the Reverend William Jennings, brother to Sir Edward; and that my mother
was Mrs Frances, daughter to Sir Jeremy Charlton."

"Whatever made your father take up with a parson's life?" said Rhoda.
"I wouldn't be one for an apron full of money! Surely he was married
first, wasn't he?"

"He was married first," answered Mrs Dorothy; "and both his father and
my mother's kindred took it extreme ill that he should propose such
views to himself,--the rather because he was of an easy fortune, his
grandmother having left him some money."

"Would I have been a parson!" exclaimed Rhoda. "I'm too fond of jellies
and conserves--nobody better."

"Well, my dear Mrs Rhoda, if you will have me say what I think,"
resumed Mrs Dorothy.

"You can if you like," interjected Rhoda.

"It does seem to me, and hath ever done so, that the common custom
amongst us, which will have the chaplain to rise and withdraw when
dessert is served, must be a relique of barbarous times."

Dessert at that time included pies, puddings, and jellies.

"O Mrs Dorothy! you have the drollest notions!"

And Rhoda went off in a long peal of laughter. The idea of any other
arrangement struck her as very comical indeed.

"Well, my dear," said Mrs Dorothy, "I hope some day to see it
otherwise."

"Oh, how droll it would be!" said Rhoda. "But go on, please, Mrs
Dolly."

"Through those troublous times that followed on my birth," resumed the
old lady, "I was left for better safety with the farmer at whose house I
was born; for my father had shortly after been made parson of a church
in London, and 'twas not thought well that so young a child as I then
was should be bred up in all the city tumults. My foster-father's name
was Lawrence Ingham; and he and his good wife were as father and mother
to me."

"But what fashion of breeding could you get at a farmhouse?" demanded
Rhoda, with a scornful pout.

"Why, 'twas not there I learned French, child," answered Mrs Dorothy,
smiling; "but I learned to read, write, and cast accounts; to cook and
distil, to conserve and pickle; with all manner of handiworks--sewing,
knitting, broidery, and such like. And I can tell you, my dear, that in
all the great world whereunto I afterwards entered I never saw better
manners than in that farmhouse. I saw more ceremonies, sure; but not
more courtesy and kindly thought for others."

"Why, I thought folks like that had no manners at all!" said Rhoda.

"Then you were mightily