It was then
and there decided that Martyn should be 'brought up to the Church,'
as people then used to term destination to Holy Orders. My father
said he should feel justified in building a good house when he could
afford it, if it was to be a provision for one of his sons, and he
also felt that as he had the charge of the parish as patron, it was
right and fitting to train one of his sons up to take care of it.
Nor did Martyn show any distaste to the idea, as indeed there was
less in it then than at present to daunt the imagination of an
honest, lively boy, not as yet specially thoughtful or devout, but
obedient, truthful, and fairly reverent, and ready to grow as he was
trained.
CHAPTER XII--MRS. SOPHIA'S FEUD
'O'er all there hung the shadow of a fear,
A sense of mystery the spirit daunted,
And said as plain as whisper in the ear,
The place is haunted.'
HOOD.
We had a houseful at Christmas. The Rev. Charles Henderson, a
Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, lately ordained a deacon, had
been recommended to us by our London vicar, and was willing not only
to take charge of the parish, but to direct my studies, and to
prepare Martyn for school. He came to us for the Christmas vacation
to reconnoitre and engage lodgings at a farmhouse. We liked him
very much--my mother being all the better satisfied after he had
shown her a miniature, and confided to her that the original was
waiting till a college living should come to him in the distant
future.
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