a
treatise, or a collection of advices, for the instruction of persons
about to be received into the Church. Not a little dismayed by this
discovery, no less than by the heavy look of the pages, Matilda however
began her reading. It was dragging work, as she expected. Her thoughts
wandered. What could her aunt think she wanted with _this_, when she
had Mr. Richmond's instructions? What could these ponderous reasonings
be expected to add to his words? The immediate effect of them certainly
was not salutary to Matilda's mind.

"My dear, you do not read so well as usual," her aunt said at length.

Matilda paused, glad to stop even for a little.

"Your sentences come heavily from your tongue."

"Yes. They _are_ heavy, aunt Candy."

"My dear! Those are the words of the Rev. Benjamin Orderly--a very
famous writer, and loved by all good people. Those are excellent words
that you have been reading."

Matilda said nothing further.

"Did you understand them?"

"They did not interest me, aunt Candy."

"My dear, they ought to interest one who has just taken such a step as
you have taken."

Matilda wondered privately whether being baptized ought properly to
have any effect to change the natural taste and value of things; but
she did not answer.

"You understood what you read, did you?"

Matilda coloured a little.

"Aunt Candy, it was not interesting, and I did not think about it."

Mrs. Candy drew the book severely from Matilda's hand.

"After taking such a step as you took last night, you ought to try to
be interested, if it were only for consistency's sake. Do you see that
you were hasty? A person who does not care about the privileges and
duties of church membership most certainly ought not to be a church
member."

"But, aunt Candy, I do care," said Matilda.

"So it seems."

"I care about it as the Bible speaks of it; and as Mr. Richmond talks
about it."

"You are very fond of Mr. Richmond, I know."

Matilda added nothing to that, and there was a pause.

"Do you want anything more of me, Aunt Candy?"

"Yes. I want to teach you something useful. Here are a quantity of
stockings of yours that need mending. I am going to show you how to
mend them. Go and get your work-box and bring it here."

"Couldn't you tell me what you want me to do, Aunt Candy, and let me go
and do it where Maria is?"

"No. Maria is busy. And I have got to take a good deal of pains to
teach you, Tilly, what I want you to know.