FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   >>   >|  
at all! that moment they acknowledge me as a priest, as a Christian. The moment I meet them upon the commonest human ground, helping them as one heathen would help another, simply because he was his own flesh and blood, that moment they soften to me and show me how much I might have done with them twelve months ago, had I had but common sense!" He knelt down and prayed by the old man, for him and for himself. "Would it be troubling you, sir?" said the old man at last. "But I'd like to take the Sacrament before I go." "Of course. Whom shall I ask in?" The old man paused awhile. "I fear it's selfish: but it seems to me I would not ask it, but that I know I'm going. I should like to take it with my maid, once more before I die." "I'll go for her," said Frank, "the moment Thurnall comes back to watch you." "What need to go yourself, sir? Old Sarah will go, and willing." Thurnall came in at that moment. "I am going to fetch Miss Harvey. Where is she, Captain?" "At Janey Headon's, along with her two poor children." "Stay," said Tom, "that's a bad quarter, just at the fish-house back. Have some brandy before you start?" "No! no Dutch courage!" and Frank was gone. He had a word to say to Grace Harvey, and it must be said at once. He turned down the silent street, and turned up over stone stairs, through quaint stone galleries and balconies such as are often huddled together on the cliff sides in fishing towns; into a stifling cottage, the door of which had been set wide open in the vain hope of fresh air. A woman met him, and clasped both his hands, with tears of joy. "They're mending, sir! They're mending, else I'd have sent to tell you. I never looked for you so late." There was a gentle voice in the next room. It was Grace's. "Ah, she's praying by them now. She'm giving them all their medicines all along! Whatever I should have done without her?--and in and out all day long, too; till one fancies at whiles the Lord must have changed her into five or six at once, to be everywhere to the same minute." Frank went in, and listened to her prayer. Her face was as pale and calm as the pale, calm faces of the two worn-out babes, whose heads lay on the pillow close to hers: but her eyes were lit up with an intense glory, which seemed to fill the room with love and light. Frank listened: but would not break the spell. At last she rose, looked round and blushed. "I beg your pardon, sir, for tak
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

moment

 

listened

 

turned

 
mending
 
Thurnall
 

Harvey

 
looked
 

clasped

 

pardon

 

cottage


stifling
 

fishing

 

blushed

 

changed

 

whiles

 
pillow
 

fancies

 

minute

 

praying

 
giving

prayer

 
intense
 

medicines

 

Whatever

 

gentle

 

quarter

 

troubling

 
Sacrament
 

prayed

 

common


selfish

 

paused

 

awhile

 

months

 

twelve

 

ground

 

helping

 

heathen

 

commonest

 

acknowledge


priest

 

Christian

 

simply

 

soften

 

courage

 

brandy

 
silent
 

balconies

 

huddled

 

galleries