uch was the name of the
spot at which Mrs. Ray lived. But she did not do more than this.
She established a Dorcas society at Baslehurst, of which she became
permanent president, and spent her money in carrying on this
institution in the manner most pleasing to herself. I fear that Mrs.
Prime liked to be more powerful at these charitable meetings than her
sister labourers in the same vineyard, and that she achieved this
power by the means of her money. I do not bring this as a heavy
accusation against her. In such institutions there is generally need
of a strong, stirring, leading mind. If some one would not assume
power, the power needed would not be exercised. Such a one as Mrs.
Prime is often necessary. But we all have our own pet temptations,
and I think that Mrs. Prime's temptation was a love of power.

It will be understood that Baslehurst is a town,--a town with a
market, and hotels, and a big brewery, and a square, and street;
whereas Cawston is a village, or rather a rural parish, three miles
out of Baslehurst, north of it, lying on the river Avon. But Bragg's
End, though within the parish of Cawston, lies about a mile and a
half from the church and village, on the road to Baslehurst, and
partakes therefore almost as much of the township of Baslehurst as
it does of the rusticity of Cawston. How Bragg came to such an end,
or why this corner of the parish came to be thus united for ever
to Bragg's name, no one in the parish knew. The place consisted of
a little green, and a little wooden bridge, over a little stream
that trickled away into the Avon. Here were clustered half a dozen
labourers' cottages, and a beer or cider shop. Standing back from the
green was the house and homestead of Farmer Sturt, and close upon
the green, with its garden hedge running down to the bridge, was the
pretty cottage of Mrs. Ray. Mr. Comfort had known her husband, and
he had found for her this quiet home. It was a pretty place, with
one small sitting-room opening back upon the little garden, and with
another somewhat larger fronting towards the road and the green. In
the front room Mrs. Ray lived, looking out upon so much of the world
as Bragg's End green afforded to her view. The other seemed to be
kept with some faint expectation of company that never came. Many of
the widow's neatest belongings were here preserved in most perfect
order; but one may say that they were altogether thrown away,--unless
indeed they afforded solace to