FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139  
140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   >>  
y, but before I could articulate it, she held out a pair of scissors and said, "Perhaps, sir, you'd like to clip some of the flowers--the roses over the door are best!" Three children hung to her skirts, peeking, round faces from behind, and quite accidentally disclosing a very neat ankle. I took the scissors and clipped three splendid Jacqueminots and said it was a beautiful day. She agreed with me and added that she was just finishing her churning and if I'd wait a minute until the butter came, she'd give me a drink of buttermilk. I waited without urging and got the buttermilk, and as the children had come out from hiding I was minded to give them a penny apiece. Two coppers were all I could muster, so I gave the two boys each a penny and the little girl a shilling. The mother protested that she had no change and that a bob was too much for a little girl like that, but I assumed a Big-Bonanza air and explained that I was from California where the smallest change is a dollar. "Go thank the gentleman, Jane." "That's right, Jane Austen, come here and thank me!" "How did you know her name was Jane Austen--Jane Austen Humphreys?" "I didn't know--I only guessed." Then little Mrs. Humphreys ceased patting the butter and told me that she named her baby girl for Jane Austen, who used to live near here a long time ago. Jane Austen was one of the greatest writers that ever lived--the Rector said so. The Reverend George Austen preached at Steventon for years and years, and I should go and see the church--the same church where he preached and where Jane Austen used to go. And anything I wanted to know about Jane Austen's books the Rector could tell, for he was a wonderful learned man was the Rector--"Kiss the gentleman, Jane." So I kissed Jane Austen's round, rosy cheek and stroked the tousled heads of the boys by way of blessing, and started for Steventon to interview the Rector who was very wise. And the clergyman who teaches his people the history of their neighborhood, and tells them of the excellent men and women who once lived thereabouts, is both wise and good. And the present Rector at Steventon is both--I'm sure of that. * * * * * It was a very happy family that lived in the Rectory at Steventon from Seventeen Hundred Seventy-five to Eighteen Hundred One. There were five boys and two girls, and the younger girl's name was Jane. Between her and James, the oldest boy
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139  
140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   >>  



Top keywords:
Austen
 

Rector

 

Steventon

 
preached
 

change

 

church

 

buttermilk

 

butter

 

Humphreys

 

scissors


Hundred

 
children
 

gentleman

 
George
 
greatest
 

writers

 

wanted

 

Reverend

 

tousled

 

family


present

 

thereabouts

 

Rectory

 

Between

 

younger

 
oldest
 

Seventeen

 

Seventy

 

Eighteen

 

excellent


kissed

 

stroked

 
patting
 

wonderful

 

learned

 

people

 

history

 

neighborhood

 

teaches

 

clergyman


blessing
 
started
 

interview

 

explained

 

clipped

 
splendid
 

Jacqueminots

 
accidentally
 
disclosing
 

beautiful