Ineedhardlysaythatthecalmwasonlyonthesurface。Oldermen，whoknewmorethanundergraduateswerelikelytodo，musthaveseenthatthewaveofscepticismwhichhadalreadybrokenoverGermanywassettingtowardsourownshores，norwasitlong，indeed，beforeitreachedthem。Ernesthadhardlybeenordainedbeforethreeworksinquicksuccessionarrestedtheattentionevenofthosewhopaidleastheedtotheologicalcontroversy。Imean“EssaysandReviews。”
CharlesDarwin’s“OriginofSpecies。”andBishopColenso’s“CriticismsonthePentateuch。”
This，however，isadigression；ImustreverttotheonephaseofspiritualactivitywhichhadanylifeinitduringthetimeErnestwasatCambridge，thatistosay，totheremainsoftheEvangelicalawakeningofmorethanagenerationearlier，whichwasconnectedwiththenameofSimeon。
TherewerestillagoodmanySimeonites，orastheyweremorebrieflycalled“Sims。”inErnest’stime。Everycollegecontainedsomeofthem，buttheirheadquarterswereatCaius，whithertheywereattractedbyMrClaytonwhowasatthattimeseniortutor，andamongthesizarsofStJohn’s。
Behindthethenchapelofthislast-namedcollege，therewasa“labyrinth“(thiswasthenameitbore)ofdingy，tumble-downrooms，tenantedexclusivelybythepoorestundergraduates，whoweredependentuponsizarshipsandscholarshipsforthemeansoftakingtheirdegrees。Tomany，evenatStJohn’s，theexistenceandwhereaboutsofthelabyrinthinwhichthesizarschieflylivedwasunknown；somemeninErnest’stime，whohadroomsinthefirstcourt，hadneverfoundtheirwaythroughthesinuouspassagewhichledtoit。
Inthelabyrinththeredweltmenofallages，frommereladstogrey-hairedoldmenwhohadenteredlateinlife。Theywererarelyseenexceptinhallorchapeloratlecture，wheretheirmannersoffeeding，prayingandstudying，wereconsideredalikeobjectionable；
nooneknewwhencetheycame，whithertheywent，norwhattheydid，fortheynevershowedatcricketortheboats；theywereagloomy，seedy-lookingconferie，whohadaslittletogloryininclothesandmannersasinthefleshitself。
Ernestandhisfriendsusedtoconsiderthemselvesmarvelsofeconomyforgettingonwithsolittlemoney，butthegreaternumberofdwellersinthelabyrinthwouldhaveconsideredone-halfoftheirexpendituretobeanexceedingmeasureofaffluence，andsodoubtlessanydomestictyrannywhichhadbeenexperiencedbyErnestwasasmallthingtowhattheaverageJohniansizarhadhadtoputupwith。
Afewwouldatonceemergeonitsbeingfoundaftertheirfirstexaminationthattheywerelikelytobeornamentstothecollege；
thesewouldwinvaluablescholarshipsthatenabledthemtoliveinsomedegreeofcomfort，andwouldamalgamatewiththemorestudiousofthosewhowereinabettersocialposition，buteventhese，withfewexceptions，werelonginshakingofftheuncouthnesstheybroughtwiththemtotheUniversity，norwouldtheiroriginceasetobeeasilyrecognisabletilltheyhadbecomedonsandtutors。Ihaveseensomeofthesemenattainhighpositionintheworldofpoliticsorscience，andyetstillretainalookoflabyrinthandJohniansizarship。
Unprepossessingthen，infeature，gaitandmanners，unkemptandill-
dressedbeyondwhatcanbeeasilydescribed，thesepoorfellowsformedaclassapart，whosethoughtsandwayswerenotasthethoughtsandwaysofErnestandhisfriends，anditwasamongthemthatSimeonismchieflyflourished。
DestinedmostofthemfortheChurch(forinthosedays“holyorders“wereseldomheardof)，theSimeonitesheldthemselvestohavereceivedaveryloudcalltotheministry，andwerereadytopinchthemselvesforyearssoastoprepareforitbythenecessarytheologicalcourses。Tomostofthemthefactofbecomingclergymenwouldbetheentreeintoasocialpositionfromwhichtheywereatpresentkeptoutbybarrierstheywellknewtobeimpassable；
ordination，therefore，openedfieldsforambitionwhichmadeitthecentralpointintheirthoughts，ratherthanaswithErnest，somethingwhichhesupposedwouldhavetobedonesomeday，butaboutwhich，asaboutdying，hehopedtherewasnoneedtotroublehimselfasyet。
Bywayofpreparingthemselvesmorecompletelytheywouldhavemeetingsinoneanother’sroomsforteaandprayerandotherspiritualexercises。Placingthemselvesundertheguidanceofafewwell-knowntutorstheywouldteachinSundaySchools，andbeinstant，inseasonandoutofseason，inimpartingspiritualinstructiontoallwhomtheycouldpersuadetolistentothem。
Butthesoilofthemoreprosperousundergraduateswasnotsuitablefortheseedtheytriedtosow。Thesmallpietieswithwhichtheylardedtheirdiscourse，ifchancethrewthemintothecompanyofonewhomtheyconsideredworldly，causednothingbutaversioninthemindsofthoseforwhomtheywereintended。Whentheydistributedtracts，droppingthembynightintogoodmen’sletterboxeswhiletheywereasleep，theirtractsgotburnt，ormetwithevenworsecontumely；theywerethemselvesalsotreatedwiththeridiculewhichtheyreflectedproudlyhadbeenthelotoftruefollowersofChristinallages。OftenattheirprayermeetingswasthepassageofStPaulreferredtoinwhichhebidshisCorinthianconvertsnoteconcerningthemselvesthattheywereforthemostpartneitherwell-
brednorintellectualpeople。Theyreflectedwithpridethattheytoohadnothingtobeproudofintheserespects，andlikeStPaul，gloriedinthefactthatinthefleshtheyhadnotmuchtoglory。
ErnesthadseveralJohnianfriends，andcamethustohearabouttheSimeonitesandtoseesomeofthem，whowerepointedouttohimastheypassedthroughthecourts。Theyhadarepellentattractionforhim；hedislikedthem，buthecouldnotbringhimselftoleavethemalone。Ononeoccasionhehadgonesofarastoparodyoneofthetractstheyhadsentroundinthenight，andtogetacopydroppedintoeachoftheleadingSimeonites’boxes。Thesubjecthehadtakenwas“PersonalCleanliness。”Cleanliness，hesaid，wasnexttogodliness；hewishedtoknowonwhichsideitwastostand，andconcludedbyexhortingSimeonitestoafreeruseofthetub。I
cannotcommendmyhero’shumourinthismatter；histractwasnotbrilliant，butImentionthefactasshowingthatatthistimehewassomethingofaSaulandtookpleasureinpersecutingtheelect，not，asIhavesaid，thathehadanyhankeringafterscepticism，butbecause，likethefarmersinhisfather’svillage，thoughhewouldnotstandseeingtheChristianreligionmadelightof，hewasnotgoingtoseeittakenseriously。Ernest’sfriendsthoughthisdislikeforSimeoniteswasduetohisbeingthesonofaclergymanwho，itwasknown，bulliedhim；itismorelikely，however，thatitrosefromanunconscioussympathywiththem，which，asinStPaul’scase，intheenddrewhimintotheranksofthosewhomhehadmostdespisedandhated。
Once，recently，whenhewasdownathomeaftertakinghisdegree，hismotherhadhadashortconversationwithhimabouthisbecomingaclergyman，setontheretobyTheobald，whoshrankfromthesubjecthimself。Thistimeitwasduringaturntakeninthegarden，andnotonthesofa——whichwasreservedforsupremeoccasions。
“Youknow，mydearestboy。”shesaidtohim，“thatpapa“(shealwayscalledTheobald“papa“whentalkingtoErnest)“issoanxiousyoushouldnotgointotheChurchblindly，andwithoutfullyrealisingthedifficultiesofaclergyman’sposition。Hehasconsideredallofthemhimself，andhasbeenshownhowsmalltheyare，whentheyarefacedboldly，buthewishesyou，too，tofeelthemasstronglyandcompletelyaspossiblebeforecommittingyourselftoirrevocablevows，sothatyoumaynever，neverhavetoregretthestepyouwillhavetaken。”
ThiswasthefirsttimeErnesthadheardthattherewereanydifficulties，andhenotunnaturallyenquiredinavaguewayaftertheirnature。
“That，mydearboy。”rejoinedChristina，“isaquestionwhichIamnotfittedtoenteruponeitherbynatureoreducation。Imighteasilyunsettleyourmindwithoutbeingabletosettleitagain。
Oh，no！Suchquestionsarefarbetteravoidedbywomen，and，I
shouldhavethought，bymen，butpapawishedmetospeaktoyouuponthesubject，sothattheremightbenomistakehereafter，andIhavedoneso。Now，therefore，youknowall。”
Theconversationendedhere，sofarasthissubjectwasconcerned，andErnestthoughthedidknowall。Hismotherwouldnothavetoldhimheknewall——notaboutamatterofthatsort——unlessheactuallydidknowit；well，itdidnotcometoverymuch；hesupposedthereweresomedifficulties，buthisfather，whoatanyratewasanexcellentscholarandalearnedman，wasprobablyquiterighthere，andheneednottroublehimselfmoreaboutthem。Solittleimpressiondidtheconversationmakeonhim，thatitwasnottilllongafterwardsthat，happeningtorememberit，hesawwhatapieceofsleightofhandhadbeenpractiseduponhim。TheobaldandChristina，however，weresatisfiedthattheyhaddonetheirdutybyopeningtheirson’seyestothedifficultiesofassentingtoallaclergymanmustassentto。Thiswasenough；itwasamatterforrejoicingthat，thoughtheyhadbeenputsofullyandcandidlybeforehim，hedidnotfindthemserious。Itwasnotinvainthattheyhadprayedforsomanyyearstobemade“TRULYhonestandconscientious。”
“Andnow，mydear。”resumedChristina，afterhavingdisposedofallthedifficultiesthatmightstandinthewayofErnest’sbecomingaclergyman，“thereisanothermatteronwhichIshouldliketohaveatalkwithyou。ItisaboutyoursisterCharlotte。Youknowhowcleversheis，andwhatadear，kindsistershehasbeenandalwayswillbetoyourselfandJoey。Iwish，mydearestErnest，thatIsawmorechanceofherfindingasuitablehusbandthanIdoatBattersby，andIsometimesthinkyoumightdomorethanyoudotohelpher。”
Ernestbegantochafeatthis，forhehadhearditsooften，buthesaidnothing。
“Youknow，mydear，abrothercandosomuchforhissisterifhelayshimselfouttodoit。Amothercandoverylittle——indeed，itishardlyamother’splacetoseekoutyoungmen；itisabrother’splacetofindasuitablepartnerforhissister；allthatIcandoistotrytomakeBattersbyasattractiveaspossibletoanyofyourfriendswhomyoumayinvite。Andinthat。”sheadded，withalittletossofherhead，“IdonotthinkIhavebeendeficienthitherto。”
Ernestsaidhehadalreadyatdifferenttimesaskedseveralofhisfriends。
“Yes，mydear，butyoumustadmitthattheywerenoneofthemexactlythekindofyoungmanwhomCharlottecouldbeexpectedtotakeafancyto。Indeed，Imustowntohavingbeenalittledisappointedthatyoushouldhaveyourselfchosenanyoftheseasyourintimatefriends。”
Ernestwincedagain。
