The Essays of Douglas JerroldJerrold, Douglas William
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The Essays of Douglas Jerrold
Jerrold, Douglas William
English essays -- 19th century
AT an early age St Dolly showed the sweetness of her nature by her
tender love for her widowed father, a baker, dwelling at Pie Corner,
with a large family of little children. It chanced that with bad
harvests bread became so dear that, of course, bakers were ruined by
high prices. The miller fell upon Dolly’s father, and swept the shop
with his golden thumb. Not a bed was left for the baker or his little
ones. St Dolly slept upon a flour sack, having prayed that good angels
would help her to help her father. Now sleeping, she dreamt that the
oven was lighted, and she felt falling in a shower about her raisins,
currants, almonds, lemon peel, flour, with heavy drops of brandy. Then
in her dreams she saw the fairies gather up the things that fell and
knead them into a cake. They put the cake into the oven, and dancing
round and round, the fairies vanished, crying, “_Draw the cake,
Dolly—Dolly, draw the cake!_” And Dolly awoke and drew the cake, and,
behold, it was the first twelfth cake, sugared at the top, and bearing
the images of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Now this cake, shown in the
window, came to the king’s ear; and the king bought the cake, knighted
the baker, and married Dolly to his grand falconer, to whom she proved a
faithful and loving wife, bearing him a baker’s dozen of lovely
children.
ST PATTY
St Patty was an orphan, and dwelt in a cot with a sour old aunt. It
chanced, it being bitter cold, that three hunters came and craved for
meat and drink. “Pack!” said the sour aunt, “neither meat nor drink have
ye here.” “Neither meat nor drink,” said Patty; “but something better.”
And she ran and brought some milk, some eggs, and some flour, and,
beating them up, poured the batter in the pan. Then she took the pan and
tossed the cake over; and then a robin alighted at the window, and kept
singing these words—_One good turn deserves another_. And Patty tossed
and tossed the cakes; and the hunters ate their fill and departed. And
next day the hunter-baron came in state to the cot; and trumpets were
blown, and the heralds cried—_One good turn deserves another_; in token
whereof Patty became the baron’s wife, and pancakes were eaten on Shrove
Tuesday ever after.
ST NORAH
St Norah was a poor girl, and came to England to service. Sweet-tempered
and gentle, she seemed to love everything she spoke to. And she prayed
to St Patrick that he would give her a good gift that would make her not
proud but useful: and St Patrick, out of his own head, taught St Norah
_how to boil a potato_. A sad thing, and to be lamented, that the secret
has come down to so few.
ST BETSY
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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