Ashcliffe Hall: A tale of the last centuryHolt, Emily Sarah
General
Ashcliffe Hall: A tale of the last century
Holt, Emily Sarah
England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Religious fiction
"To tell you the truth, Patient, while I quite see with you in the
main, I think you a little severe in the particular."
"I do not doubt it, Madam. The Lord knoweth how to deaden your heart
unto this world, and He can do it a deal better than I. But if you
be His (the which I doubt not), it must needs be."
"I have scarce a choice now," said Celia, in a low voice, feeling
doubtful how far she ought to make any remark to Patient which might
seem to reflect on Lady Ingram.
"That I perceive, Madam," answered Patient, in the same tone.
"Only--if you will condescend to pardon the liberty I take in saying
it--take heed that the pleasing and obeying of man clash not with the
pleasing and obeying of God. 'For all that is in the world--the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life--is not
of the Father, but is of the world.'"[5]
"Patient, there is one thing which I feel very much here--the want of
a Protestant service."
"I used to feel that very sore, Madam. Not that I miss it not now,
'specially at times: yet scarce, me thinks, so sadly as I once did.
At first I was much exercised with that word, 'Forsake not the
assembling of yourselves together;'[6] and I marvelled whether I
ought to remain in this place. But I began to think that it was not
I that had forsaken mine own land, but the Lord which hath caused me
to be cast out thence; I having, moreover, passed a solemn word to my
dear Lady when she lay a-dying, that I would not leave Master Edward
his lone in this strange land while he was yet a bairn. Then me
thought of some words of Mr. Grey in that last sermon he ever
preached. 'A soldier,' quoth he, 'hath no right to choose his
position.' So now, seeing that since the Dragonnades, as they called
the persecution here, there is no worship permitted to be had, and
also that the Lord, and not I, hath placed me here, I am content.
Every Sabbath, ay, every day, He preacheth unto me in the Word, and
there is no finer discourse than His."
"What persecution, Patient?" asked Celia, as she lay down on her
pillow. "This King hath never been a persecutor, hath he?"
"Ay hath he, Madam. The morn, if it please you, I will tell you some
stories of the Dragonnades. My Lady hath given me further work to do
for you; and if you think meet, I can bring my sewing into your
closet as aforetime."
"Pray do, Patient: I like your stories. Good-night."
"Good-night, Madam, and the Lord be with you!"
"Your very obedient servant, Mrs. Celia Ingram," observed Mr. Philip,
lounging into his sister's boudoir the next morning. "I hope your
early rising has done you no harm."
"I rose at my usual hour, which is six."
"I rose at _my_ usual hour, which is nine."
"O Philip!" cried Celia, laughing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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