Aletheawasworldly——asworldly，thatistosay，asasisterofTheobald’scouldbe。InherlettertoTheobaldshehadsaidsheknewhowmuchofhisandChristina’sthoughtsweretakenupwithanxietyfortheboy’swelfare。Aletheahadthoughtthishandsomeenough，butChristinahadwantedsomethingbetterandstronger。
“Howcansheknowhowmuchwethinkofourdarling？”shehadexclaimed，whenTheobaldshowedherhissister’sletter。“Ithink，mydear，Aletheawouldunderstandthesethingsbetterifshehadchildrenofherown。”TheleastthatwouldhavesatisfiedChristinawastohavebeentoldthatthereneveryethadbeenanyparentscomparabletoTheobaldandherself。Shedidnotfeeleasythatanallianceofsomekindwouldnotgrowupbetweenauntandnephew，andneithershenorTheobaldwantedErnesttohaveanyallies。JoeyandCharlottewerequiteasmanyalliesasweregoodforhim。Afterall，however，ifAletheachosetogoandliveatRoughborough，theycouldnotwellstopher，andmustmakethebestofit。
Inafewweeks’timeAletheadidchoosetogoandliveatRoughborough。Ahousewasfoundwithafieldandanicelittlegardenwhichsuitedherverywell。“Atanyrate。”shesaidtoherself，“Iwillhavefresheggsandflowers。”Sheevenconsideredthequestionofkeepingacow，butintheenddecidednottodoso。
Shefurnishedherhousethroughoutanew，takingnothingwhateverfromherestablishmentinGowerStreet，andbyMichaelmas——forthehousewasemptywhenshetookit——shewassettledcomfortably，andhadbeguntomakeherselfathome。
OneofMissPontifex’sfirstmoveswastoaskadozenofthesmartestandmostgentlemanlyboystobreakfastwithher。Fromherseatinchurchshecouldseethefacesoftheupper-formboys，andsoonmadeuphermindwhichofthemitwouldbebesttocultivate。
MissPontifex，sittingoppositetheboysinchurch，andreckoningthemupwithherkeeneyesfromunderherveilbyallawoman’scriteria，cametoatruerconclusionaboutthegreaternumberofthoseshescrutinizedthanevenDrSkinnerhaddone。Shefellinlovewithoneboyfromseeinghimputonhisgloves。
MissPontifex，asIhavesaid，gotholdofsomeoftheseyoungstersthroughErnest，andfedthemwell。Noboycanresistbeingfedwellbyagood-naturedandstillhandsomewoman。Boysareverylikenicedogsinthisrespect——givethemaboneandtheywilllikeyouatonce。Aletheaemployedeveryotherlittleartificewhichshethoughtlikelytowintheirallegiancetoherself，andthroughthistheircountenanceforhernephew。Shefoundthefootballclubinaslightmoneydifficultyandatoncegavehalfasovereigntowardsitsremoval。Theboyshadnochanceagainsther，sheshotthemdownoneafteranotheraseasilyasthoughtheyhadbeenroostingpheasants。Nordidsheescapescathlessherself，for，asshewrotetome，shequitelostherhearttohalfadozenofthem。“Howmuchnicertheyare。”shesaid，“andhowmuchmoretheyknowthanthosewhoprofesstoteachthem！”
Ibelieveithasbeenlatelymaintainedthatitistheyoungandfairwhoarethetrulyoldandtrulyexperienced，inasmuchasitistheywhoalonehavealivingmemorytoguidethem；“thewholecharm。”ithasbeensaid，“ofyouthliesinitsadvantageoverageinrespectofexperience，andwhenthishasforsomereasonfailedorbeenmisapplied，thecharmisbroken。Whenwesaythatwearegettingold，weshouldsayratherthatwearegettingneworyoung，andaresufferingfrominexperience；tryingtodothingswhichwehaveneverdonebefore，andfailingworseandworse，tillintheendwearelandedintheutterimpotenceofdeath。”
MissPontifexdiedmanyalongyearbeforetheabovepassagewaswritten，butshehadarrivedindependentlyatmuchthesameconclusion。
Shefirst，therefore，squaredtheboys。DrSkinnerwasevenmoreeasilydealtwith。HeandMrsSkinnercalled，asamatterofcourse，assoonasMissPontifexwassettled。Shefooledhimtothetopofhisbent，andobtainedthepromiseofaMS。copyofoneofhisminorpoemsforDrSkinnerhadthereputationofbeingquiteoneofourmostfacileandelegantminorpoetsontheoccasionofhisfirstvisit。Theothermastersandmasters’wiveswerenotforgotten。Alethealaidherselfouttoplease，asindeedshedidwherevershewent，andifanywomanlaysherselfouttodothis，shegenerallysucceeds。
MissPontifexsoonfoundoutthatErnestdidnotlikegames，butshesawalsothathecouldhardlybeexpectedtolikethem。Hewasperfectlywellshapedbutunusuallydevoidofphysicalstrength。Hegotafairshareofthisinafterlife，butitcamemuchlaterwithhimthanwithotherboys，andatthetimeofwhichIamwritinghewasamerelittleskeleton。Hewantedsomethingtodevelophisarmsandchestwithoutknockinghimaboutasmuchastheschoolgamesdid。TosupplythiswantbysomemeanswhichshouldaddalsotohispleasurewasAlethea’sfirstanxiety。Rowingwouldhaveansweredeverypurpose，butunfortunatelytherewasnoriveratRoughborough。
Whateveritwastobe，itmustbesomethingwhichheshouldlikeasmuchasotherboyslikedcricketorfootball，andhemustthinkthewishforittohavecomeoriginallyfromhimself；itwasnotveryeasytofindanythingthatwoulddo，buterelongitoccurredtoherthatshemightenlisthisloveofmusiconherside，andaskedhimonedaywhenhewasspendingahalf-holidayatherhousewhetherhewouldlikehertobuyanorganforhimtoplayon。Ofcourse，theboysaidyes；thenshetoldhimabouthergrandfatherandtheorganshehadbuilt。Ithadneverenteredintohisheadthathecouldmakeone，butwhenhegatheredfromwhathisaunthadsaidthatthiswasnotoutofthequestion，heroseaseagerlytothebaitasshecouldhavedesired，andwantedtobeginlearningtosawandplanesothathemightmakethewoodenpipesatonce。
MissPontifexdidnotseehowshecouldhavehituponanythingmoresuitable，andshelikedtheideathathewouldincidentallygetaknowledgeofcarpentering，forshewasimpressed，perhapsfoolishly，withthewisdomoftheGermancustomwhichgiveseveryboyahandicraftofsomesort。
Writingtomeonthismatter，shesaid“Professionsareallverywellforthosewhohaveconnectionandinterestaswellascapital，butotherwisetheyarewhiteelephants。HowmanymendonotyouandIknowwhohavetalent，assiduity，excellentgoodsense，straightforwardness，everyqualityinfactwhichshouldcommandsuccess，andwhoyetgoonfromyeartoyearwaitingandhopingagainsthopefortheworkwhichnevercomes？How，indeed，isitlikelytocomeunlesstothosewhoeitherarebornwithinterest，orwhomarryinordertogetit？Ernest’sfatherandmotherhavenointerest，andiftheyhadtheywouldnotuseit。Isupposetheywillmakehimaclergyman，ortrytodoso——perhapsitisthebestthingtodowithhim，forhecouldbuyalivingwiththemoneyhisgrandfatherlefthim，butthereisnoknowingwhattheboywillthinkofitwhenthetimecomes，andforaughtweknowhemayinsistongoingtothebackwoodsofAmerica，assomanyotheryoungmenaredoingnow。”……But，anyway，hewouldlikemakinganorgan，andthiscoulddohimnoharm，sothesoonerhebeganthebetter。
Aletheathoughtitwouldsavetroubleintheendifshetoldherbrotherandsister-in-lawofthisscheme。“Idonotsuppose。”shewrote，“thatDrSkinnerwillapproveverycordiallyofmyattempttointroduceorgan-buildingintothecurriculumofRoughborough，butI
willseewhatIcandowithhim，forIhavesetmyheartonowninganorganbuiltbyErnest’sownhands，whichhemayplayonasmuchashelikeswhileitremainsinmyhouseandwhichIwilllendhimpermanentlyassoonashegetsoneofhisown，butwhichistobemypropertyforthepresent，inasmuchasImeantopayforit。”ThiswasputintomakeitplaintoTheobaldandChristinathattheyshouldnotbeoutofpocketinthematter。
IfAletheahadbeenaspoorastheMissesAllaby，thereadermayguesswhatErnest’spapaandmammawouldhavesaidtothisproposal；
butthen，ifshehadbeenaspoorasthey，shewouldneverhavemadeit。TheydidnotlikeErnest’sgettingmoreandmoreintohisaunt’sgoodbooks，stillitwasperhapsbetterthatheshoulddosothanthatsheshouldbedrivenbackupontheJohnPontifexes。Theonlything，saidTheobald，whichmadehimhesitate，wasthattheboymightbethrownwithlowassociateslateronifheweretobeencouragedinhistasteformusic——atastewhichTheobaldhadalwaysdisliked。HehadobservedwithregretthatErnesthaderenowshownratherahankeringafterlowcompany，andhemightmakeacquaintancewiththosewhowouldcorrupthisinnocence。Christinashudderedatthis，butwhentheyhadairedtheirscruplessufficientlytheyfeltandwhenpeoplebeginto“feel。”theyareinvariablygoingtotakewhattheybelievetobethemoreworldlycoursethattoopposeAlethea’sproposalwouldbeinjuringtheirson’sprospectsmorethanwasright，sotheyconsented，butnottoograciously。
Afteratime，however，Christinagotusedtotheidea，andthenconsiderationsoccurredtoherwhichmadeherthrowherselfintoitwithcharacteristicardour。IfMissPontifexhadbeenarailwaystockshemighthavebeensaidtohavebeenbuoyantintheBattersbymarketforsomefewdays；buoyantforlongtogethershecouldneverbe，stillforatimetherereallywasanupwardmovement。
Christina’smindwanderedtotheorganitself；sheseemedtohavemadeitwithherownhands；therewouldbenootherinEnglandtocomparewithitforcombinedsweetnessandpower。ShealreadyheardthefamousDrWalmisleyofCambridgemistakingitforaFatherSmith。Itwouldcome，nodoubt，inrealitytoBattersbyChurch，whichwantedanorgan，foritmustbeallnonsenseaboutAlethea’swishingtokeepit，andErnestwouldnothaveahouseofhisownforeversomanyyears，andtheycouldneverhaveitattheRectory。
Oh，no！BattersbyChurchwastheonlyproperplaceforit。
Ofcourse，theywouldhaveagrandopening，andtheBishopwouldcomedown，andperhapsyoungFigginsmightbeonavisittothem——
shemustaskErnestifyoungFigginshadyetleftRoughborough——hemightevenpersuadehisgrandfatherLordLonsfordtobepresent。
LordLonsfordandtheBishopandeveryoneelsewouldthencomplimenther，andDrWesleyorDrWalmisley，whoshouldpresideitdidnotmuchmatterwhich，wouldsaytoher，“MydearMrsPontifex，Ineveryetplayeduponsoremarkableaninstrument。”Thenshewouldgivehimoneofherverysweetestsmilesandsayshefearedhewasflatteringher，onwhichhewouldrejoinwithsomepleasantlittletrifleaboutremarkablementheremarkablemanbeingforthemomentErnesthavinginvariablyhadremarkablewomenfortheirmothers——
andsoonandsoon。Theadvantageofdoingone’spraisingforoneselfisthatonecanlayitonsothickandexactlyintherightplaces。
TheobaldwroteErnestashortandsurlyletteraproposofhisaunt’sintentionsinthismatter。
“Iwillnotcommitmyself。”hesaid，“toanopinionwhetheranythingwillcomeofit；thiswilldependentirelyuponyourownexertions；
youhavehadsingularadvantageshitherto，andyourkindauntisshowingeverydesiretobefriendyou，butyoumustgivegreaterproofofstabilityandsteadinessofcharacterthanyouhavegivenyetifthisorganmatterisnottoproveintheendtobeonlyonedisappointmentthemore。
“Imustinsistontwothings：firstlythatthisnewironinthefiredoesnotdistractyourattentionfromyourLatinandGreek“