Sunday was now a day of exquisite enjoyment; for, added to strong
devotional feelings, I was breathing the same atmosphere with a being
that I considered as all perfection. She appeared to be that for which I
had so long sought—a friend, a sister—and I hoped the time was not far
distant when I could approach her and again hear that musical voice. In
this blissful state the summer passed, unclouded, save that the lady was
once absent from church—it was owing to the death of the elderly person
who, I discovered, was not her mother, but a distant connexion, who had
resided with them for many years; and that the gentleman I supposed to
be her father was her uncle. She was an orphan, and her destiny seemed
for ever linked with mine, from this circumstance.
Toward the close of the summer, the young lady sometimes came to church
alone; and fearing that, when the cold weather set in, I should lose
sight of her, perhaps for ever, I determined to make one attempt to
interest her in my favour. I had superintended the getting up of a
beautiful prayer-book, the type, paper, plates and execution were
perfect, and I had one copy exquisitely bound. I even ventured to write
the name of this fair being in the first page, and intended to present
it to her; but it was a month before I gained courage to make the
attempt. At one time I thought to lay it on the ledge of her pew, in
silence; but I could not bear that her devotions should be interrupted
by what might be considered as an act of levity on my part, so I
forbore. I ventured, at last, to address her on coming out of church;
and to my surprise, I found myself walking forward with her. She always
carried her prayer-book, and I asked permission to look at it; she
smiled and gave it to me, and I then took the one intended for her from
my pocket, and presented it to her, making my bow suddenly, and
hastening with the speed of lightning from her sight—I need not say that
the little worn out prayer-book is still a treasure to me.
How she received the book I could not tell, nor had I an opportunity of
knowing, on the following Sunday, for it stormed so violently that none
but a devoted lover, like myself, would have ventured out. She was not
there, nor did I expect to see her; but I had an exquisite pleasure in
being in a spot where I had so frequently been near her. On the Saturday
following the lectures commenced; I was to attend three, Astronomy,
Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, but fearing that my mind was in too
unsettled a state to attend to them all, I only entered my name for
two—Chemistry and Astronomy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account