"I must keep my eye upon them," said Cicely, with great solemnity. She was pleased with her victory, and felt it to be of the most prodigious importance that she should not lose the "influence" she had gained; for she was silly, as became her age, as well as wise. She had brought out her little desk--a very commonplace little article, indeed, of rosewood, with brass bindings--and seated herself under the old mulberry-tree, with the wind ruffling her papers, and catching in the short curling locks about her forehead. (N.B.--Don't suppose, dear reader, that she had cut them short; those stray curls were carefully smoothed away under the longer braids when she brushed her hair; but the breeze caught them in a way which vexed Cicely as being untidy). It was as pretty a garden scene as you could see; the old mulberry bending down its heavy branches, the babies on the rug at the girl's feet; but yet, when you look over Cicely's shoulder, a shadow falls upon the pretty scene. She had two letters to write, and something still less agreeable than her letters--an advertisement for the _Guardian_. This was very difficult, and brought many a sigh from her young breast. "'An elderly clergyman who has filled the office of curate for a very long time in one parish, finding it now necessary to make a change, desires to find a similar----'" "Do you think that will do?" said Mab. "It is as if poor papa were a butler, or something--'filled the office of curate for a long time in one parish'--it does not sound nice." "We must not be bound by what sounds nice," said Cicely. "It is not nice, in fact--is it? How hard it is to put even such a little thing as this as one ought! Will this do better?--'A clergyman, who has long occupied the position of curate in charge, in a small parish, wishes to hear of a similar----' What, Mab? I cannot say situation, can I? that is like a butler again. Oh, dear, dear; it is so very much like a butler altogether. Tell me a word." "Position," said Mab. "But I have just said position. 'A clergyman who has long held the--an _appointment_ as curate in charge'--there, that is better--'wishes to hear of a similar position in a small parish.' I think that will do." "Isn't there a Latin word? _Locum_ something or other; would not that be more dignified?" said Mab. "_Locum tenens_. I prefer English," said Cicely; "and now I suppose we must say something about his opinions. Poor dear papa! I am sure I do not know whether he is High, or Low, or Broad." "Not Broad," said Mab, pointedly; for she was very orthodox. "Say sound; I have often seen that, and it does not commit you to anything,--sound, but not extreme, like Miss Blandy's clergyman."