However, he was struck by his friend's arguments,
and I heard him telling my mother that when he had wished to wait
till there had been time to prove sincerity of repentance by a
course of steadiness, the answer had been that it was hard to
require strength, while denying the means of grace. My mother was
scarcely convinced, but as he had consented she yielded without a
protest; and she was really glad that I should have Clarence at my
side to help me at the ceremony. The clergyman was applied to, and
consented to let Clarence attend the classes, where his knowledge,
comprehension, and behaviour were exemplary, so that a letter was
written to my father expressive of perfect satisfaction with him.
'There,' said my father, 'I knew it would be so! It is not THAT
which I want.'
The Confirmation seemed at the time a very short and perfunctory
result of our preparation; and, as things were conducted or
misconducted then, involved so much crowding and distress that I
recollect very little but clinging to Clarence's arm under a strong
sense of my infirmities,--the painful attempt at kneeling, and the
big outstretched lawn sleeves while the blessing was pronounced over
six heads at once, and then the struggle back to the pew, while the
silver-pokered apparitor looked grim at us, as though the maimed and
halt had no business to get into the way.
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