ble. But "_Tract Distributing_," which one would have thought a
very kindred effort with the two last, was much more cautiously
undertaken. Some boys were ready for it; a few girls; very few grown up
people of either sex.

The young people of Mrs. Englefield's family walked home more silently
than they had come. To be sure, there was a little throng of persons
going their way; they could not speak in private. So under the still,
bright stars, they went home without telling any of their thoughts to
each other. But perhaps the air was chilly after coming out of the
heated lecture-room; for they all poured into the parlour to get warm,
before going up-stairs to take off their things.

"Well, you are late," Mrs. Englefield said.

"Yes; but we had, oh, such a nice meeting!" Maria answered.

"What was it all about? Now, I hope, we shall get at some light on the
subject."

But the light was not in a hurry to come. Anne and Letitia loosened
their bonnet strings, and sat down; Maria and Matilda threw off their
cloaks and hoods and sought the fire; nobody volunteered to be
spokesman for the party.

"What was done, Clarissa?" her mother asked.

"I can hardly tell, mamma. A sort of association formed, for doing
parish work."

"I do not think much of associations," Mrs. Candy said. "People can
work just as well in private, if they would only be content. Did _you_
join this association?"

"What is _parish work_, Clarissa?" Matilda asked.

"Why, work in the parish, of course," Mrs. Englefield answered.

"I don't know what the parish is, mamma?"

"Don't you? Well,--all the people that Mr. Richmond has the care of, I
suppose; isn't it, sister?"

"But who has he the care of?" Matilda persisted, looking up at her
mother earnestly.

"Well, child," said Mrs. Englefield, half laughing, "in a sort, he has
the care of all the people he preaches to."

"Does he?" said Matilda. But at that the laugh became general.

"Why not, Tilly?" said Mrs. Candy.

"Who gave him the care of us?" said Matilda, thoughtfully.

"A minister always has the care of a church when he has a church," said
Mrs. Candy. "Is this Tilly's way of going into things in general,
Marianne?"

"_But_," said Matilda,--"can anybody take a church and take care of
people, if he has a mind?"

"No; only a man who has been properly educated and appointed."

"Then how comes he to have the _care_ of us?"

"Come here, Tilly," said Clarissa. And she began a whisper