diggings, in the rude life and strife
which English families, not yet acquainted with farming in Manitoba and
ranches in the far West, heard of with horror, and where only those sons
who were "wild," or otherwise unmanageable, had as yet begun to go. When
he returned, and announced that he was going to Oxford, and after that
to the bar, it was like the vision of the madman clothed and in his
right mind to his parents. This their son who had been lost was found.
He came into a little fortune, left him by his godfather, when he
returned; and, contrary to the general habit of families in respect to
younger sons, his parents were of opinion that if some "nice girl" could
be found for Dick it would be the best thing that could happen,--a thing
which would lighten their own responsibilities, and probably confirm him
in well-doing.

But with all the new-fashioned talk about education and work for women,
which then had just begun, nice girls were not quite so sure as they
used to be that to reclaim a prodigal, or consolidate a penitence, was
their mission in life. Perhaps they were right; but the old idea was
good for the race, if not for the individual woman, human sacrifices
being a fundamental principle of natural religion, if not of the
established creed. And it cannot be said that it was altogether without
a thought of finding the appropriate victim that the prodigal had been
invited to Underwood. He was not altogether a prodigal, nor would she be
altogether a victim. People do not use such hard words. He was a young
fellow who wanted steadying, for whom married life (when he had taken
his degree), or even an engagement, might be expected to do much. And
the Miss Warrenders were "nice girls," whose influence might be of the
greatest advantage to him. What need to say any more?

But it was tiresome that, after having made up this innocent little
scheme for throwing them together, Dick should choose, of all times in
the world, to arrive at the rectory just after Mr. Warrender's death,
when the family were in mourning, and not "equal to" playing croquet, or
any other reasonable amusement. It was hard, the rector thought. It was
he, and not his wife, strangely enough, who had thrown himself into this
project of match-making. The Warrender girls were the most well-regulated
girls in the world, and the most likely to keep their respective
husbands straight; and Mr. Wilberforce also thought it would be a very
good thing for the