A Book of Quaker SaintsHodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)
Religion
A Book of Quaker Saints
Hodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)
Society of Friends
_'What lovely rainbow colours!' thought the little girl. And then the
rainbow colours reminded her of the question that had been puzzling
her when she began to watch the rosy cloud. So she repeated, out loud
this time and in rather a weary voice, 'Whatever is a Saint? How I do
wish I knew! And why are there no Saints on the windows in Meeting?'_
_No answer came to her questions. Lois and her nurse were paying a
visit all by themselves. They spent most of their days up in this old
nursery at the top of the big house. Nurse had gone downstairs a long
time ago, saying that she would bring up tea for them both on a
tea-tray, before it was time to light the lamps. For there was no gas
or electric light in children's nurseries in those days._
_If Lois had been at home she would herself have been having tea
downstairs in the dining-room at this time with her father and mother.
Then she could have asked them what a Saint was, and have found out
all about it at once. Father and mother always seemed to know the
answers to her questions. At least, very nearly always. For Lois was
so fond of asking questions, that sometimes she asked some that had no
answer; but those were silly questions, not like this one. Lois felt
certain that either her father or her mother would have explained to
her quite clearly all about Saints, and would have wanted her to
understand about them. Away here there was nobody to ask. Nurse would
only say, 'If you ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.' Somehow
whenever she said that, Lois fancied it meant that nurse was not very
sure of the answer herself. She had already asked Aunt Isabel in
church that same morning, when the puzzle began; and Aunt Isabel's
answer about 'a halo' had left the little girl more perplexed than
ever._
_Lois had heard of people 'going to church' before, but she had never
understood what it meant until to-day. At home on Sundays she went to
Meeting with father and mother. She liked walking there, in between
them, holding a hand of each, skipping and jumping in order not to
step on the black lines of the pavement. She liked to see the shops
with their eyes all shut tight for Sunday, and to watch for the
naughty shops, here and there, who kept a corner of their blinds up,
just to show a few toys or goodies underneath. Lois always thought
that those shops looked as if they were winking up at her; and she
smiled back at them a rather reproving little smile. She enjoyed the
walk and was sorry when it came to an end. For, to tell the truth, she
did not enjoy the Meeting that followed it at all._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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