such persons were to be found, as we know well, the gentlest spirits and
the tenderest hearts; and that nothing short of severe fidelity to
historical truth keeps us from adorning these two young persons in
particular with that prudence and good sense with which so many such
ladies were endowed. These two sisters had open hands, if they had not
wise heads; and their object in entering the church (which was not the
church of their own parish) was to see the old woman, who was at once a
subject and instrument of their bounty, and to say a word about her
little grandchildren, in whom they were interested. As may be supposed,
they did not know much of matters ecclesiastical, and they knew less of
themselves; and the latter defect White could not supply, though he was
doing, and had done, his best to remedy the former deficiency; and every
meeting did a little.

The two parties left the church together, and the gentlemen saw the
ladies home. "We were imagining, Miss Bolton," White said, walking at a
respectful distance from her, "we were imagining St. James's a Catholic
church, and trying to arrange things as they ought to be."

"What was your first reform?" asked Miss Bolton.

"I fear," answered White, "it would fare hard with your _protegee_, the
old lady who dusts out the pews."

"Why, certainly," said Miss Bolton, "because there would be no pews to
dust."

"But not only in office, but in person, or rather in character, she must
make her exit from the church," said White.

"Impossible," said Miss Bolton; "are women, then, to remain
Protestants?"

"Oh, no," answered White, "the good lady will reappear, only in another
character; she will be a widow."

"And who will take her present place?"

"A sacristan," answered White; "a sacristan in a cotta. Do you like the
short cotta or the long?" he continued, turning to the younger lady.

"I?" answered Miss Charlotte; "I always forget, but I think you told us
the Roman was the short one; I'm for the short cotta."

"You know, Charlotte," said Miss Bolton, "that there's a great reform
going on in England in ecclesiastical vestments."

"I hate all reforms," answered Charlotte, "from the Reformation
downwards. Besides, we have got some way in our cope; you have seen it,
Mr. White? it's such a sweet pattern."

"Have you determined what to do with it?" asked Willis.

"Time enough to think of that," said Charlotte; "it'll take four years
to finish."

"Four years!" crie