Children's stories; Europe -- Juvenile fiction; Travel -- Juvenile fiction
The new-comer was a little priest; so rosy and young that they called
him the 'Reverend Boy.' He seemed rather dismayed at first; but, finding
the ladies silent and demure, he took heart, and read diligently in a
dingy little prayer-book, stealing shy glances now and then from under
his broad-brimmed hat at Amanda's white hands, or Matilda's yellow
locks, as if these vanities of the flesh had not quite lost their charms
for him. By and by he fell asleep, and leaned in his corner, making
quite a pretty picture; for the ugly hat was off, his boyish face as
placid as a child's, his buckled shoes and neat black-stockinged legs
stretched comfortably out, his plump hands folded over the dingy book,
and the little bands lay peacefully on his breast.
He was quite at their mercy now; so the three women looked as much as
they liked, wondering if the poor dear boy was satisfied with the life
he had chosen, and getting tenderly pitiful over the losses he might
learn to regret when it was too late. His dreams seemed to be pleasant
ones, however; for once he laughed a blithe, boyish laugh, good to hear;
and when he woke, he rubbed his blue eyes and stared about, smiling like
a newly roused baby.
He got out all too soon, was joined by several other clerical youths,
and disappeared with much touching of big beavers, and wafting of
cassocks.
Innocent, reverend little boy! I wonder what became of him, and hope his
sleep is as quiet now as then,--his awakening as happy as it seemed that
summer day.
Six o'clock saw our damsels at Le Mans; and, after dinner, a sunset
walk took them to the grand old cathedral, where they wandered till
moonrise. Pure Gothic of the twelfth century, rich in stained glass,
carved screens, tombs of kings and queens, dim little chapels, where
devout souls told their beads before shadowy pictures of saints and
martyrs, while over all the wonderful arches seemed to soar, one above
the other, light and graceful as the natural curves of drooping
branches, or the rise and fall of some great fountain.
'We shall not see anything finer than this, I'm sure. It's a perfect
revelation to me,' said Matilda, in a calm rapture at the beauty all
about her.
'This is a pious-feeling church, and I could say my prayers here with
all my soul; for it seems as if the religion of centuries had got built
into it,' added Lavinia, thinking of the ugly imitations at home.
'You will both turn Catholic before we get through,' prophesied Amanda,
retiring to study the tomb of Berengaria, Coeur de Lion's wife.
The square before the hotel was gay with a market, many soldiers
lounging about, and flocks of people eating ices before the _cafes_. The
ladies enjoyed it from the balcony, and then slumbered peacefully in a
great room with three alcoves, much muslin drapery, and a bowl and
pitcher like a good-sized cup and saucer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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