une
arrived. But it was too late. Those children are motherless now, and
their father would give up all he has since gained--house, home, goods,
money: all that he has, or ever can have, to restore the wife he has
lost.'

CHAPTER VI--THE LADIES' SOCIETIES

Our Parish is very prolific in ladies' charitable institutions. In
winter, when wet feet are common, and colds not scarce, we have the
ladies' soup distribution society, the ladies' coal distribution society,
and the ladies' blanket distribution society; in summer, when stone
fruits flourish and stomach aches prevail, we have the ladies'
dispensary, and the ladies' sick visitation committee; and all the year
round we have the ladies' child's examination society, the ladies' bible
and prayer-book circulation society, and the ladies' childbed-linen
monthly loan society. The two latter are decidedly the most important;
whether they are productive of more benefit than the rest, it is not for
us to say, but we can take upon ourselves to affirm, with the utmost
solemnity, that they create a greater stir and more bustle, than all the
others put together.

We should be disposed to affirm, on the first blush of the matter, that
the bible and prayer-book society is not so popular as the childbed-linen
society; the bible and prayer-book society has, however, considerably
increased in importance within the last year or two, having derived some
adventitious aid from the factious opposition of the child's examination
society; which factious opposition originated in manner following:--When
the young curate was popular, and all the unmarried ladies in the parish
took a serious turn, the charity children all at once became objects of
peculiar and especial interest. The three Miss Browns (enthusiastic
admirers of the curate) taught, and exercised, and examined, and
re-examined the unfortunate children, until the boys grew pale, and the
girls consumptive with study and fatigue. The three Miss Browns stood it
out very well, because they relieved each other; but the children, having
no relief at all, exhibited decided symptoms of weariness and care. The
unthinking part of the parishioners laughed at all this, but the more
reflective portion of the inhabitants abstained from expressing any
opinion on the subject until that of the curate had been clearly
ascertained.

The opportunity was not long wanting. The curate preached a charity
sermon on behalf of the charity schoo