f thrones. And then come the strugglings and the
down-fallings, and some of us learn our lesson, and some learn it
not. But what lesson? That we have been dreaming in the golden
hours when the vision of a kingdom rose before us? That there is
in short no kingdom at all, or that, if there be, we are no heirs
of it?

No--I take it that, while we make nothing better than that out of
our lesson, we shall have to go on spelling at it and stumbling
over it, through all the days of our life, till we make our last
stumble, and take our final header out of this riddle of a world,
which we once dreamed we were to rule over, exclaiming "vanitas
vanitatum" to the end. But man's spirit will never be satisfied
without a kingdom, and was never intended to be satisfied so; and
One wiser than Solomon tells us day by day that our kingdom is
about us here, and that we may rise up and pass in when we will
at the shining gates which He holds open, for that it is His, and
we are joint heirs of it with Him.

On the whole, however, making allowances for all drawbacks, those
Commemoration days were the pleasantest days Tom had ever known
at Oxford. He was with his uncle and cousins early and late,
devising all sorts of pleasant entertainments and excursions for
them, introducing all the pleasantest men of his acquaintance and
taxing the resources of the college, which at such times were
available for undergraduates as well as their betters, to
minister to their comfort and enjoyment. And he was well repaid.
There was something perfectly new to the ladies, and very piquaut
in the life and habits of the place. They found it very diverting
to be receiving in Tom's rooms, presiding over his breakfasts and
luncheons, altering the position of his furniture, and making the
place look as pretty as circumstances would allow. Then there was
pleasant occupation for every spare hour, and the fetes and
amusements were all unlike everything but themselves. Of course
the ladies at once became enthusiastic St. Ambrosians, and
managed in spite of all distractions to find time for making up
rosettes and bows of blue and white, in which to appear at the
procession of the boats, which was the great event of the Monday.
Fortunately Mr. Winter had been a good oar in his day, and had
pulled in one of the first four-oars in which the University
races had commenced some thirty-five years before; and Tom, who
had set his mind on managing his uncle, worked him up alm