"But nothing WORTH doing."

Whereupon Aunt Judy told No. 3 that he was just like Dr. Faustus. On which, of course, No. 3 wanted to know what Dr. Faustus was like, and Aunt Judy answered, that he was just like HIM, only a great deal older and very learned.

"Only quite different, then," suggested No. 3.

"No," said Aunt Judy, "not QUITE different, for he came one day to the same conclusion that you have done, namely, that there was nothing to do, worth doing in the world."

"_I_ don't say the world, I only say here," observed No. 3; "there's plenty to do elsewhere, I dare say."

"So you think, because you have not tried else where," answered Aunt Judy. "But Dr. Faustus, who had tried elsewhere, thought everywhere alike, and declared there was nothing worth doing anywhere, although he had studied law, physic, divinity, and philosophy all through, and knew pretty nearly everything."

"Then you see he did not get much good out of learning," remarked No.

3.

"I do see," was the reply.

"And what became of him?"

"Ah, that's the point," replied Aunt Judy, "and a very remarkable point too. As soon as he got into the state of fancying there was nothing to do, worth doing, in G.o.d's world, the evil spirit came to him, and found him something to do in what I may, I am sure, call the devil's world--I mean, wickedness."

"Oh, that's a story written upon Watts's old hymn," exclaimed No. 3, contemptuously:-

"'For Satan finds some mischief still, For idle hands to do.'

Judy! I call that a regular 'SELL.'"

" Not a bit of it," cried Aunt Judy, warmly; "I don't suppose the man who wrote the story ever saw Watts's hymns, or intended to teach anything half as good. It's mamma's moral. She told me she had screwed it out of the story, though she doubted whether it was meant to be there."

"And what's the rest of the story then?" inquired No. 3, whose curiosity was aroused.

"Well! when the old Doctor found the world as it was, so 'SLOW,' as you very unmeaningly call it, he took to conjuring and talking with evil spirits by way of amus.e.m.e.nt; and then they easily persuaded him to be wicked, merely because it gave him something fresh and exciting to do."

"Watts's hymn again! I told you so!" exclaimed No. 3. "But the story's all nonsense from beginning to end. n.o.body can conjure, or talk to evil spirits in reality, so the whole thing is impossible; and where you find the moral, I don't know."

No. 3 leant back and yawned as he concluded.

He was rather disappointed that nothing more entertaining had come out of the story of Dr. Faustus.

But Aunt Judy had by no means done.

"Impossible about conjuring and actually TALKING to evil spirits, certainly," said she; "but spiritual influences, both bad and good, come to us all, No. 3, without bodily communion; so for those who are inclined to feel like Dr. Faustus, there is both a moral and a warning in his fate."

"I don't know what about," cried No. 3. "I think he was uncommonly stupid, after all he had learnt, to get into such a mess. Why, you yourself are always trying to make out that the more people labour and learn, the more sure they are to keep out of mischief. Now then, how do you account for the story of your friend Dr. Faustus?"

"Because, like King Solomon, he did not labour and learn in a right spirit, or to a right end," replied Aunt Judy. "Lord Bacon remarks that when, after the Creation, G.o.d 'looked upon everything He had made, behold it was VERY GOOD;' whereas when man 'turned him about,'

and took a view of the world and his own labours in it, he found that 'all' was 'vanity and vexation of spirit.' Why did he come to such a different conclusion, do you think?"

"I suppose because the world had got bad, before King Solomon's time," suggested No. 3.

"Its inhabitants had," replied Aunt Judy. "They had become subject to sin and misery; but the world was still G.o.d's creation, and proofs of the 'very good' which He had p.r.o.nounced over it were to be found in every direction, and even in fallen man, if Solomon had had the sense, or rather I should say, good feeling to look for them. Ah!

No. 3, there was plenty to be learnt and done that would NOT have ended in 'vanity and vexation of spirit' if Solomon had LEARNT in order to trace out the glory of G.o.d, instead of establishing his own; and if he had WORKED to create, as far as was in his power, a world of happiness for other people, instead of seeking nothing but his own amus.e.m.e.nt. If he had worked in the spirit of G.o.d, in short."

"But who can?--n.o.body," exclaimed No. 3.

"Yes, everybody, who tries, can, to a certain extent," said Aunt Judy. "It only wants the right feeling; some of the good G.o.d-like feeling which originated the creation of a beautiful world, and caused the contemplation of it to produce the sublime complacency which is described, 'And G.o.d looked upon everything that He had made, and behold it was very good.'"

"It's a sermon, Judy," cried No. 3, half bored, yet half amused at the notion of her preaching; "I'll set up a pulpit for you at once, shall I?"

"No, no, be quiet, No. 3," exclaimed Aunt Judy, "I wish you would try and understand what I say!"

"Well, then," said No. 3, "it appears to me that do what one might now the world has grown bad, it would be impossible to p.r.o.nounce that 'VERY GOOD,' as the result of one's work. There would always be something miserable and unsatisfactory at the end of everything; I mean even if one really was to look into things closely, and work for other people's good, as you say."

"There might be SOMETHING miserable and unsatisfactory, in the result, certainly," answered Aunt Judy; "but that it would ALL be 'vanity and vexation of spirit' I deny. Our blessed Saviour came into the world after it had grown bad, remember; and He worked solely for the restoration of the 'very good,' which sin had defaced. It was undoubtedly MISERABLE and UNSATISFACTORY that He should be rejected by the very creatures He came to help; but when He uttered the words 'It is finished,' the work which He had accomplished, He might well have looked upon and called very good: very very good; even beyond the creation, were that possible."

"There can be no comparison between our Saviour and us," murmured No.

3.

"No," replied his sister; "but only let people work in the same direction, and they will have more 'profit' of their 'labour,' than King Solomon ever owned to, who had, one fears, only learnt, in order to be learned, and worked, to please himself. No man who employs himself in tracing out G.o.d's footsteps IN the world, or in working in G.o.d's spirit FOR the world, will ever find such labours end in 'vanity and vexation of spirit!' Solomon, Dr. Faustus, and the grumblers, have only themselves to thank for their disappointment."

"It's very curious," observed No. 3, getting up, and stretching himself over the fire, "I mean about Solomon and Dr. Faustus. But what can one do? What can you or I do? It's absurd to be fancying one can do good to one's fellow-creatures."

"Nevertheless, there is one I want you to do good to, at the present moment," said Aunt Judy--"if it is not actually raining. Don't you remember what despair No. 1 was in this morning, when father sent her off on the pony in such a hurry."

"Ah, that pony! That was just what I wanted myself," interrupted No.

3.

"Exactly, of course," replied Aunt Judy. "But you were not the messenger father wanted, so do not let us go all over that ground again, pray. The fact was, No. 1 had just heard that her pet 'Tawny Rachel' was very ill, and she wanted to go and see her, and give her some good advice, and I am to go instead. Now No. 3, suppose you go instead of me, and save me a wet walk?"

No. 3, of course, began by protesting that it was not possible that he could do any good to an old woman. Old women were not at all in his way. He could only say, how do you do? and come away.

Aunt Judy disputed this: she thought he could offer her some creature comforts, and ask whether she had seen the Doctor, and what he said, as No. 1 particularly wished to know.

What an idea! No, no; he must decline inquiring what the Doctor said; it would be absurd; but he could offer her something to eat.

- And just ask if she had had the Doctor.--Well, just that, and come away. It would not occupy many minutes. But he wished, while Aunt Judy was about it, she had found him something rather LONGER to do!

Aunt Judy promised to see what could be devised on his return, and No. 3 departed. And a very happily chosen errand it was; for it happened in this case, as it so constantly does happen, that what was begun for other people's sake, ended in personal gratification. No.

3 went to see "Tawny Rachel," out of good-natured compliance with Aunt Judy's request, but found an interest and amus.e.m.e.nt in the visit itself, which he had not in the least expected.

Ten, twenty, thirty, minutes elapsed, and he had not returned; and when he did so at last, he burst into the house far more like an avalanche than a young gentleman who could find "nothing to do."

Coming in the back way, he ran into the kitchen, and told the servants to get some hot water ready directly, for he was sure something would be wanted. Then, pa.s.sing forward, he shouted to know where his mother was, and, having found her, entreated she would order some comfortable, gruelly stuff or other, to be made for the sick old woman, particularly insisting that it should have ale or wine, as well as spice and sugar in it.

He was positive that that was just what she ought to have! She had said how cold she was, and how glad she should be of something to warm her inside; and there was n.o.body to do anything for her at home.

What a shame it was for a poor old creature like that to be left with only two dirty boys to look after her, and they always at play in the street! Her daughter and husband were working out, and she sat moaning over the fire, from pain, without anybody to care!