’I know I want self-control when I let myself
be so engrossed in it as to neglect other things,’
said Anne; ’and I hope I do manage now not to
shew more favour to the girls I like best, than to
the others; but in what other way do you mean, Mamma?’
’I mean that you must learn not to set your
heart upon individual girls, or plans which seem satisfactory
at first,’ said Lady Merton; ’disappointment
will surely be sent in some form or other, to try
your faith and love; and if you do not learn to fear
now that your hopes are high, you will hardly have
spirit enough left to persevere cheerfully when failure
has taught you to mistrust yourself.’
’I know that I must be disappointed if I build
upon schemes or exertions of my own,’ said Anne;
’but I should be very conceited—
very presumptuous, I mean—to do so, and
I hope I never shall.’
’I cannot think how you, or anybody who thinks
like you, can ever undertake to keep school,’
said Helen; ’I never saw how awful a thing it
is, before; not merely hearing lessons, and punishing
naughty children, I am sure I dread it now; I would
have nothing to do with it if Papa did not wish it,
and so make it my duty.’
’Nobody would teach the children at all if they
thought like you, Helen,’ said Anne; ‘and
then what would become of them?’
’People who are not fit often do teach them,
and is not that worse than nothing?’ said Helen;
’I should think irreverence and false doctrine
worse than ignorance.’
‘Certainly,’ said Lady Merton; ’and
happy it is, that, as in your case, Helen, the duty
of obedience, or some other equally plain, teaches
us when to take responsibility upon ourselves and when
to shrink from it.’
‘I must say,’ said Anne, ’I cannot
recover from hearing Mamma and Lizzie talk of their
“little victims,” just in Gray’s
tone.’
‘No,’ said Lady Merton; ’I only
say,
“If thou wouldst reap
in love,
First sow in holy fear."’
On Monday morning, as soon as breakfast was over,
Elizabeth and Katherine went to the school to receive
the penny-club money, and to change the lending library
books. They were occupied in this manner for
about half an hour; and on their return, Elizabeth
went to Mrs. Woodbourne’s dressing-room, to
put away the money, and to give her an account of
her transactions. While she was so employed, her
father came into the room with a newspaper in his
hand.
‘Look here, Mildred,’ said he, laying
it down on the table before his wife, ‘this
is what Walker has just brought me.’
Mrs. Woodbourne glanced at the paragraph he pointed
out, and exclaimed, ‘O Lizzie! this is a sad
thing!’
Elizabeth advanced, she grew giddy with dismay as
she read as follows:
