ed
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is
the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty._'"

Beth, in a burst of enthusiasm, jumped down from her perch, clasped
her hands to her chest, and cried--"O Aunt Victoria! that is--that
is"--she tore at her hair--"I want a word--I want a word!"

"It is _grand_, Beth!"

"Grand! grand!" Beth shouted. "Yes, it is grand."

"Beth," said Aunt Victoria emphatically, "remember that you are a
Christian child, and not a dancing-dervish. If you do not instantly
calm yourself, I shall shake you. And if I ever see you give way to
such wild excitement again, I _shall_ shake you, for your own good.
Calm is one of the first attributes of a gentlewoman."

Teachers of religion do not always practise what they preach. Up to
this moment, although Beth had done her best to teach Emily, she had
had no idea of being religious herself; but now, on a sudden, there
came upon her that great yearning tenderness towards God, and desire
for goodness, which some sects call conversion, and hold to be the
essential beginning of a religious life. This was the opportunity Aunt
Victoria had prayed for, and from that time forward she began to
instruct Beth systematically in religious matters. The subject
fascinated Beth, and she would make opportunities to be alone with her
aunt, and go to her room willingly whenever she asked her, for the
pleasure of hearing her. Aunt Victoria often moved about the room, and
dressed as she talked, and Beth, while listening, did not fail to
observe the difficulty of keeping stockings up on skinny legs when you
wore woollen garters below the knee; and also that it looked funny to
have to tuck up your dress to get your purse out of a pocket in your
petticoat at the back. But when Aunt Victoria sat down and read the
Bible aloud, Beth became absorbed, and would even read whole chapters
again to herself in order to remember how to declaim the more poetical
passages as Aunt Victoria did--all of which she relished with the
keenest enthusiasm. Unfortunately for Beth, however, Aunt Victoria was
strongly Calvinistic, and dwelt too much on death and the judgment for
her mental health. The old lady, deeply as she sympathised with Beth,
and loved her, did not realise how morbidly sensitive she was; and
accordingly worked on her feelings until the fear of God got hold of
her. Just at this time, too, Mrs. Caldwell chose "The Pilgrim's
Progress" for a "Sunday b