CHAPTER VI.

PUZZLED AND PUT TO THE TEST.

Ox that same evening Lily Woodford was sitting in the parlour making up the blue bows which she was to wear as a soprano singer in the approaching concert. Young Mr. Bailey, who was to be a steward on the occasion, had brought in a bundle of tickets, and had persuaded Mrs. Woodford into the extravagance of a family ticket for 28. 6d. to admit herself, Woodford, and two children.

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You wouldn't be able to see me, aunt, if you sat in the threepenny places; and no doubt the boys would be rough.'

'Bob can take his little brothers there if he likes,' said Mrs. Woodford. But dear me, the children go out oftener here than ever our young ladies did at Roseberry. There's the school-treat tonight, and Etty's Band of Hope tea on Wednesday, and Bob's next Monday. And this Concert, and a Penny Reading down at St. Michael's, and if I liked to let them go with other schools, and could pay the sixpences for them, they might be gadding every night.'

'Well, aunt, what harm would it do them?' said Lily. Pleasure's good for us all when it don't interfere with work. Oh, how I do like a bit of a dance; but there! there's always something against it.'

'Why, you girls had a dance at the last school-treat we ever went to at home,' said Woodford.

'Yes, us girls,' said Lily, with a slight emphasis.

'I don't think there'll be many dances come in your way here, Lily,' said her uncle. I don't hear of none that's fitting for my niece.'

'More's the pity,' said Lily, with a pout.

'More's the pity, indeed,' said Mr. Bailey. Why don't the clergy, and those who really wish to elevate and civilise, throw open their big schoolrooms and be real rivals to the public-houses?'

'Because schoolrooms weren't built to dance in,' said Woodford decidedly.

'But it's been done,' said Bailey-done in London; and it isn't at all unusual at country harvest homes and the like.'

'No,' said Mrs. Woodford; but it's different when the gentry know who will be there. And I've heard say that it's made impossible for places near a railway by strangers coming and buying tickets.'

'Oh, they should have a committee,' said Bailey, and lady patronesses, such as yourself, Mrs. Woodford, to sell the tickets to proper persons only, and stewards that understood their business, and had some education; and then, if drink was excluded, and the refreshments conducted on temperance principles, and it didn't last too long, we'd soon accustom people to the idea. There's plenty of such entertainments very well managed and kept respectable, but

they're a bit too expensive for quiet working people. And besides, we should conduct it with a view to results and not to gain.'

'Oh, aunt,' said Lily, giggling, 'fancy you a "lady patroness."

'I don't fancy it, my dear,' said Mrs. Woodford. I couldn't think of such a responsibility, leading girls to dress and gaiety, and amusements out of their station.'

'But why should anything that's cheap be out of anybody's station?' argued Mr. Bailey. 'We might hire a room, but it would be better if the clergyman would lend his school, for we should wish for the highest sanction. A volunteer band-music no one objects to -decorations executed by any one who could be found with artistic talent, the leading ladies to set an example of a simple style of dress, no alcoholic liquors, at any rate for the present; the question of tobacco to be decided by a majority of votes, tickets only sold by the stewards and patronesses-we might even let the parson have a veto if he made a great point of it-shut up at eleven-thirty-half an hour after the publics-and there you have fortnightly entertainments of the most innocent and elevating character, and no expense at all to speak of.'

'Oh!' cried Lily, clasping her hands, 'that would be downright delightful.'

'Where'll you catch your parson?' said Mr. Woodford.

'Well, I'm not at liberty to say much,' said Bailey; 'but I'm not one of those that despair of finding enlightenment in the Church. And a day may come !'

'When it do,' said Woodford, 'I'll open the ball with Lily.'

"That's a promise, Mr. Woodford. But here come the little ones. Amusements aren't considered out of their station; and depend upon it, they'll be all the better for their treat.'

The Woodford family, as they came into the parlour, did not at that moment present a convincing argument of the elevating and brightening influence of social amusements.

Esther's best frock bore traces down the front of streams of tea, Susan was crying with fatigue, and Alfred crept up to Lily and blew a loud and horrible tin trumpet into her ear. Alice fled into the kitchen at sight of Mr. Bailey, while Robert remarked sententiously, that he never wished to go to another treat in Dulworth.

'What's the matter? Haven't you enjoyed yourselves? Haven't you behaved well?' said his father.

"They don't know how to behave well enough to be fit for treats, and that's a fact,' said Robert.

'We lost Alice, and have only just caught up with her,' said Etty, ' and she's crying ever so.'

Here Mr. Bailey thought it best to take his departure, and as soon as the door closed behind him, Alice rushed in and poured out her troubles.

'Nobody spoke for me-nobody knew. I never spoke to those

horrid girls-and oh! to be evened to them, and thought not fit for Confirmation. Miss Walters spites me, I know she does.'

When the confused story was made plain, the parents were naturally very indignant, Woodford saying that he had never thought to see his girl treated so, and Mrs. Woodford more wisely insisting that there had been a mistake, and Mr. Anson would explain it.

'I want some supper,' said Sue, in a whining voice; the girl next me snatched away all my cake.'

'Well, I never knew you come back hungry before,' said Mrs. Woodford.

'Oh,' sobbed Alice, ''twas all different. They didn't give us this treat because they loved us, and liked us to be happy; but because they were obliged on account of the other schools, I heard Mr. Anson say so to Miss Walters. Nobody knew us one from the other, or cared what we got. Why, I had a doll! Not that I mind, butbut-Miss Alice would have known I was too old for dolls. She picked out a story book because I liked to read about girls living in London; she knew.'

'Well, Ally, go to bed and to sleep, and we'll talk it over to-morrow, and maybe Mr. Anson will call,' said her mother. Leave out your frock, Etty, for me to sponge; that's a disgrace to a big girl like you, anyhow."

Meanwhile, after the treat was over, a hurried discussion had been held about the culprits between Mr. Anson, Miss Walters, and the Rector. The latter had spoken strongly on the insubordination of the St. Michael's children, and Mr. Anson had excused them on the ground of a strange place, and numbers of others.

'And as for the Confirmation,' said Mr. Randall, 'we have had a great deal too much of hastily presented candidates in this place. Those three giddy girls had better be kept back another year. I will not have children swept in to swell the numbers without due regard to fitness.'

'I don't know much of the other two, but Alice Woodford is generally a quiet girl, and belongs to a most respectable family,' said Mr. Anson.

'Well, Alice Woodford seems quiet,' said Miss Walters; but she gives a great deal of trouble.'

'Better be on the safe side and keep them back,' said Mr. Randall; it will be a wholesome warning.'

The Rector, with eight or nine thousand souls to look after, could not possibly judge himself of the characters of his Sunday-school girls, and he had a great dislike to all success that would not stand strict testing.

Mr. Anson was young and zealous, very anxious to present a long Confirmation list, and afraid of discouraging anybody. He was conscious that he had swept in as many as he could, and even he could not be expected to know much about the school girls; while

Miss Walters, equally anxious to do her duty, could not help being far too young and inexperienced to be able to judge and manage girls whom she had not known from childhood; while who could be to blame for giving her such a responsibility when no one else would come forward for it? With short hands and most imperfect instru

ments the work of the Church on earth has often to be done. Who can wonder that good people are often exposed to the sort of injustice which now befell Alice Woodford, though the workers themselves may well pray to be guarded against it?

On the day after the school-treat, Mr. Anson, secretly thinking that his Rector had dealt hard measure, set out to make three calls on the rejected candidates.

At the first Mrs. Gore told him that she had only allowed Sylvia to be presented as a favour to the district lady who had called round so often, but that the girl preferred the Congregational, and she always let her children go where they got most good; she didn't herself hold with Confirmation.

Mr. Anson retired in very low spirits, thinking that the Rector's severity had lost a lamb from the fold, and a recruit from the army. Mrs. Jackson was offhand and cheerful. Well, her girl didn't seem to think much of the classes, 'twasn't the sort of teaching as she was used to, but there was many as would be glad to have Mary as a candidate. St. Michael's was not the only church in Dulworth; she'd gone a good deal lately to St. Mark's.'

Here would be another gap in the St. Michael's benches, and neither mother seemed to think it possible that her daughter could be to blame. Mr. Anson felt quite nervous by the time he got to Laura Terrace.

Mrs. Woodford was a little dry, but she was perfectly respectful, and when Mr. Anson said that he had called to speak about last night, she called the reluctant Alice out of the kitchen to listen, and said

'If you please, sir, I think Alice got pushed into the corner with the boys by mistake, she's not a girl to put herself forward.'

'Perhaps,' said Mr. Anson. I am sure I am extremely sorry for the Rector's decision, but he seems to think that it will be better to wait another year, and though I said a word for you, Alice, I am sorry to say Miss Walters seems to have reason to complain of you.'

'Miss Walters doesn't like me,' said Alice hotly.

'Hush, Alice,' said her mother.

find in her, sir?'

" What fault does Miss Walters

'Well, as far as I understand, she complains of unsteadiness in the class and insubordination, and on the whole, Alice is still young, and it will be better to wait till next year.'

'Well, sir, of course you are the judge; but I should like to know exactly why you think my girl unfit for Confirmation. Because to be put back is a thing she'll have to remember as a disgrace all her life,

though of course I wouldn't have her go up if she was unfit, for the world.'

Mr. Anson did not like to press the original points of bad behaviour at the treat, so he said rather vaguely that he hoped they wouldn't take it too seriously, Alice was young, and would be more attentive to her teacher in future. With such excellent parents he had no doubt that next year she would be ready. And then he took his leave, not prepossessed by Alice's manner, though her mother's was a pleasant change from his other visits.

But as the door shut behind him, Alice burst out into sobs and indignation. Turned back from Confirmation! Miss Alice, every one at home would know, and for being rough and noisy with the boys— the thing of all others that was hateful to her.

'Well!' said Etty, 'I think we'd better just leave off going to that stupid school, there's plenty of other Church ones where we can go, and Alice can send in her name fresh at St. Mark's. That's what Mary Jackson means to do. She says they'll ask no questions. All the same, Ally, Miss Alice would never have let you sit idle as you do in Miss Walters' class and never open your mouth.'

''Tis all different,' said Alice. 'Mother, do you think I could go to one of the gentlemen at St. Mark's or St Augustine's? It's not like going to chapel, it's a real Church, and I can never go to school here again.'

Mrs. Woodford did not answer. She was not unfamiliar, nor was Alice, either in fact or fiction, with the rejection of a Confirmation candidate; but at Roseberry no one had ever been brought forward without careful consideration and full knowledge, and in the storybooks which she had read on the subject, the rejection, invariably just, had always worked for good in the end. Now Mrs. Woodford did not think that Alice deserved to be rejected, nor did she make light of the rejection. She thought the girl hardly used, and she was very indignant. But to obtain the rite, in defiance of her own clergy, she could not believe to be the way to bring a blessing on it, though perhaps to withdraw all the children from St. Michael's, and after a time begin fresh at another Church, might be the most agreeable course to her feelings.

'I don't see my way, Alice,' she said; but if I were you I'd think it over and see if there was anything in your behaviour to your teacher that Miss Alice wouldn't have approved of. Now, it's Lily's fine concert night, and if you cry any more you won't be fit to go to it.'

Alice did, however, cry till she had far too bad a headache for the concert, and her mother left her at home with the little ones, and took Etty by herself.

It was a very grand affair. There was a large audience, mostly of the lower middle-class, for this Choral Society was under no very distinguished patronage. The stewards rushed about, important and busy, the young ladies sang their best, and looked their prettiest in