My mother would have sympathised here, but Clarence
feared her more than my father, and she was living in continual
dread of some explosion, so that her dark curls began to show
streaks of gray, and her face to lose its round youthfulness.
Lent brought the question of Confirmation. Under the influence of
good Bishop Blomfield, and in the wave of evangelical revival--then
at its flood height--Confirmation was becoming a more prominent
subject with religious people than it had probably ever been in our
Church, and it was recognised that some preparation was desirable
beyond the power of repeating the Church Catechism. This was all
that had been required of my father at Harrow. My mother's
godfather, a dignified clergyman, had simply said, 'I suppose, my
dear, you know all about it;' and as for the Admiral, he remarked,
'Confirmed! I never was confirmed anything but a post-captain!'
Our incumbent was more attentive to his duties, or rather recognised
more duties, than his predecessor. He preached on the subject, and
formed classes, sixteen being then the limit of age,--since the idea
of the vow, having become far more prominent than that of the
blessing, it was held that full development of the will and
understanding was needful.
I was of the requisite age, and my father spoke to the clergyman,
who called, and, as I could not attend the classes, gave me books to
read and questions to answer.
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