop Heber's Missionary Hymn, 
 with an accompaniment on the piano by 
 Miss Herbert. The next scene we might 
 place in Jamaica, and, as you say, we should 
 be at no loss for little niggers ; we could 
 represent a missionary school, and the 
 happy death-bed of an aged negro, whose 
 conversion bad been effected by the instru- 
 mentality of one of the school-children. 
 ' Vital Spark ' at the end would not be inap- 
 propriate. A third scene might be fixed 
 in New Zealand, in which we should have 
 ample scope for a few horrors ; and then we 
 might close the performance with a proces-
 
 202 SCHOOL 
 
 sion of the entire company, bearing in their 
 hands idols, which they should break before 
 the cross, concluding with the 'Hallelujah 
 Chorus/ It would be no bad plan to intro- 
 duce a Roman Catholic priest and a Sister 
 of Mercy, and show up the dire opposition 
 which Protestant Missions meet with from 
 Papal emissaries." 
 
 " That is just the sort of thing T had 
 worked out in my own mind," replied the 
 Doctor, enthusiastically. " It will take won- 
 derfully, and greatly promote the cause of 
 missions. It wouldn't surprise me if we 
 were asked to represent the drama at some 
 of the neighbouring chapels. Fancy, bro- 
 ther, you and me travelling the country with 
 a company of performers, and acting the 
 really legitimate drama." 
 
 " Yes, Doctor, no unlikely thing indeed. 
 The sacred stage would very soon displace 
 the profane, as the Christian drama of the 
 early ages of the Church deposed the 
 heathen. Sacred performances, under the
 
 EUREKA. 203 
 
 name of mysteries, or miracles, were of 
 common occurrence in after centuries, both 
 in our own country and on the Continent. 
 The Church, in early times, and the Eoman 
 Catholic Church of a later period, appear 
 to have been alive to the value of sensuous 
 forms and histrionic displays, for producing 
 on the mind vivid impressions of sacred 
 truths, and exciting, in the soul, deep reli- 
 gious emotions. As a great divine once 
 said, that he did not see why the devil should 
 have all the best tunes ; so I say, I don't 
 see why Popery should monopolize all the 
 best means for propagating the truth. The 
 Church must learn to adapt her machinery 
 to the ever-varying aspects of social and 
 political life, in order to subdue all things 
 to herself; rigid in her principles, yet 
 flexible in her forms and plans of action, is 
 the combination required. And herein is 
 the beauty and efficiency of that wonderful 
 system of ecclesiastical polity framed by the 
 sublime genius of our venerable Founder
 
 204 SCHOOL. 
 
 that it was exactly adapted to the wants of 
 the age for which it was devised. Nor 
 was he, like many in our own day, so 
 attached to novelty as to despise the past ; 
 nor would he reject anything that was really 
 good in principle, simply because it was 
 Eomish, or had been abused by the Church 
 of Eome to superstitious ends. No, his 
 keen and sagacious intellect saw much in 
 the Eoman Catholic Church, as in Mora- 
 vianism, which his practical ability could 
 turn to good account in the system of godly 
 discipline which he was about to establish;" 
 and with these words Mr. Mavine left the 
 room to attend to his scholastic duties. 
 
 -^^
 
 CHAPTEE XXV. 
 
 A GREAT HIT. 
 
 HE important day is come, and 
 Worthesley Hall, long before dawn, 
 is full of bustle, and rings with the 
 sound of merry voices. Mrs. Griggles and 
 the servants are busy, making preparations 
 for the reception of numerous visitors. 
 Dr. Griggles and his ushers, with the help 
 of a jobbing carpenter, are engaged in pre- 
 paring the stage for the dramatic entertain- 
 ment. Miss Herbert is giving the jGinishing 
 strokes with her brush to the last and most 
 important scenic representation. In the 
 dormitories the several actors, some in bed 
 and some half-dressed, are going over their 
 several parts. Every minor is in requisi-
 
 206 SCHOOL. 
 
 tion, and reflects a G-arrick or a Siddons. 
 The sound of the breakfast-bell suspends 
 the rehearsals. 
 
 Breakfast ended, the performers are re- 
 quested to remain for the last rehearsalof 
 the piece. 
 
 The Doctor takes his station before the 
 sta^e, with the text of the drama in his 
 hand, to correct the verbal inaccuracies and 
 faulty elocution of the actors. 
 
 After dinner, the pupils appear in their 
 best attire to receive their friends. Vehicles 
 of various kinds now rattle up to the door, 
 and deliver their burthens, till the rooms 
 can scarce contain the visitors. None of 
 the numerous visitors make themselves so 
 generally agreeable as the Eoman Catholic 
 priest of Wisely, and the editor of the 
 Liberator. The former has been invited on 
 account of his relationship to Master Du- 
 prez, a pupil, the son of a foreign Eoman 
 Catholic ; the latter, in order that a full 
 account of the day's proceedings may appear
 
 A GREAT HIT. 207 
 
 in the next number of his paper. The 
 priest is a tall, thin, dyspeptic-looking man, 
 with small keen eyes, broad brow, and 
 delicately-formed mouth, from which issued 
 the softest and most winning of voices. 
 The editor is stout, strong-limbed, and 
 large-featured, with a puffy chin, rigidly 
 supported by a blue stock; a broad chest, 
 set off with a white under- waistcoat ; and 
 rough, stubbly hair, through which he 
 passionately thrusts his fingers. His man- 
 ner is pompous and pushing, and he speaks 
 with a gruff, authoritative voice, which 
 silences all opposition. 
 
 Two other gentlemen worthy of notice 
 were amongst the company, friends of the 
 Vice -Principal ; the Rev. Ambrose Clutch, 
 the curate of St. Margaret's, Wisely, a 
 gentleman high in ecclesiastics, and low in 
 politics; and the Eev. Jabez Coral, the 
 Baptist minister of a neighbouring town, a 
 very fine preacher and platform orator, for 
 whom a grand chapel had been lately erected.
 
 208 SCHOOL. 
 
 in the amphitheatrical form, in which fine 
 music and good chanting might be heard 
 twice every Sunday, and once in the week, 
 with a splendid oration to boot. 
 
 The superintendent minister of the cir- 
 cuit, Mr. Porter, was, of course, amongst 
 the guests, and was quite enraptured with 
 the aforesaid gentlemen — such agreeable, 
 clever men, so free from all bigotrj^ and 
 so loud in their praises of the sublime 
 system of Methodism. 
 
 The vicar of the parish, an earnest, 
 gentlemanly, and cultivated member of the 
 Evangelical party, tried to make himself as 
 agreeable as he possibly could, amidst such 
 a heterogeneous assembl}^ 
 
 As reo^ards the ladies who honoured 
 Mrs. Griggles with their company, I shall 
 make mention of two only — Mrs. Jones and 
 Mrs. Fishpond — the former, extremely 
 obese, with her jolly face adorned with 
 well-frizzed curls, and surmounted by a 
 " porcupine cap," and arrayed in a gorgeous
 
 A GREAT HIT. 209 
 
 silk dress, with balloon sleeves ; the latter, 
 very slight, with sweet gravity of face, 
 having her hair drawn straight behind her 
 ears, and wearing a brown stuff dress, with 
 tight sleeves; a plain net cap, with the 
 narrowest of borders, an attire which, if the 
 venerable founder of her Society still 
 interests himself about female dress, he 
 must have entirely approved. 
 
 After a. brief interval the company repair 
 to the schoolroom, the walls of which are 
 covered with specimens of the pupils' pen- 
 manship, drawings, maps, worsted-work, &c., 
 under festoons of holly and evergreen, de- 
 corated with artificial flowers. 
 
 Dr. Griggles, in his robes, sits majesti- 
 cally in front of the stage, with many books 
 by his side, each of which, in turn, he takes 
 up, as speech succeeds speech. At the de- 
 livery of the Latin hexameters and Greek 
 Iambics the Doctor stands up, eager and 
 intent, with book in hand, and eye on book, 
 following every word. At the conclusion 
 
 VOL. I. 14
 
 210 SCHOOL. 
 
 of each piece he claps his hands in great 
 applause. 
 
 Now comes the presentation of the prizes, 
 in which it must be allowed tlie Doctor 
 displayed a better manner and used more 
 appropriate language than the head masters 
 of many public schools, who seem as if they 
 could speak any language better than their 
 own. 
 
 Examination over, the visitors sit down 
 to a substantial tea, in the midst of which 
 the company are startled by the sound of 
 the tramping of horses, and the rattling of 
 wheels, which suddenly stop at the door. 
 Doctor and Mrs. Griggles beg to be excused 
 for a moment, and hasten to the door to 
 receive Mrs. Douglas, whose stately figure, 
 rustling down the room, is followed by 
 wondering and admiring eyes. 
 
 The lady being seated, apologized for the 
 absence of Mr. Douglas, whose engage- 
 ments, she said, were such as to prevent 
 the possibility of his being present upon
 
 A GREAT HIT. 211 
 
 the occasion. She cons^ratulated the Doctor 
 u]3on the great prosperity of his schools ; 
 and expressed her satisfaction at seeing her 
 former abode appropriated to the very best 
 of purposes, the education of the young. 
 Turning to Mr. Mavine, who was sitting 
 on her right, she engaged in a lively con- 
 versation with the accomplished gentleman, 
 interspersing it with the soft accents of 
 Italian. 
 
 At seven o'clock, the curtain rising, all 
 eyes glisten with delight, and a general 
 burst of applause breaks from the lips of 
 the assembly. 
 
 Mr. Mavine had followed, in the compo- 
 sition of the drama, the general outline 
 which he had sketched to the Doctor in the 
 conversation recorded a few pages back. 
 
 The language and versification of the 
 drama were most admirable ; the scenery 
 and dresses well appointed, and the acting 
 on the whole tolerably good. Master Du- 
 prez as Father Panmura, and Miss Wilder 
 
 14—2
 
 212 SCHOOL. 
 
 as a Sister of Mercy, performed tlieir parts 
 with a propriety of action, a force of manner 
 and a touching pathos, that would have 
 done no discredit to the boards of any pro- 
 vincial theatre. In the first two scenes 
 they appeared in the most trying situations 
 of self- sacrifice and devotion to their sacred 
 duties ; contrasting most favourably the 
 celibate, with the married life of the mis- 
 sionary; whilst, in the final scene, when 
 brought into direct collision with the Pro- 
 testant missionaries, and drawn by them 
 into religious controversy, they showed 
 themselves more than a match for their 
 opponents in theological disputation. 
 
 Grreat applause followed the fall of the 
 curtain. 
 
 A full report of the day's proceedings, 
 with the words of the drama, appeared in 
 the next week's Liberator.
 
 CHAPTER XXYI. 
 
 A PROMISE FULFILLED. 
 
 RS. nSHPOND had great satis- 
 faction in believing that Jonah's 
 illness had been blessed to his spiri- 
 tual improvement. During the vacation he 
 was very regular in his attendance upon the 
 means of grace ; conversed much with his 
 mother on religious subjects, and read Mr. 
 Wesley's Journal. In truth, he was fully 
 resolved to follow the advice of Alice, to 
 prepare himself for college and the ministry, 
 and make himself as far as possible worthy 
 of her esteem and affection. 
 
 Not many days did he allow to pass 
 before he proceeded to fulfil the promise 
 made to his darling when taking his fare-
 
 214 SCHOOL 
 
 well of her in the shrubbery. Alice's father 
 kept a draper's shop in the Wisely market- 
 place. Several times Jonah paced to and 
 fro in front of the shop before he was em- 
 boldened to enter, and ask the price of an 
 article in the window. By the time he had 
 made his purchase his mind was suflSciently 
 assured to say tremulously to the shopman — 
 
 " Pray, sir, can you tell me if Miss 
 Morel ey is at home ?" 
 
 " I dare say that she may be somewhere 
 about," replied the dapper young fellow. 
 
 ^ " Do you think, sir, that I could see 
 her?" 
 
 " I dare say you might. I will go and 
 inquire. What name shall I say?" 
 
 " Master Jonah Fishpond." 
 
 A few moments sufficed to bring a fair 
 young girl, with beating heart and beaming 
 face and dancing curls, into his presence. 
 Jonah's first impulse was to rush into 
 Alice's arms, which she perceiving, adroitly 
 prevented, by passing behind the counter.
 
 A PROMISE FULFILLED. 215 
 
 " Dearest Alice/' cried he, in a tone of 
 exceeding rapture, as he recovered from the 
 effect of this counter irritant, " how happy 
 I am to see you ! How do you do, and 
 how are your father and mother?" 
 
 The young lady, covered with confusion 
 and blushes, replied in low and broken 
 accents to Jonah's affectionate salutation. 
 Looks and smiles passed between the shop- 
 men ; the customers tittered ; and a middle- 
 aged man and woman, engaged in serving 
 some countrywomen, turned their eyes upon 
 Jonah with curious and perplexed astonish- 
 ment. The former was quickly by Alice's 
 side, and face to face with the excited youth. 
 
 " Master Jonah Fishpond." " My father," 
 said the abashed and fluttering daughter, 
 introducing the one to the other. 
 
 " How do you do, sir ?" said Jonah, with 
 great glee. " You don't remember me, sir? 
 I am so altered — so much grown, since I 
 used to come to your shop with my mother." 
 
 " I have not the pleasure of remembering
 
 21G SCHOOL. 
 
 either yourself or your mother," replied 
 Mr. Morele J, with an amused expression of 
 countenance. 
 
 " Don't you remember Mrs. Fishpond, 
 of Toddesley ?" asked Jonah, with an air of 
 surprise. 
 
 '' Yes ; certainly I do," answered the 
 father, motioning at the same time to his 
 daughter to retire. " You were looking at 
 some cloth for a coat, I presume. Have 
 you found one to suit you ?" 
 
 "I have found two, sir; and I wanted 
 dearest Alice to say which colour she would 
 like to see me in the best." 
 
 Jonah said this in such a doleful tone, 
 and with such wistful looks towards the 
 glass door, through which Alice had disap- 
 peared, that Mr. Moreley could scarcely 
 refrain from laughing. 
 
 " I think, sir, that the brown will suit 
 you best, and my daughter may probably 
 be of the same opinion. I will go and ask 
 her."
 
 A PROMISE FULFILLED. 217 
 
 " Thank you, sir," replied Jonah, with 
 spirits revived ; '' and perhaps you would 
 bring her back with you to choose me a 
 waistcoat." 
 
 Jonah, finding after some time that Alice 
 did not return, made his purchases, and 
 paid his bill. Still the youth lingered, 
 hoping to catch at least a glimpse of his 
 idol ; but all in vain. At last, summoning 
 resolution, he took his departure, and de- 
 scribing a short circuit which brought him 
 into the middle of the market-place just 
 opposite Mr. Moreley's house, he stood, peer- 
 ing round the end of a stall, watching for 
 the form of Alice to appear at one of the 
 windows. 
 
 After standing there some time without 
 catching the remotest glimpse of her, 
 he took his way to the inn, where Mr. 
 Fishpond, with other fat and jolly farmers, 
 after the market-ordinary, were enjoying 
 themselves, in grumbling over the badness 
 of the times.
 
 218 SCHOOL. 
 
 Every market day during the holidays 
 our love-sick youth visited Wisely, in order 
 to obtain a sight of Alice, and rarely were 
 his visits in vain. Once or twice he met 
 with her in the shop attending upon cus- 
 tomers, and exchanged greetings with her, 
 to his unspeakable joy — not unmixed with a 
 feeling of jealousy of the smart shopmen, 
 who might try to rob him of his priceless 
 treasure.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 TODDESLEY IN MOURNING. 
 
 HE parishes of Toddesley-cum-Bar- 
 rowell are plunged in deep sorrow, 
 for they have lost their respected and 
 beloved Yicar and his estimable sister. The 
 last few years of Mr. Bueley's life had been 
 unreservedly given to the work of his sacred 
 calling. Anxious to supply, as far as he 
 was able, the deficiencies of former years, 
 and make amends for past neglects, he had 
 zealously devoted himself to his parochial 
 duties. No sooner did the Bishop hear of 
 Mr. Bueley's dangerous illness, than he 
 hastened to his bedside. The Bishop's 
 visit greatly strengthened and consoled the 
 patient sufferer.
 
 220 SCHOOL. 
 
 As his end drew near, tenderly taking 
 his sister's band into liis own, with tremu- 
 lous accents he thanked her for her won- 
 drous love and kindness, and commended 
 her to the care of Him " that sticketh 
 closer than a brother." Gradually he 
 grew weaker and weaker ; lying still and 
 quiet, whispering inarticulately, and breath- 
 ing inaudibly, as with gaze of prayer and 
 most placid countenance his spirit passed to 
 its eternal rest. 
 
 Miss Bueley, that affectionate and devoted 
 sister of his, who for so many years had 
 been his constant companion, was thankful 
 to have been spared to minister to her 
 brother's last hours. Day after day, and 
 through the long vigils of the night, she 
 had tended his sick bed, moistening the 
 sufferer's parched lips, smoothing bis pil- 
 lows, renewing the air, regulating the light, 
 and performing for him a thousand offices 
 of ingenious love, to relieve his sufferings, 
 and cheer his drooping spirits.
 
 TODDESLEY IN MOURNING. 221 
 
 She Lad kept up to the last ; but when 
 ■"er work was ended the reaction was so 
 great that she sank in helpless exhaustion 
 on the couch, and was carried to bed ; and 
 in less than a week her spirit rejoined her 
 brother's in the realms of eternal order and 
 peace. 
 
 Both churches were draped in black ; 
 true symbol of the grief felt by young and 
 old, labourers and farmers, at their irre- 
 parable loss. None sorrowed more deeply 
 than the curate ; a poor man, but a scholar 
 and a gentleman, with a wife and several 
 children. 
 
 The Vicar had left his property to his 
 sister for her life ; and having no other 
 than very distant relatives, all well-off, he 
 devised it to his Curate, at Miss Bueley's 
 death. 
 
 It was indeed a precious honeyfall for 
 Mr. Wilton ; for hard had been his lot, 
 good and learned, and faithful minister 
 as he w^as. No one, but himself and his hard-
 
 222 SCHOOL. 
 
 working, earl^y -wrinkled, sharplj-pinclied, 
 uncomplaining wife, knew of the many 
 small shifts and contrivances to which they 
 had been driven to enable them to main- 
 tain a respectable appearance ; or the pain 
 inflicted upon their proud and sensitive 
 natures by the indelicate manner in which 
 friends ofiered them assistance. 
 
 " The bread of charity," said the Curate 
 to his wife, on more than one occasion, " is 
 never particularly sweet ; but when offered 
 with the bitter herbs of chafing condescen- 
 sion, off'ensive pity, and intrusive advice, it 
 turns one's stomach." 
 
 The prospect of ease and competence, 
 which they had now before them, filled 
 their hearts with joy and thankfulness. 
 
 If troubles seldom come alone, so also 
 blessings often fall in clusters. No long 
 time after the Vicar's death a letter. was 
 received by Mr. Wilton from his Bishop, 
 offering him the living of Toddesley-cum- 
 Barrowell.
 
 TODDESLEY IN MOURNING. 223 
 
 Surprised and delighted beyond measure 
 was Mr. "Wilton at this piece of good 
 fortune, which not only considerably in- 
 creased his income, but enabled him to 
 remain amongst the people, to whom he 
 had become greatly attached, and amongst 
 whom he wished to spend the remainder of 
 his days.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 THOMPSON AS A DETECTIVE. 
 
 HE system of espionage over Mr. 
 Mavine's doings set on foot by the 
 Secret Band derived essential ser- 
 vice from the industry and talents of 
 Thompson, who had left the school, and 
 v^as now living with his parents at Wisely. 
 Mr. Thompson, once a common workman, 
 had, by dint of ability, industry, and per- 
 severance in his business as a manufacturer, 
 accumulated a large fortune, but yet not 
 half so large as the ambitious tradesman 
 desired. He was a middle-sized person, 
 portly in appearance, with an energetic 
 countenance, broad forehead, deeply-set, 
 keen dark eyes, bustling in his manner, and
 
 THOMPSON AS A DETECTIVE. 22 & 
 
 had ci slight stutter when speaking ex- 
 citedly. In his fortieth year he had married 
 a governess, some fifteen years younger 
 than himself, well-looking and of lady- 
 like appearance. 
 
 It was the general opinion that Mrs. 
 Thompson had married the manufacturer 
 for his money. " For how could such an 
 educated person," said tattling tongues, " of 
 such lady-like appearance and manners, 
 marry a common, vulgar man, like Mr. 
 Thompson, from any other than mercenary 
 motives ?" 
 
 If the manufacturer had been such a 
 common, vulgar person as some people 
 regarded him, he would have sued in vain 
 for the hand and heart of Miss Everett. 
 But, in truth, he was by no means a com- 
 mon, vulgar person ; for he possessed a clear 
 and strong intellect, a keen relish for lite- 
 rature, unbending uprightness of principle, 
 and a most thoughtful consideration for the 
 rights and feelings of others. No man was 
 
 VOL. I. 15
 
 226 SCHOOL. 
 
 more respected by liis fellow-townsmen ; no 
 master more liked by his work-people. 
 True, he was not blessed with a gentlemanly 
 j)resence, or polished m.anners, or a pure 
 accent. These were deficiencies of which 
 the governess was painfully conscious, but 
 which, she thought, might be rectified in 
 time. 
 
 During his courtship Mr. Thompson had 
 signified to his lady-love how thanLful he 
 should be to her if she would kindly point 
 out any improprieties of manners or language 
 of which he might be guilty, in order to their 
 amendment. This consciousness of defects, 
 and desire to correct them, the lady regarded 
 as the best possible augury of future im- 
 provement. 
 
 There were important and substantial 
 advantages the swain possessed which Miss 
 Everett was not slow to appreciate, — his 
 excellent worldly position and means — all 
 things considered — the lady thought that 
 she might never have so good a chance of a
 
 THOMPSON AS A DETECTIVE. 227 
 
 comfortable settlement in life as the one 
 now offered to her. To Mr. Thompson's 
 inconceivable joy, he found himself, after 
 much earnest pleading, an accepted suitor. 
 Upon after consideration the governess saw 
 no reason to regret the promise she had 
 made. She respected and liked the man, 
 and might ultimately come to deeply love 
 him. 
 
 No man was ever happier or prouder on 
 his wedding-day than this bridegroom. He, 
 Mr. Thompson, adored the slim, fair, aris- 
 tocratic-looking woman, whom he could now 
 call his wife. He had spared no expense 
 in making a home for his bride, in every 
 way agreeable to her wishes and tastes. 
 
 Mrs. Thompson considered that the lines 
 had fallen to her in pleasant places. It was 
 soon remarked how much her husband had 
 improved in his appearance and manners 
 since his marriage. He had come to mind 
 his h's nearly as well as his p's and q's. 
 Had his circle of friends and acquaintance 
 
 15—2
 
 228 SCHOOL. 
 
 improved in the same way and degree it 
 would have been a most pleasant change 
 for Mrs. Thompson. Certainly, their vul- 
 garity did sorely try and vex her, '^ setting 
 her on edge a hundred ways ;" and she 
 found it as much as she could do to be civil 
 and agreeable to them. For Mr. Thompson's 
 sake she would try to put up with their 
 coarse ways and low-bred manners ; but to 
 spend her days in their society would, she 
 felt, be perfectly intolerable. She naturally 
 aspired to move in a higher shere, to asso- 
 ciate with persons whose tastes and sensi- 
 bilities were refined like her own, and with 
 whom she could feel thoroughly at home. 
 
 There was one thing she was determined 
 upon : that her son, her only child, should 
 receive the education of a gentleman, and 
 make a place for himself amongst the upper 
 ten thousand. To this end she took him 
 away from Dr. Griggles' school, and placed 
 him under a private tutor, a Dublin Univer- 
 sity man, residing at Wisely.
 
 THOMPSON AS A DETECTIVE. 229 
 
 Thompson, whilst at home, set himself to 
 watch, with pertinacious industry, the insi- 
 dious movements of Mr. Mavine; and we 
 now have to record the discoveries which 
 he at length made concerning that mys- 
 terious gentleman. 
 
 Every Thursday evening, Mavine was 
 seen to go up a certain street of Wisely, 
 and turn down a passage leading to the 
 hack of the house in which resided the pro- 
 prietor and editor of the Liberator. On 
 reaching the door he took a latch-key from 
 his pocket and passed in. On one occasion 
 he was followed hy a gentleman of small 
 stature, with a face singularly acute and 
 intelligent, and marked with the workings 
 of subtle and ambitious craft. This gentle- 
 man was an Independent minister, a most 
 popular preacher, and the trenchant editor of 
 one of the most radical papers in the north 
 of England. 
 
 Thompson waited some time for the ap- 
 pearance of Mavine ; but no one came out
 
 230 SCHOOL. 
 
 of tlie liouse, save the editor, his visitor, the 
 Independent minister, and a man, with red 
 hair and whiskers, dressed in a dirty suit 
 of fustian. 
 
 These three, having entered a fly, drove 
 off. Three hours elapsed before their return, 
 in a few minutes after which, Mr. Mavine 
 made his appearance, and bent his steps 
 homewards. The indefatigable detective 
 tracked the Yice-Principal to the residence of 
 the Eoman Catholic priest, to the monastery, 
 and to several meetings of seditious artisans 
 and operatives. He found him visiting a 
 highly talented young lady, who had lately 
 settled in Wisely as a daily governess; 
 and he traced him to the cottage of a poor 
 woman who went out to nurse, and with 
 whom resided an old crone, who went about 
 selling small books and tracts. 
 
 Thompson, no less clever than Mavine at 
 disguises, dressed himself in the garb of a 
 mechanic, and was enrolled as a member of 
 the trades union. At the meetings of the
 
 THOMPSON AS A DETECTIVE. 231 
 
 AVisely branch association lie met with 
 Mavine, disguised as a middle-aged artisan, 
 acting as its secretary, organizing its move- 
 ments, and stiring up in every bosom, with 
 malevolent dexterity, social animosities and 
 political disaffection. These discoveries 
 Thompson studiously kept to himself, till a 
 fit time should come to unmask the im- 
 postor, and upset Worthesley Hall.
 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE LUNATIC. 
 
 RE private asylum in which poor 
 Rigby was confined was at no great 
 distance from AYorthesley, and 
 accommodated some twenty patients. The 
 lunatic's violent ravings gradually subsided ; 
 but all efforts to restore his mind to a per- 
 fectly rational state were in vain. His talk 
 was a strange jumble of half-sense and non- 
 sense. At one time he would be in rapturous 
 converse with Miss Douglas ; at another he 
 would be in angry dialogue with her father. 
 Now he would be devising plans to capture 
 his darling out of the hands of her parents ; 
 and then he would be arranging means 
 for conveying her to Gretna.
 
 THE LUNATIC. 233 
 
 For months he watched for an opjDortunity 
 to make his escape for the purpose of carry- 
 ing out his long-cherished idea of eloping 
 with his adored Kate. At last, contriving 
 to elude the vigilance of the officials, 
 he directed his steps to Worthesley Hall. 
 Arriving there at dusk, he glided stealthily 
 into the scullery, where he secreted him- 
 self till the familv should have retired 
 to rest. When the house was still, he 
 stole out of his hiding-place into the 
 kitchen, lighted a candle at the fire, and 
 with noiseless steps proceeded upstairs, when 
 coming to a door slightly ajar, he gently 
 opened it, and, peeping in, saw, as he 
 thought, to his ineffable joy, his darling, 
 fast asleep in a chair with her head resting 
 upon a table. 
 
 "Now," he said, ''my angel, I have 
 found you," and approaching, he bent 
 down and impressed upon her parted lips a 
 kiss. 
 
 The startled sleeper opened her eyes upon
 
 234 SCHOOL. 
 
 the grizzly visage of the lunatic, and gave a 
 piercing cry. 
 
 " Don't be frightened, darling," said he, 
 in a gentle soothing tone, " it's your faith- 
 ful Charley come to make you his own ; let 
 us hasten away " 
 
 Miss Herbert heard not the words, for 
 she had swooned away. 
 
 ''Now, dearest, away, away!" he said, 
 as the sound of approaching footsteps 
 reached his ear, then, seizing hold of her, and 
 taking his sweet burthen into his arms, he 
 ran off wdth it at great speed, followed at 
 some distance by the Vice-Principal, who 
 completely lost the lunatic in the rapidity 
 of his flight. Dr. Griggles and the ushers, 
 dul}^ armed, quickly joined Mavine in the 
 pursuit of the supposed burglar or burglars. 
 The open door of the kitchen indicated 
 the way of their escape. Eushing into the 
 yard, they stood and listened for the sound 
 of footsteps. All was still. The door lead- 
 ing into the stackyard was discovered ajar.
 
 THE LUNATIC. 235 
 
 Here was another clue to the course the 
 burglars had taken. The stackyard was 
 entered, and the sound of a human voice 
 was heard. Softly the pursuers crept round 
 the stacks towards the place whence came 
 the plaintive tones. The pale gleam of the 
 moon showed a man sittins: on some loose 
 hay, bending over a female figure. In a 
 moment • the party were upon them. A 
 loud yell rose from the lips of the maniac, 
 as he was seized by Mr. Mavine. A violent 
 struggle ensued, which ended in the capture 
 of the madman, and the rescue of Miss Her- 
 bert, who, livid, cold and insensible, was 
 carried to the house.
 
 CHAPTEE XXX. 
 
 MAVINE UNMASKED. 
 
 T was a day of great triumph for 
 Jonah when he first applied the 
 razor to his downy cheeks. The 
 dangerous and interesting operation was 
 performed in the presence of a group of 
 admiring and envying boys, with an old 
 razor the property of his excellent father. 
 Two other operations he underwent daily, 
 not in the presence of his friends — the ap- 
 plication of an ointment to his cheeks to 
 promote the growth of his whiskers, and of 
 a magic compound to his locks, to soften 
 their too glaring hue. It was vacation, and 
 Jonah had not gone home for the holidays, 
 as a cousin of his, on a visit to his mother.
 
 MAVINE UNMASKED. 237 
 
 was lying ill in the house of a fever. Some 
 dozen girls and boys, who for one reason or 
 another, were spending their vacation at 
 Worthesley Hall, were playing together 
 in the hayfield, Dr. Griggles having been 
 called away to an interview with the Vicar 
 of Toddesley and his pupil Thompson, a 
 youth well known to the reader. 
 
 They had come over to Worthesley Hall 
 to unveil the real character of Mr. Mavine, 
 and his associates in the school. Such was 
 the array of evidence with which they sup- 
 ported their allegations against the Vice- 
 Principal and his allies, that the Doctor 
 stood perfectly aghast, and declared that 
 the perfidious conspirators should never 
 again come under the shadow of his roof. 
 The Doctor informed his visitors that Mr. 
 Mavine had left his Institution in a most 
 sudden manner some two months ago, and 
 that he did not know where he had gone. 
 He knew, however, the address of the other 
 teachers, both in his own and Mrs. Griggles'
 
 23S SCHOOL. 
 
 establisliment ; and he would write forth- 
 with to them, forbidding their return. In 
 conclusion, he earnestly besought the gen- 
 tlemen not to make public the nefarious 
 practices of the designing knaves, which 
 they promised not to do. 
 
 An event occurred after a time which served 
 fully to convince Dr. Griggles of the real cha- 
 racter of Mr. Mavine and his associates. In 
 the Liberator appeared the account of the 
 ceremony of a young lady of the name of 
 Flower taking the veil. The Doctor, on 
 reading the name, exclaimed, " Surely this 
 cannot be the Miss Tlower who came to 
 our school, the rich orphan child that my 
 nephew was attached to ?" Upon inquiry, 
 he found that the Miss Plower of the Libe- 
 rator was the same as he had suspected ; 
 and something very like an oath escaped 
 the Doctor's lips, consigning Mr. Mavine 
 to the tender mercies of the father of Papisti- 
 cal intrigues — the great father of lies him- 
 
 self.
 
 CHAPTEE XXXI. 
 
 FIRST SERMON. 
 
 HE establishment of Worthesley Hall 
 lias undergone a great change. A 
 new staff of assistants has been 
 introduced, greatly inferior in point of 
 ability and attainments to the former ; but 
 possessing the highest character for Wes- 
 leyan fidelity and Christian piety. Billson, 
 the classical master, a "Local Preacher," 
 who is preparing himself for the " Itinerant 
 Ministry," is very kind to Jonah, and ad- 
 vises him with respect to his studies ; he has 
 also proposed him, at the last " Quarter- 
 day," to be taken on trial as a local preacher. 
 Since his illness Jonah has followed the 
 advice of Alice — avoided evil companions,
 
 240 SCHOOL. 
 
 attended to his studies, and endeavoured to 
 lead a good life. He is desirous to pre- 
 pare himself for the ministry, and especi- 
 ally for public speaking, which he duly 
 practises in the fields. 
 
 It was on a mound, under a wide-spread- 
 ing oak, that our young prophet rose to 
 the height of his great argument, and 
 poured forth the full tide of his eloquence. 
 Every morning and evening he delivered a 
 discourse from what he called " Mars' Hill," 
 and three times a week he performed full 
 service. On these latter occasions, with 
 grave countenance, solemn step, and head 
 uncovered, he ascended the rostrum, knelt 
 down, and offered up a silent prayer. 
 Then, taking out of his pocket a hymn-book, 
 he said, with a loud voice, "Let us praise 
 God by singing "... The hymn sung, he 
 offered up a prayer ; another h}- mn followed, 
 and then, giving out his text, he preached 
 his sermon, concluding with singing again, 
 and prayer, and the benediction. He endea-
 
 FIRST SERMON. 341 
 
 voured to get the cattle to attend Divine 
 Service, but tlie announcement of t-he hymn 
 always frightened them away. Two regu- 
 lar and patient hearers, though not the most 
 silent ones, he obtained in an old donkey 
 and her offspring, which, like too many 
 attendants on pubHc worship, were bribed 
 by a feed of corn. Jonah, with great pro- 
 priet}^, addressed them as "Dear Brethren," 
 and often repeated to them the following 
 lines, the first ejffort of his poetic muse : — 
 
 " I know that thy race is very much scorn'd, 
 But it was thy kin that bad Balaam warned. 
 And I'll tell thee, Jenny, something beside. 
 It was thy kin the Messiah did ride. 
 And though you've much 2^ain and sorrow on earth, 
 Mr. Wesley makes out you'll have a new birth, 
 And if you do profit by these means of grace, 
 In the next world you'll get a very good place." 
 
 Theology, field-preaching, attendance on 
 means of grace, and a word i?i and more 
 frequently out of season, to young and old, 
 occupied much of Jonah's time. It was 
 only occasionally that he condescended to 
 surprise his teacher Billson with a new 
 
 vol.. I. 16
 
 242 SCHOOL. 
 
 version of Caesar or Yirgil. He did not see, 
 lie said, what use Latin was to a minister of 
 the Gospel. His teacher advised him to 
 give his attention to the Greek and Hebrew 
 languages, in order that he might be able to 
 read the Scriptures in the original. This 
 advice Jonah immediately followed ; for he 
 saw how grand it would be, when preaching, 
 to be able to say, like some ministers, " This 
 passage in the original reads thus :" or 
 " This word would be more properly trans- 
 lated so." Billson, in expectation of his 
 call to the ministry, had himself commenced 
 the study of Greek, and could nearly con- 
 jugate TVTTTCj. Jonah gladly availed him- 
 self of his teacher's proffered assistance, and 
 set to work to master the mysterious symbols 
 of the Greek alphabet, which, after much 
 labour, he accomplished. Great was his joy 
 when the meaning of the text, " I am the 
 Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and 
 the end," flashed upon him, and he deter- 
 mined that in his first sermon he would
 
 FIRST SERMON. 243 
 
 enlighten liis audience on that obscure 
 passage. 
 
 The time at length arrived for Jonah to 
 astonish the ignorant rustics with his pro- 
 found learning. Accompanied by his friend 
 and tutor, he journeyed to the village of 
 Noseley to exercise his ministerial gifts. It 
 had been agreed on the way that Billson 
 should sit at the farther end of the chapel 
 to correct, by given signs, any faults in his 
 elocution. 
 
 The messengers of truth were entertained 
 at tea by a small dealer in groceries. After 
 much edifying discourse, Jonah retired to 
 an upper room for meditation. Having 
 collected his thoughts, and arranged his 
 toilette, he descended and set forth to the 
 scene of his labours — a small barn-like 
 chapel, with a row of seats down each side ; 
 the one occupied by men, the otiier by 
 women. The chapel was tolerably well 
 filled. With downcast eyes and solemn 
 aspect, the preacher passed between the 
 
 16—3
 
 244 SCHOOL. 
 
 rows of " hearers," and with the help of 
 the pulpit rail, he ascended the rostrum. 
 
 After a long, silent prayer, he slowly- 
 raised his head from the cushion, and with 
 tightened lips and compressed brow, sur- 
 veyed his congregation; then, opening 
 the Bible, and putting his white pocket 
 handkerchief under the cover, he commenced 
 giving out the hymn, which was sung with 
 heart and voice by the whole congregation, 
 lifting their hearts on the wings of praise 
 to the very gate of heaven. Some half- 
 dozen of the Worthesley society dropped in 
 before the first hymn was over, which occa^ 
 sioned Jonah a slight fluttering of the 
 heart. He went through the first singing 
 and prayer tolerably well, but towards the 
 close of the second hymn he became dread- 
 fully flurried as the door opened admitting 
 three famiUar faces. The three late wor- 
 shippers were schoolfellows of the preacher, 
 living in the neighbourhood, who, having 
 heard of their friend's holding forth, deter-
 
 FIRST SERMON. 245 
 
 mined to make a part of his audience. 
 What would Jonah have given to be out of 
 tlie pulpit. However, there he was, and he 
 must make the best of his situation. The 
 poor fellow trembled, and the perspiration 
 poured down liis face, which he indefatig- 
 ably wiped away with his cambric. The 
 last verse was sung, and the people sat 
 down. All eyes were fixed upon the preacher; 
 all ears were open to drink in his words. 
 He opened the Bible, and turned over the 
 leaves, but, alas ! he had forgotten where 
 his text was. The more he fumbled over 
 the leaves, the more perplexed he became. 
 At length he was relieved from his embarrass- 
 ment by an old man crying out from the 
 congre2:ation, '' Never mind the place, my 
 lad, the text 'ull dow." With some diffi- 
 culty Jonah stammered out the words, 
 " How shall we escape if we neglect the 
 great salvation?" Again he repeated the 
 text, and then paused, and then stammered 
 forth a few disconnected and broken texts of
 
 246 SCHOOL. 
 
 Scripture, attended with many pauses, clear- 
 ings of his throat, and rubbings of his nose. 
 For some ten minutes he blundered on in 
 this fashion, till he came to a deadlock, 
 and big tears streamed down his hot cheeks, 
 as his head sank down into his hands upon 
 the Bible. 
 
 " Dunner crj, my lad,'' said the old man, 
 addressing him again, " you'll do better next 
 time, we munner despise the day a' small 
 things. I'll cum up and finish for thee." 
 
 'Now it so happened that Jonah's text 
 was one from which the old man had him- 
 self very often preached; he therefore, had 
 no difficulty in bringing out of his treasury 
 a fluent supply of old things, which he 
 vociferated with most violent gesticulation, 
 to the great comfort and edification of his 
 hearers. 
 
 Jonah was too much distressed by his 
 disastrous failure to profit greatly by the 
 discourse of his substitute. The presence 
 of his three schoolfellows weighed heavily
 
 FIRST SERMON. 247 
 
 upon his spirits. He was afraid they would 
 wait to speak to him at the close of the 
 service, and lie felt that the interview would 
 be by no means agreeable to his feelings 
 or favourable to his ministerial ciiaracter. 
 When the service was ended, Jonah hinted 
 to the preacher that he should announce 
 that a prayer meeting would be held, and 
 that he should at once open it by giving out 
 a hymn. By this device" our young preacher 
 thought to avoid any unpleasant encounter 
 with his critical friends. 
 
 The greater part of the assembly now left 
 the chapel, but to the surprise and horror 
 of Jonah, the three mischievous youtlis re- 
 mained in their places. The preacher called 
 upon Jonah to pray. The disconsolate 
 youth shook his head in response to the 
 invitation. 
 
 That no time might be lost, nor the 
 fervour of devotion flag, Billson declaimed a 
 grand, florid address, which frequent use had 
 made quite familiar to him, and which had
 
 248 SCHOOL. 
 
 gained liim the reputation of possessing a 
 great gift in prayer. 
 
 Some half dozen others, if with less regard 
 to the proprieties of gesture and language, 
 prayed in a simple and more earnest strain, 
 evoking the most fervid responses. 
 
 As soon as the prayer-meeting was ended 
 the three youths went straightway to Jonah 
 to thank him for his eloquent discourse. 
 "Who'd have thought it," said one of the 
 trio, in a voice audible by all present, " that 
 you'd ever come out in this way ? Why, 
 Jonah, you are a regular Demosthenes." 
 " What capital sprees — " began another. At 
 this juncture Billson interposed a few re- 
 marks to divert the attack from the preacher, 
 who stood speechless and confounded under 
 this unexpected sally. The diversion was 
 successful. Jonah quietly slipped away, 
 and proceeded with hasty steps and palpita- 
 ting heart to the house of the grocer, where 
 he was soon joined by Billson and a few 
 select iriends. who did their best to console
 
 riRST SERMON. 249 
 
 and clieer him under liis sad discomfiture. 
 The young preacher's sj^irits gradually re- 
 vived ; and sitting down to supper, he made 
 an excellent meal off cold mutton and warm 
 flattery. When the cloth was withdrawn, the 
 conversation turned upon Popery, Puseyism, 
 the Established Church, and Dissent, each 
 of which was reviewed and condemned, 
 and Methodism extolled to the heaven of 
 heavens. 
 
 The hour of ten had struck before the 
 preacher and his friend rose to depart. As 
 they passed into the silent night, beneath 
 the overhanging vault of heaven, pale and 
 clear, gemmed with faintly twinkling stars, 
 with the moon just rising behind the old 
 church-tower, bathing it in soft and silvery 
 light, they stood for a moment wrapt in awe- 
 struck contemplation of the majesty and 
 beauty of the scene. In pensive thought, and 
 with quick footsteps, they passed through 
 the straggling, slumbering village, and 
 reached the footpath which led by a short-
 
 250 SCHOOL. 
 
 cut through the sweet-smelling fields of beans 
 and half-made hay, when they overtook 
 several couples of young people who had 
 been to hear Jonah preach, and were return- 
 ing to Worthesley. A small company of holy 
 pilgrims was at last formed, who travelled on, 
 singing and praising God, squeezing hands 
 and snatching kisses. I hope no reader will 
 imagine that Jonah was guilty of the latter, 
 for I can assure him that he was not, neither 
 was his friend Billson, for they, having poor 
 fellows, no lasses to walk with, had to make 
 themselves as contented and as happy as 
 they could without them. All, however, 
 agreed that they had had a most delightful 
 and profitable walk, and that the best wine 
 had been saved to the last.
 
 CHAPTEE XXXII. 
 
 THE MACRUNEYS. 
 
 ONAH'S ministerial fame had gone 
 before him to Toddesley. His 
 arrival there had been looked for- 
 ward to by the Society with joyous expecta- 
 tion. His mother, to whom he is now 
 dearer than ever, has made great prepara- 
 tions for his reception. The parlour and 
 best bedroom are made ready for him, and 
 the fatted calf is killed. Mrs. Fishpond 
 has put on a snowy white muslin necker- 
 chief, neatly drawn over her shoulders, and 
 pinned down at the waist, and a new black 
 stuff apron, and standing at the door with 
 her knitting, impatiently awaits her boy's 
 arrival.
 
 252 SCHOOL. 
 
 At length lie makes his appearance ; and 
 his mother's arms receive him, and strain 
 him to her breast. Soon the family are 
 seated round the tea-table. Mrs. Fishpond 
 is all good humour and smiles, and is most 
 affectionate to her husband, with whom she 
 has been for some days offended. Mr. 
 Fishpond most pleasantly returns her en- 
 dearments. 
 
 " "Well, mother," said Jonah, after the 
 first salutations w^ere over, " how is the 
 cause prospering in this corner of the 
 Lord's vineyard ?" 
 
 " But poorly," answered Mrs. Fishpond. 
 " We are in a very low state. Those dreadful 
 disturbers of our Zion, the Warrenites, 
 have entered our little fold, and robbed 
 us of several of our members ; and they 
 have set up a meeting at John Hobbs'. 
 I never could have thought that John 
 would turn against the Society, to which 
 he owes his salvation, and much of his 
 daily bread. It's quite dreadful to hear
 
 THE MACRUNEYS. 253 
 
 tlie names he called the Conference and 
 the preachers." 
 
 " I must see John," replied Jonah, '' and 
 have a little talk with him. I may, hy the 
 blessing of God, bring him to a better state 
 of mind. It's very sad, this Warrenite 
 division. I hear it's spreading far and 
 wide." 
 
 " So I hear," said Mrs. Fishpond, in a 
 mournful tone. " What a deal Dr. Warren 
 will have to answer for ! We know how the 
 sowers of strife and division are condemned 
 in Scripture. The superintendent said to 
 me the other day, that the Doctor and his 
 crew were like Korah and his company, who 
 rose up against Moses and Aaron, and 
 whom the ground opened and swallowed 
 up." 
 
 " I must tell John that," returned Jonah. 
 " Poor man ! he little thinks how greatl}^ 
 he is sinning and provoking the Divine 
 wrath. I must tr^^ to bring the wanderer 
 back."
 
 254 SCHOOL. 
 
 "If I was you, JoDali," said Mr. Fisli- 
 poncl, " I'd let 'em alone. They'll come 
 back a tlieirsens when they're tired a the 
 change. As soon as John Hohbs finds his 
 custom falling off, he'll come back, I'll 
 answer for it. Tailoring chaps is a radical 
 lot. They sit all day, like a old hen, 
 hatching some mischief or other. John's new 
 cloth, as he'd put on Mr. Wesley's old gar- 
 ment, I reckon 'ud not make it much better." 
 
 " Perhaps you had better not go near the 
 deluded people," said Mrs. Pishpond. " I've 
 not spoken to any of them since they 
 left us. We had better simply pray for 
 them and leave them to Grod, as Mr. 
 Wesley recommended the Society to do in 
 the case of James Brownfield, when he left 
 it and set up for himself. And now you 
 are come among us, we may hope to see a 
 revival of the work, and fresh souls gathered 
 in, to fill up the places of those who have 
 left us. It has done my heart good to hear 
 of the great things which the Lord has
 
 THE HACRUNEYS. 255 
 
 wrought by your ministry. I always 
 thought 3^ou would prove a polished shaft in 
 the Gospel quiver." 
 
 "Bless the Lord," rejoined Jonah, ''my 
 "Word has been greatly blessed. I was 
 reckoning the other day the number of seals 
 to my ministry, and I made out getting on 
 to a hundred. We shall have a bib of a stir 
 among the drybones in the Toddesley 
 valley, I guess now I am amongst you. I 
 think my sermon on the text, * How shall 
 we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?' 
 will ofive them a shake." 
 
 "I see Mr. McEuney this morning, the 
 new Curate, the Vicar's cousin, who is to 
 teach you," said Mr. Fishpond, "and he 
 axed me when you was a- coming. He 
 wants you to get to work." 
 
 " I think," replied Jonah, " I may as well 
 go down to his house, and have a little talk 
 with him about matters." 
 
 " You had better, dear," said the mother. 
 
 Forthwith Jonah proceeded to Mr.
 
 256 SCHOOL. 
 
 McEuney's apartments. Suddenly our young 
 divine found himself to his great surprise 
 and confusion in the midst of a small tea- 
 party, composed of the Vicar and his wife, 
 and the Curate's sister, and the well known 
 Thompson. Mr. McEuney welcomed Jonah 
 with a most cordial greeting, and formally in- 
 troduced him to the company. Thompson 
 scrutinizing with his bright keen eyes his 
 old schoolfellow from head to foot, ex- 
 claimed, "Jonah, old fellow, is this you? 
 Why, I should not have known you, 
 you are grown so tall, and manly, and cleri- 
 cal. We were just talking about you, and. 
 wondering when you would honour and 
 bless us with your sacred presence and 
 genial society. When did you leave the 
 Worthesley Hall Collegiate Institution for 
 Young Gentlemen, and Establishment for 
 Young Ladies ?" 
 
 " This morning," replied Jonah, blush- 
 ing scarlet. 
 
 " How did you leave the pious and
 
 THE MACRUNEYS. 257 
 
 learned Doctor, and liis sweet and accom- 
 plished spouse?" 
 
 " I left them in good health, in both body 
 and soul; but much in trouble at my 
 leaving." 
 
 " Has anything been heard of the im- 
 postor Mavine?" asked the Curate. 
 
 " Nothing, reverend sir, that I know of," 
 replied the preacher, with less embarrassment. 
 
 " May I give you a cup of tea ?" asked 
 Miss McEuney. 
 
 " No, thank you, madam ; I have had 
 some, and some eggs and bacon ; of which 
 I have eaten, and am filled." 
 
 " You are not so filled," said Thompson, 
 " that you can't take one cup, for the sake 
 of society and friendly feeling." 
 
 '' Just one cup, if you please, ma'am," 
 replied the preacher. 
 
 " When shall I have the pleasure of see- 
 ing you, to take your first lesson ?" inquired 
 the Curate. 
 
 VOL. T. 17
 
 258 SCHOOL. 
 
 " Whenever you think proper, reverend 
 
 sir. 
 
 " Suppose we say next Monday ?" 
 
 " If you please, reverend sh- ; if the Lord 
 will." 
 
 " What are you reading, Mr. Pishpond ?" 
 
 "I am now reading Mr. Wesley's Ser- 
 mons, and Mr. Benson's Commentary." 
 
 " I mean, Mr. Fishpond, what classical 
 authors are you reading ?" 
 
 "Not any, reverend sir, just now. I 
 have occupied myself lately a great deal in 
 theology, to prepare for my pulpit duties." 
 
 " Just so. I heard from your mother 
 that you had begun to preach." 
 
 " No doubt, sir, she would tell you all 
 about it. I have preached the Gospel to 
 perishing sinners for almost half a year. If 
 you look at this, sir, you will see my name, 
 and where I have preached," said Jonah, 
 handing Mr. McEuney the " Wisely Cir- 
 cuit Plan " for his inspection. 
 
 " I think, Mr. Fishpond, you had better
 
 THE MACRUNEYS. 259 
 
 bring your scliool-books with you on Mon- 
 day; that I may be able to see what you can 
 do, and that I may advise with you respect- 
 ing your studies/' 
 
 " Thank you, reverend sir^ I will so do ; 
 and now, if you please, I will depart, as it is 
 time for me to be at our prayer-meeting." 
 
 With this Jonah rose, and bidding the party 
 good night, he hastened to the chapel, w^here 
 he had " great liberty " in prayer, and de- 
 livered a short address to the edification of 
 his hearers. 
 
 Mr. McEuney was a cousin of the Vicar 
 of Toddesley, and a graduate of Trinity 
 College, Dublin. He was a younger son of 
 an old Irish family — so old, that it was no 
 easy task to get at the roots of their genea- 
 logical tree. 
 
 The family had narrowly escaped destruc- 
 tion in the Ulster massacre of Protestants 
 by Catholics in 1641, " when the priests 
 told the people that the Protestants were 
 devils, and served the devil, and that killing 
 
 17—2
 
 2G0 SCHOOL. 
 
 them was a meritorious act/' They survived 
 however to become the possessors of a wide 
 domain of mountain and meadow, well 
 stocked with cattle and sheep. In one age 
 they enriched themselves by smuggling ; in 
 another, by bribes and sinecures. They 
 were a reckless, spendthrift race — addicted 
 to gambling, sporting, and hard drinking. 
 In course of time their estates^ which they 
 had been compelled to divide into small 
 holdings, became heavily mortgaged ; their 
 family mansion fell into ruinous decay, and 
 their impoverished and wretched tenantry 
 gave vent to ominous complaints and threats. 
 Earely, and only by stealth, did any of the 
 McEuney family visit their estates. The 
 Curate's grandfather had been shot at more 
 than once, when going over his lands. His 
 father had escaped the hands of the assassin 
 to meet with his death in a duel, provoked 
 by his hot temper and unguarded language, 
 in a contested election. His widow, a hand- 
 some, clever, fascinating woman, was left
 
 THE MACRUNEYS. 2G1 
 
 with a small income and large family. 
 Mrs. McEuney possessed good family con- 
 nexions, and was fortunate in making many 
 friends, whose services with zealous impor- 
 tunity she enlisted in the interests of her 
 children. Mrs. McEuney's fine figure, 
 graceful manners, and seductive voice were 
 familiar to every public office. She had the 
 satisfaction of seeing nearly all her children 
 well provided for. Two of her sons had 
 good appointments in the army ; one was in 
 the navy ; whilst two others were holding 
 good Government situations in the colonies. 
 Her eldest daughter she had married to an 
 aged baronet; her next two daughters she 
 had shipped off to their brothers, to win, by 
 their charms, some rich colonial prize in 
 the lottery of wedlock. They each suc- 
 ceeded in marrying " a good establishment." 
 The McEuney family, it may be as- 
 sumed, were no supporters of " O'Connell 
 and Eepeal." They had the most substantial 
 reasons for upholding and defending the
 
 262 SCHOOL. 
 
 Union. Mrs. McEuney had two daughters 
 still on hand. The younger of them, a fine 
 dashing girl, was now upon a visit to her 
 cousin, the Vicar of Toddesley, to recruit 
 her health and spirits after the sudden col- 
 lapse of a most promising matrimonial 
 speculation. The young lady had been 
 jilted by a heartless but prudent gentleman, 
 who, on finding the famous genealogical 
 tree without fruit, ah ! without even leaves, 
 cruelly deserted her. , 
 
 Mr. Wilton received his broken hearted 
 cousin with much kindness, and with ten- 
 derest assiduity ministered to the restora^ 
 tion of her health. Her recovery was 
 rapid — more rapid than her mother desired, 
 who had given her at least six months for 
 her convalescence, as no less time would 
 enable Mrs. McRuney to carry out suc- 
 cessfully the family campaign for the winter. 
 The Vicar of Toddesley had four young 
 gentlemen reading with him for the Uni- 
 versity ; one of these was Thompson.
 
 THE MACRUNEYS. 263 
 
 A fine field of adventure was thus opened 
 to Miss McEuney, who, you may be sure, 
 was not slow in turning it to account. The 
 appearance of the young lady at the 
 Vicarage created an immense sensation 
 amongst the pupils, who pronounced her 
 " a stunning fine girl, and up to a thing or 
 two." Thompson was fairly carried away 
 with her fine figure, good looks, and fasci- 
 nating manners, and hastened to lay his 
 devotion and heart at her feet and to ask 
 for hers in return. 
 
 Hence Miss McEuney's speedy recovery 
 from the crushing effects of her matrimonial 
 disappointment, which, the Vicar observing, 
 said, '' Fresh herbage springs from under 
 the withered." 
 
 The Curate of Toddesley, the young 
 lady's brother, was a big, rough-and-ready 
 Irishman, with some wit, little judgment, 
 and a most plausible tongue. Popery was 
 his bugbear ; dissent, his horror ; mammon, 
 his god. As a preacher he was highly
 
 264 SCHOOL. 
 
 popular, being impassioned in liis manner, 
 and fluent in his delivery. He was a most 
 shallow theologian, but a fairly sound 
 scholar, or Mr. Wilton would not have 
 recommended him as tutor to our friend 
 Jonah.
 
 m 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXIII. 
 
 MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 
 
 E. McEUNEY soon discovered that 
 his pupil had little taste or talent 
 for classical learning, he therefore 
 proceeded to try his skill in mathematics. 
 A few lessons in arithmetic and Euclid 
 served to show that mathematics, rather 
 than classics, was Jonah's forte. Indeed, 
 Mr. McEuney was no little surprised at his 
 pupil's progress in that department of learn- 
 ing, and he had little douht of his taking a 
 fair place on the mathematical tripos, if he 
 would apply himself assiduously to his 
 work. 
 
 Jonah's sacred duties unfortunately much 
 interfered with the prosecution of his "carnal"
 
 266 SCHOOL 
 
 studies. The preacher's whole soul was 
 bent upon the conversion of Toddesley, and 
 he went from house to house exhorting and 
 warning their wicked occupants to escape 
 the damnation of hell. The most strenuous 
 exertions of our young divine were spent 
 upon the Springley family. Old Springley 
 had no rest from his pleadings and prayers ; 
 he determined at last to put a stop to them. 
 Accordingly, one evening when Jonah had 
 more than usually tried the old man's temper 
 by his damnatory language, he said to him, 
 " I wonder, my lad, who has made thee a 
 ruler and judge over the parish. I have 
 borne with thy Methodistic cant long 
 enough, and I will have no more of it. 
 Grey hairs are not to be taught by beard- 
 less youth, nor a parish clerk to be lectured 
 by a raw stripling. Take care of thine own 
 soul, my lad, and I think I can manage to 
 take care of mine, and when I want thy 
 help I will send for thee." 
 
 Such a rebuff as this Jonah had never
 
 MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 267 
 
 before met with; lie was regularly taken 
 aback, and began to falter out a reply, 
 which, however, he was unable to finish, as 
 Springley, with a severe countenance, left 
 the shop ; and the preacher, grieved and 
 disconcerted, went his way. 
 
 "With Springley 's son Tom, Jonah's con- 
 verting efforts were more successful; he 
 listened with reverent attention to his in- 
 structions and his prayers, became a regular 
 attendant at the chapel, and frequently ac- 
 companied Jonah to the places where he 
 was appointed to preach, and verily he had 
 his reward. Jonah's purse, and Mrs. Fish- 
 pond's cellar and larder, made the ways of 
 religion very pleasant to Tom. Our preacher's 
 labours were greatly blest to the Toddesley 
 society, and our young prophet was not 
 without honour in his own native village. 
 It was a day much to be remembered in 
 Toddesley when our young Eevivalist 
 preached his first sermon there. Tom 
 Springley, at Jonah's suggestion, made it
 
 268 SCHOOL. 
 
 known far and wide that a Mr. Jonah Fisli- 
 pond, of Worthesley Hall Collegiate Insti- 
 tution, and going to Lincoln College, Oxford, 
 would preach on Sunday, July 1 5th, at the 
 Methodist Chapel, Toddesley. Tom's ad- 
 vertising industry got the Meeting House 
 so packed that the preacher had much dif- 
 ficulty in forcing his way to the pulpit. 
 Never had Jonah been in so good a cue for 
 his work ; he had his sermon nearly oif by 
 heart, and he was greatly encouraged by the 
 cheering words and fervent prayers of his 
 mother. 
 
 0, thought he, that dear Alice could be 
 present to hear me ! The text he had re- 
 solved to take was one from the prophet 
 Daniel— " Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin," 
 and from which he had heard an eccentric 
 and popular local preacher declaim with 
 wonderful effect. 
 
 To give greater effect to his discourse, he 
 had, at Tom Springley's suggestion, bor- 
 rowed a pair of scales from Dame Muggins,
 
 MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 269 
 
 to use in the weighing operations whicli lie 
 should infcroduce in the course of his sermon. 
 In a most solemn manner did he give out 
 his text, " Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." 
 
 The introduction, a singular mixture of 
 matter, concerning Daniel and Belshazzar, 
 he went through with very slight hesitation, 
 and was proceeding to speak of the original 
 condition of man, as he came out of the 
 hands of his Maker " the right weight," 
 when a voice cried out, " Yery good, Jonah, 
 very orthodox !" The preacher looked wist- 
 fully towards the spot whence the sound pro- 
 ceeded, and went on to speak of the fall of 
 man, and of the serpent that so fatally 
 beguiled the woman, when a voice from 
 another part of the chapel called out, " It 
 was a monkey, not a serpent, as Dr. Adam 
 Clarke fully proves." This statement closed 
 the lips of the preacher, who looked ear- 
 nestly in the direction from whence the voice 
 came to discover the brawler, but without 
 success. This second interruption greatly
 
 270 SCHOOL. 
 
 disconcerted the preacher, and threw his 
 thoughts into great confusion, so that he 
 preached more and more from the text, 
 when he bethought himself of the scales, 
 which were behind him on the pulpit seat, 
 so turning round he took them up, and 
 placing them on the desk, said, " Thou art 
 weighed in the balances and art found 
 wanting." 
 
 " Mind your scales are all right, Jonah,'* 
 shouted a voice, which appeared to be Tom 
 Springley's. Tom looked round at his 
 neighbours with innocent amazement, and 
 they at him with righteous indignation. 
 The preacher made a dead stand ; the con- 
 gregation turned their eyes upon the sus- 
 pected culprit ; a slight buzz passed through 
 the chapel, which was instantly silenced by 
 a voice from the ceiling proclaiming in 
 a solemn tone, " Now is the accepted time ; 
 to-morrow will be too late. Eepent ye, 
 therefore, at the preacliing of Jonah." 
 
 A painful silence pervaded the chapel.
 
 MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 271 
 
 which at length was broken by old John, 
 Mr. Fishpond's servant, saying, " Let ns 
 pray." 
 
 Prayer succeeded prayer, accompanied 
 with loud cries for mercy from the sinners, 
 and active exertions on the part of the saints, 
 to save them. It was not till a late hour 
 that the last penitent obtained " liberty." 
 
 Whence came that mysterious voice ? 
 All the congregation, saA^e two persons, 
 were of opinion, that it came from heaven. 
 One of these was a young man dressed in 
 fustian, with a grizzly head and beard. It 
 was by his agency that the mysterious signs 
 and wonders above recorded had been 
 wrought. Thompson was the agent, and 
 ventriloquism the means. 
 
 The other person was a young woman 
 dressed in a plain cotton dress, a coarse 
 shawl, with a thick veil over her face. It 
 was at this person's suggestion that Thomp- 
 son exercised his ventriloquistic talents. 
 
 The disguised pair left the chapel at
 
 272 SCHOOL. 
 
 dusk, and proceeded to the Curate's lodg- 
 ings. No little displeased was Mr. 
 McRunej, when he heard of the tricks that 
 his sister and Thompson had been prac- 
 tising. 
 
 They attempted to justify themselves 
 upon Mr. Mavine's principle, " that the end 
 justifies the means ;" the end being the 
 conversion of many souls ; to which Mr. 
 McEuney replied, " You would be of those 
 then who say, ' Let us do evil that good 
 may come.' Whose damnation the Apostle 
 declares to be just. The evil in your case 
 is undoubted, whilst the good is very 
 problematical. You are both of you greatly 
 to be blamed ; and I should recommend 
 you not to let the Yicar know anything 
 about your proceedings, as it would deeply 
 annoy and grieve him to hear of such pro- 
 fanation of Divine worship. You had 
 better make the best of your way to 
 Barrowell, for it is now far too late for you 
 to be out."
 
 MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 27^ 
 
 Mrs. Blight, the Curate's landlady, now 
 made her appearance, bringing in the tea, 
 and apologizing for its delay by reason of 
 her detention at the chapel. 
 
 " Who has been preaching?" asked Mr. 
 McEuney. 
 
 " Young Jonah Fishpond," Mrs. Blight 
 answered. 
 
 "How did he get on?" 
 
 " I scarce know, for such goin's on I 
 niver see." 
 
 " What goings on ?" 
 
 " Oh ! don't ask me, sir. I've niver been 
 there before, and I'll niver go agin." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Why ? becoz of the dreadful noise, and 
 strange voices comin' from the top of the 
 chapel, tellin' the sinners to repent that 
 night, or else it would be all over with 'em. 
 And then I was a good deal put about by 
 Mrs. Fishpond and her son botherin' me 
 about savin' my soul. I teld 'em I was 
 saved — saved from eternity in the inter- 
 
 VOL. I. 18
 
 274 SCHOOL. 
 
 minate counsel and aforeknowledge of God, 
 as you, sir, has often teld me." 
 
 " What did they say to that ?" 
 
 " They said I was a deceivin' myself, and 
 they would go on prayin' with me, till at 
 last I stopped my ears ; and so then they, 
 deep sighin' over me, left me, and I got out 
 of the chapel as soon as I could/' 
 
 " You did quite right in getting away as 
 soon as possible from such ignorant and 
 wild fanaticism, and attending to your 
 domestic duties, for I have been waiting 
 some time for my tea." 
 
 "I'm very sorry, sir," replied the land- 
 lady, in a whining tone, "to a kep' you 
 waitin'. You may rest sure I shall niver 
 be found there agen, for my head is now 
 quite all of a boil with the worry and 
 noise." 
 
 " Serves you quite right," rejoined the 
 Curate, deliberately, " for going to a schis- 
 matic meeting-house, against which I have 
 so often solemnly warned you; and especially
 
 MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. 275 
 
 to a Methodist meeting, where Arminian 
 doctrine is preached, of which the great 
 divine, one of whose works I am now 
 reading, says, 'Arminianism is the head, 
 Socinianism is the tail of the self- same 
 serpent.' '^ 
 
 "I shouldn't a' gone," returned Mrs. 
 Blight, penitently, '' only as how I was 
 curious to hear little Jonah." 
 
 " Eve was curious to hear what the ser- 
 pent had to say ; and with what result we 
 too well know," rejoined Mr. McEuney, re- 
 turning to his volume of Toplady to inti- 
 mate to Mrs. Blight that he had said his 
 last word. 
 
 18—2
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 PREPARING FOR COLLEGE. 
 
 ONAH'S fame as a youtliful prodigy 
 of piety and parts spread into the 
 neighbouring " circuits ;" from 
 which he began to receive invitations to 
 preach. He was only too glad to enlarge 
 his sphere of usefulness and popularity to 
 refuse any invitation to exercise in any 
 fresh place his ministerial talents. His 
 sacred functions greatly militated against 
 his progress in his academic studies. Jonah 
 could not see what the problems of Euclid 
 had to do with the " plan" of salvation, and 
 algebraic formulae with the discovery of 
 sacred truth. It was difficult to convince 
 him that it was as much his duty to read
 
 PREPARING FOR COLLEGE. 277 
 
 Csesar's Commentaries as Dr. Adam Clarke's, 
 and Demosthenes' Orations as Mr. Wesley's 
 Sermons. Mr. McEuney in vain endeavoured 
 to convince him of the vast utility of 
 mathematical and classical lore to a minister 
 of the Gospel. Jonah's reply to his reason- 
 ing was, " I don't read of the Apostles 
 being great mathematical and classical 
 scholars : they were poor unlettered fisher- 
 men, who counted the wisdom of this world 
 foolishness." 
 
 In this way was Jonah talking one 
 day, when the Yicar was present, who 
 thus answered him : " The Apostles were 
 not all fishermen ; nor were they all un- 
 lettered ; and yet they were all inspired ; 
 which, I suppose, you would scarcely pre- 
 sume yourself to be. St. Luke was a phy- 
 sician, and possessed an intimate knowledge 
 of the Greek language, as the preface to his 
 Gospel plainly shows. St. Paul was edu- 
 cated at the then great University of the 
 world, and that he was well acquainted with
 
 278 SCHOOL. 
 
 classical authors is evinced by his quota- 
 tions from the Greek poets ; and if he was 
 a maker of mathematical instruments, as 
 Michaelis conjectures, he must have been 
 no mean mathematician. And what means 
 the Apostle's exhortation to Timothy, " to 
 give himself to reading," but to apply him- 
 self to such studies as would fit him for the 
 more efilcient exercise of his ministry amongst 
 the educated heathen ? And what, too, were 
 the books which tbe Apostle left behind 
 him at Troas, and which he requested 
 Timothy to bring him, but his old college 
 books? The greatest divines in all ages 
 have ever been the best scholars ; and need 
 I remind you that the venerable Founder of 
 your Society was both a phDosopher and a 
 scholar ; and, as a follower of his, I recom- 
 mend you to emulate in these respects his 
 example ; and who knows but that you may 
 hereafter bring out an edition of his ' Notes 
 on the New Testament,' mm scholiis theohgicis
 
 PREPARING FOR COLLEGE. 279 
 
 ft pldlologicis, and confer a lasting benefit on 
 your Connexion." 
 
 This last argument was conclusive with 
 Jonah, so that he gradually settled down to 
 his reading. Occasionally only, and for a 
 limited time, was his attention diverted 
 from his secular studies. Some half-dozen 
 or dozen sermons, or rather texts and one 
 sermon, sufficed for his ministerial labours. 
 Now and then he looked into his Hebrew 
 and Greek books, to pick out some frag- 
 ment of scholarship, to introduce into his 
 sermon, to astonish his audience with his 
 learning. Our preacher was no little proud 
 of displaying on his bookshelves his array 
 of Hebrew and Greek works, which his 
 mother never failed to point out to her 
 visitors, telling them how her son could 
 read these curious things, and would one 
 day publish a new " edition of the Scrip- 
 tures." 
 
 And so went on our friend in his pro-
 
 280 SCHOOL, 
 
 gress from the plougli to the pulpit ; till at 
 length the desired time arrived for his de- 
 parture to the University, not of Oxford, 
 but of Cambridge, for which Mr. McEuney 
 thought his mathematical attainments best 
 fitted him, to add another bright luminary 
 to the constellation of Alma Mater.
 
 PART THE SECOND. 
 
 COLLEGE. 
 
 " For if you will have a tree bear more fruit than it 
 hath used to do, it is not anything you can do to the 
 boughs ; but it is the stirring of the earth, and putting 
 new mould about the roots that must work it." — Lord 
 Bacon, oii the Defects of the Universities. 
 
 *' To form a correct judgment of the tendencies of any 
 doctrine we shall rather look at the fruit it bears in the 
 disciples, than in the teacher. For he only made it, 
 they are made by it." — Guesses at Truth.
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 DEPARTURE EOR COLLEGE. 
 
 ON AH became so great a proficient in 
 mathematics that Mr. McEuney in- 
 formed Mr. Fishpond that he would 
 undoubtedly obtain a sizarship at his col- 
 lege, immediately upon his entrance ; and, 
 possibly, a scholarship at the end of his 
 first year, so that his college expenses would 
 be very trifling. The scheming father 
 thought, moreover, that he might be able 
 to make a bargain with the tutor of Jonah's 
 college, similar to that which he had made 
 with Dr. Grriggles ; so that he indulged the 
 pleasant dream, not only of his son's obtain- 
 ing his education for nothing, but even of 
 there probably being a balance in his favour.
 
 284 
 
 COLLEGE. 
 
 at the end of his career. Mr. McEuney did 
 not know exactly whether such a system of 
 exchange, as Mr. Fishpond proposed, could 
 be arranged with Paul's College, Cambridge ; 
 but he was sure that, at Trinity College, 
 Dublin, such a thing was never heard of. 
 Mr. Pishpond, however, thought that there 
 could be no harm in trying it ; and try it 
 he would. 
 
 At all events, he would supply his son, 
 for his own consumption, with some of the 
 produce of his farm ; so that hams, cheese, 
 and salted butter were packed in a hamper, 
 and despatched with his books, &c., by 
 canal, addressed by the student himself, 
 " The Eev. Jonah Fishpond, Paul's College, 
 Cambridge." 
 
 The few days that remained before his 
 departure, were spent by the aspirant to 
 collegiate honours in taking leave of his 
 numerous converts and admirers; he made 
 a special visit to Wisely to take his sad adieu 
 of Alice. He preached his farewell sermon
 
 DEPARTURE FOR COLLEGE. 28& 
 
 atToddesley to a crowded and weeping con- 
 gregation. It was a mournful parting to 
 the proud but anxious mother when ha 
 left very early in the morning, in the 
 spring-cart, to meet the " Defiance," which 
 was to carry him, by way of London, to 
 the scene of his future labours and dis- 
 tinction. 
 
 The morning was dark and bitterly cold, 
 when the collegian and his father set off. The 
 guard's horn, shrill and clear, broke cheerily 
 on their ears as they came in sight of the 
 "George and Dragon," where the coach 
 changed horses. Jonah alighted and en- 
 tered the inn, divesting himself of his 
 " Pauline cloak" and his comforter, to show 
 his clerical character. Buttery Sam, the 
 coachman, as soon as he set eyes upon 
 Jonah, and talked with him a little, settled 
 it in his mind that he was rather a " raw 
 chap," and had very much the cut of a 
 " Methody preacher." 
 
 At the suggestion of the coachman^
 
 286 COLLEGE. 
 
 Jonah occupied tlie box-seat, and, before 
 the first milestone was passed, Sam was 
 duly informed of his fellow- traveller's sacred 
 vocation and ultimate destiny. 
 
 "Some clever men," observed Sam, 
 " among the Methodists. What a won- 
 derful preacher the Eev. Robert Newton 
 is ! I shall never forget the sermon he 
 preached at Manchester, when I drove the 
 * Telegraph.' My father was a Methodist, 
 and as good a man as ever walked ; I only 
 wish I was half as good." 
 
 '' That's easy done," said Jonah, expound- 
 ing to Sam the way of salvation, and 
 recommending him to attend the Methodist 
 chapel, and become a member of the Me- 
 thodist Society. 
 
 " The first part of the way," replied Sam, 
 " may be easy enough ; but the last is more 
 than I can possibly manage, as I am on the 
 box all day, and in bed all night." 
 
 However Jonah's discourse might edify 
 the coacliman, it found no patient listeners
 
 DEPARTURE FOR COLLEGE. 287 
 
 on the seat behind him, whose repose was 
 no little disturbed by the preacher's vehe- 
 ment harangue. The sixth stage brought 
 them to the " Star," at Moseley, where they 
 met the down-coach. Jonah dismounted, 
 and entered the hostelry to warm himself, 
 and partake of refreshment, which he car- 
 ried in his pocket. As he was leaving the 
 room, in which many of the passengers 
 were hastily devouring a substantial hot 
 dinner, the waiter, accosting Jonah, said — 
 
 *' I think, sir, you have not dined at the 
 table ?" 
 
 " No, sir," answered Jonah. 
 
 *' Dinner," continued the waiter, '' half-a- 
 crown ; firing, a shilling. I will thank you 
 for a shilling." 
 
 Without demur the preacher pulled out 
 his yellow bag, and gave the sum de- 
 manded. 
 
 In the passage Sam met Jonah, and, 
 touching his hat to him, said — 
 
 " I am sorry to say I must leave you
 
 288 COLLEGE. 
 
 here, as I return with the down-coach. I 
 thank you for your excellent sermon, which 
 I shall never forget ; and you'll excuse me 
 for the liberty of reminding you, that it's 
 usual for the box-passenger to give the 
 coachman something extra for the seat, and 
 the use of the apron and wrapper, &c." 
 
 " What do gentlemen generally give ?" 
 asked Jonah. 
 
 *' DiJSerent sums," said Sam ; " according 
 to distance, weather, and respectability. 
 Some college gents give me as much as five 
 shillings, or half-a-soveriegn.'' 
 
 "Well, suppose I give you five shil- 
 lings," replied the student ; " will that be 
 enough ?" 
 
 "Very handsome," said the coachman. 
 
 Five shillings Jonah counted out into 
 Sam's huge palm, receiving in return many 
 thanks and wishes for his success at the 
 University. 
 
 Buttery Sam went chuckling away to 
 Tear-away Dick, the whip of the up-coach, to
 
 DEPARTURE FOR COLLEGE. 289 
 
 tell him what a "jolly green cove" he had 
 in Jonah for a passenger, and to give him 
 a few hints, whereby he might draw largely 
 on his purse-strings. 
 
 " Let's hear them again, Sam," said Dick, 
 *' as I may see my way clear. Did you say 
 Eobin ISTewun and Mr. Whistler?" 
 
 Sam having put Dick right as to the 
 talismanic names, the two repaired to the 
 tap to drink Jonah's health. 
 
 " I'm sorry," said Dick to Jonah, as the 
 latter stood in the doorway of the inn, 
 waiting for the coach to start, " I can't give 
 you the box-seat ; a gent has got it to Lit- 
 tleborough ; from there you shall have it to 
 town, as I hear as you're a kind gent, and 
 a parson, and going to the 'Varsity." 
 
 Our collegian took his seat behind Dick, 
 and in no long time was engaged in religious 
 controversy with the passengers on each 
 side of him, by whom, to his surprise and 
 chagrin, he was put down and silenced, in a 
 manner quite new to him. In his despon- 
 
 VOL. I. 19
 
 290 COLLEGE. 
 
 dency he betook himself to his Greek Testa- 
 ment, which he conned for many miles, 
 taking care that his neighbours should not 
 be unconscious of his learned employment. 
 Very glad was the young traveller when 
 the box-seat was vacated, that he could take 
 his place by the side of the coachman. 
 
 Dick had used some expressions during 
 the journey for which Jonah had reproved 
 him, and now he deemed it his duty to en- 
 force his reproofs by an appeal to the " word 
 and the testimony." 
 
 Dick listened most respectfully to his 
 lecturer till he heard himself denounced as 
 a rebel, a robber, and a condemned culprit, 
 in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of 
 iniquity. 
 
 " I don't know," said Dick, sharply, 
 '' what you mean by calling me such names. 
 I never was so blackguarded, and insulted, 
 and libelled in my life; and sure as my 
 name's Dick, I'll make you prove your 
 words before a court o' justice. I'll appeal
 
 DEPARTURE FOR COLLEGE. 291 
 
 to these gentlemen behind, who know me 
 for the last twenty year, if I haven't always 
 bore a good character; and here you call 
 me a rebel and a robber, and as has been 
 tried and condemned, and been, I don't 
 know how many times, in ' quod! I'd a 
 good mind to pitch you off the box, you 
 lying, libelling Methody humbug !" 
 
 " Don't touch the lad," said a passenger ; 
 " have him up at the Old Bailey, and make 
 him pay for his infamous and libellous 
 language." 
 
 In vain Jonah endeavoured to appease 
 Dick's wrath by insisting upon the spiritual 
 application of his language. All the 
 preacher's explanations Dick pooh-poohed 
 as absurd and sophistical, and regular hum- 
 bug, which would neither do for himself 
 nor the Lord Mayor, before whom he 
 would have to appear when he arrived in 
 London. 
 
 Dick remained sullen and uncommunica- 
 tiv3 diiring the remainder of the way ; and
 
 292 COLLEGE. 
 
 when, at dusk, they arrived at the end of 
 their journey, Jonah, in great fear and 
 trembling, descended from the coach, not 
 knowing but that he might have to spend 
 the night in Newgate. 
 
 END OF VOL. I.
 
 
 -.^>, 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 3 0112 041678464 
 
 
 ^'^i;.^o, 
 
 .A'^A^ 
 
 ^^i^.^^^w^^^:^-- 
 
 '^'^^:^ 
 
 '^"' 'V 
 
 
 yA^^^^,V%,. 
 
 "^/^v«'.