FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  
lled me to come with her to _Nanny_, I made none ado, but tied on mine hood and went. We found old _Nanny_--that is too infirm for aught but to sit of a chair in the sunshine--so doing by the window, beside her a little table, and thereon a great Bible open, with her spectacles of her nose, that she pulled off and wiped, and set down of the book to keep her place. "Well, _Nanny_!" saith Aunt _Joyce_. "`Sitting down under His shadow,' dear heart?" "Ay, Mistress _Joyce_," saith she, "and `with great delight.'" I marvel if old folk do really like to read the Bible. I never did. And the older I grow, the lesser doth it like me. Can they mean it, trow? If they do, then I suppose I shall like it when I am as old as _Nanny_. But, good lack! what gloomsome manner of life must that be, wherein one shall find one's diversion in reading of the Bible! I know _Father_ and _Mother_ would say clean contrary. But they, see you, were bred up never to see a Bible in _English_ till they were grown: which is as different as can be to the like of us maids, that never knew the day when it lay not of the hall table. But therein runs my pen too fast, for _Anstace_ can well remember Queen _Mary's_ time, though _Nell_ scarce can do so,--only some few matters here and there. So then Aunt _Joyce_ and _Nan_ fell a-talking,--and scarce so much as a word could I conceive. [Note 1.] They might well-nigh as good have talked _Greek_ for me. Yet one matter will I set down the which I mean to think o'er--some time, when I am come to divert me with the Bible, and am as old as _Nanny_. Not now, of course. "Where art reading, _Nanny_?" saith Aunt _Joyce_. "In _Esaias_, Mistress _Joyce_. Fifty-eighth chapter, first and second verses. There's fine reading in _Esaias_." "Ay, _Nan_, there is," saith Aunt _Joyce_. "But what toucheth it? I am ill set to remember chapter and verse." "Well, Mistress, first it saith, `Show My people their transgression.' And i' th' very next verse,--`Yet they seek me daily,'--nay, there's more--`they take delight in approaching to God.'" "Well, _Nan_? That reads strange,--no doth it?" "Ah, it doth, Mistress _Joyce_. But I think, look ye, there's a deal i' th' word _approaching_. See ye, it saith not they take delight to get near. Nay, folk o' that make has a care not to get too near. They'll lay down a chalk line, and they'll stop outside on't. If they'd only come near enough, th' light
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Mistress

 

delight

 

reading

 
chapter
 
Esaias
 

remember

 
approaching

scarce

 

divert

 

matters

 
talking
 

talked

 

conceive

 

matter


verses

 
strange
 

transgression

 

eighth

 

people

 
toucheth
 

contrary


pulled
 

spectacles

 

Sitting

 

marvel

 

shadow

 

thereon

 
infirm

window

 

sunshine

 

English

 

Anstace

 

gloomsome

 

manner

 

suppose


lesser

 

Mother

 

diversion

 

Father