Marjorie Fleming : $b a sketch : being the paper entitled "Pet Marjorie, a story of child-life fifty years ago"Brown, John
General
Marjorie Fleming : $b a sketch : being the paper entitled "Pet Marjorie, a story of child-life fifty years ago"
Brown, John
Fleming, Marjorie, 1803-1811
Here is a confession: “I confess I have been very more like a little
young divil than a creature for when Isabella went up stairs to teach
me religion and my multiplication and to be good and all my other
lessons I stamped with my foot and threw my new hat which she had made
on the ground and was sulky and was dreadfully passionate, but she
never whiped me but said Marjory go into another room and think what a
great crime you are committing letting your temper git the better of
you. But I went so sulkily that the Devil got the better of me but she
never never never whips me so that I think I would be the better of it
and the next time that I behave ill I think she should do it for she
never never does it.... Isabella has given me praise for checking my
temper for I was sulky even when she was kneeling an hole hour teaching
me to write.”
Our poor little wifie,--_she_ has no doubts of the personality of
the Devil! “Yesterday I behave extremely ill in God’s most holy church
for I would never attend myself nor let Isabella attend which was a
great crime for she often, often tells me that when to or three are
geathered together God is in the midst of them, and it was the very
same Divil that tempted Job that tempted me I am sure; but he resisted
Satan though he had boils and many many other misfortunes which I have
escaped.... I am now going to tell you the horible and wretched plaege
(plague) that my multiplication gives me you can’t conceive it the most
Devilish thing is 8 times 8 and 7 times 7 it is what nature itself cant
endure.”
This is delicious; and what harm is there in her “Devilish”? It is
strong language merely; even old Rowland Hill used to say “he grudged
the Devil those rough and ready words.” “I walked to that delightful
place Craky-hall with a delightful young man beloved by all his friends
especially by me his loveress, but I must not talk any more about him
for Isa said it is not proper for to speak of gentalmen but I will
never forget him!... I am very very glad that satan has not given me
boils and many other misfortunes--In the holy bible these words are
written that the Devil goes like a roaring lyon in search of his pray
but the lord lets us escape from him but we” (_pauvre petite!_)
“do not strive with this awfull Spirit.... To-day I pronunced a word
which should never come out of a lady’s lips it was that I called John
a Impudent Bitch. I will tell you what I think made me in so bad a
humor is I got one or two of that bad bad sina (senna) tea to-day,”--a
better excuse for bad humor and bad language than most.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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