Croquet--that pleasantly flirtative game, which demands so little skill or exertion, and affords such rare opportunities for effective _poses_, and desultory chit-chat--was all the rage on the little lawn in front of the Inskip's cottage, during the warm September days: croquet settled the young incumbent's business. Laura was afforded such nice little openings here for developing her conquest in an easy manner so suited to her nature, that she entered with some spirit in completing what the campaigner's manoeuvres had begun. She had only to look graceful, and move about imperially, as tall women can well do, and show her exquisite profile--it looked better than her full face: by such means the mischief was done. Pringle, like most little men, had a fancy for graceful Junos, and here he had one ready-made to his hand. Out of the pulpit he was not much of an orator; but as the languid Laura hardly ever uttered anything but an occasional interjection, they suited each other admirably. Nothing was wanting but the final declaration, and that came quite as soon as the old campaigner had planned. Two or three weeks completed the conquest, thanks to country air and scene, statuesque charms and croquet, and the praiseworthy efforts of the skilful old veteran who had charge of the campaign. People speak a great deal, in the press and elsewhere, of the insufficiency of public rewards and honours for distinguished services with a good deal of truth; but in all these discussions a large and praiseworthy portion of the community is entirely neglected, and its claims to honour and reward absolutely ignored. I allude to the mothers of families; how do they get their services recognised? We bind the hero's brows with laurels; we raise the brilliant party orator to the peerage; we give the eminent professor of the law a seat on the woolsack; the soldier a medal and a bit of ribbon for his wounds in the country's service; and we dub the worshipful alderman a knight, should he happen to be at the royal kitchen steps when a prince is born, or have invited the Grand Elector of Sauer Kraut to partake of a ham sandwich on his landing at Dover _en route_ to visit the Palace; but the talented and skilful diplomatist--the mother of a family, who marries off her marriageable daughters all to the most eligible of _partis_, passes by unnoticed. She, who fights courageously a losing game, against fearful odds, who braves reproach, continually--nay, even disgrace, sometimes in furthering a praiseworthy object, and who deserves our esteem and recognition, gets no reward. Peerages in plenty for parliamentarians, titles for sycophants, knighthoods for toad eaters--but the campaigners go by without ne'er so much as a ribbon of decoration.