Around the World with Josiah Allen's WifeHolley, Marietta
General
Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife
Holley, Marietta
Women travelers -- Fiction
As we stood under the great dome the canopy over St. Peter's tomb
seemed to us no bigger than the band stand in Jonesville. But when we
got up to it we see that it wuz 'most a hundred feet high, for fur up
the mosaic medallions of the four evangelists lookin' none too big for
the place come to examine 'em, the pen of St. Luke is six feet long
and his nose is big enough for a spare bedroom. The writing that runs
along under the dome each letter is six feet high, higher than Thomas
Jefferson on tip toes, or Josiah on stilts. The idee!
I don't spoze that Peter, that earnest, hot-tempered fisherman
ever spozed he would have such a buildin' erected to his honor, and
I wondered as I looked through the immense distances of this
meetin'-house how many turned their thoughts from the glory about 'em
onto Peter's inspired words when he wuz here in the flesh. This
huge pile seemed as if Time could have no power over it, but his
own words rung in my ear:
"The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night and all
these things shall be dissolved. Nevertheless we according to his
promise look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness."
And as I thought of his death right here on this very spot agin his
words sounded in my heart:
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning this fiery trial which is to
try you--But rejoice--Partakers of Christ's suffering--"
And even as I listened to the chantin' of the priests I methought I
heard Peter speaking of the Voice which come down from Heaven which
they heard who wuz with Him on the mount. I thought of the sure word
of prophecy. "The light shining in a dark place"--"Until the day
dawns and the day star arise in our hearts."
Yes, the real Peter wuz enshrined in my heart as I trod the grand
aisles of that meetin'-house of hisen, and I didn't think nothin' at
all in comparison of that statute of Peter settin' on a white stun
throne holdin' his foot out for the masses to kiss.
He sets up there with a queer lookin' thing on his head. Josiah said
it wuz a sass pan, and I sez: "No, Josiah, it is a halo." And he sez:
"Samantha, if I'm ever sculped and sot up in the Jonesville
meetin'-house, I don't want any halo on my head."
And I told him I guessed there wuzn't any danger of his ever wearin' a
halo on this earth.
And Josiah said before the subject wuz broached that never, never
should he kiss that toe. And he sez it to me in reproachful axents as
if I'd been teasin' him to. But I hadn't thought on't and told him so.
But right whilst we stood there we see folks of all classes from
peasants to nobles and of all ages from childhood to old age walk up
and kneel and kiss that onconscious big toe and go into some chapel
countin' the beads of their rosaries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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