so much and yet understand so little; but at
present he was too young to understand himself.

CHAPTER III

MRS. BATESON'S TEA-PARTY

The best of piggie when he dies
Is not "interred with his bones,"
But, in the form of porcine pies,
Blesses a world that heard his cries,
Yet heeded not those dying groans.

"Cousin Maria, please may I go to tea at Mrs. Bateson's with
Christopher?" said Elisabeth one day, opening the library door a little,
and endeavouring to squeeze her small person through as narrow an
aperture as possible, as is the custom with children. She never called
her playmate "Chris" in speaking to Miss Farringdon; for this latter
regarded it as actually sinful to address people by any abbreviation of
their baptismal names, just as she considered it positively immoral to
partake of any nourishment between meals. "Mrs. Bateson has killed her
pig, and there will be pork-pies for tea."

Miss Farringdon looked over her spectacles at the restless little
figure. "Yes, my child; I see no reason why you should not. Kezia
Bateson is a God-fearing woman, and her husband has worked at the
Osierfield for forty years. I have the greatest respect for Caleb
Bateson; he is a worthy man and a good Methodist, as his father was
before him."

"He is a very ignorant man: he says Penny-lope."

"Says what, Elisabeth?"

"Penny-lope. I was showing him a book the other day about Penelope--the
woman with the web, you know--and he called her Penny-lope. I didn't
like to correct him, but I said Penelope afterward as often and as loud
as I could."

"That was very ill-bred of you. Come here, Elisabeth."

The child came and stood by the old lady's chair, and began playing with
a bunch of seals that were suspended by a gold chain from Miss
Farringdon's waist. It was one of Elisabeth's little tricks that her
fingers were never idle when she was talking.

"What have I taught you are the two chief ends at which every woman
should aim, my child?"

"To be first a Christian and then a gentlewoman," quoted Elisabeth
glibly.

"And how does a true gentlewoman show her good breeding?"

"By never doing or saying anything that could make any one else feel
uncomfortable," Elisabeth quoted again.

"Then do you think that to display your own knowledge by showing up
another person's ignorance would make that person feel comfortable,
Elisabeth?"

"No, Cousin Maria."

"Knowledge is not good breeding, reme