The foster-sisters : $b A story in the days of Wesley and WhitfieldGuernsey, Lucy Ellen
History
The foster-sisters : $b A story in the days of Wesley and Whitfield
Guernsey, Lucy Ellen
Evangelical Revival -- England -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Young women -- Fiction
We studied the Bible Mrs. Thorpe had handed us—the Douay Bible as it
is called, from the place where it was published—and were surprised to
find, that though the notes contained a great deal about the Virgin,
the Saints, etc., there was no more in the text, than in that of the
books Mr. Wesley had given us.
"How I wish we had some one to teach us!" said Amabel, rather
impatiently.
"Perhaps Mrs. Cropsey will be able to do so when she comes!" I
answered. "But, Amabel, I wonder what becomes of Mr. Cheriton."
We had got into the way of exchanging a few words with this gentleman
almost every day, either in the garden, or as we met him in our walks,
which we did rather frequently. But we had never seen him to speak to
him, since Mr. Wesley's visit, and we had heard from Mrs. Thorpe—it
being Sunday—that he did not preach that day, his place being supplied
by one of the curates from St. Nicholas.
"I heard the old clerk say, that Mr. Cheriton was gone away for a few
days, but would be back before next Sunday," answered Amabel. "I wish
Mr. Wesley would come back and preach again."
"Perhaps he will; I heard he was going northward, and would return this
way. If he preached in the church, I should like to go and hear him. Do
you know, Amabel, I think I shall go to church with Mrs. Thorpe next
time; you know she always goes on Friday morning. I do want to see what
a Protestant church is like, and I am sure there is no harm in the
prayers, for I have read them all through."
So I had in a prayer-book I had found in the book-case.
"Some things in them are the same as ours," remarked Amabel,
thoughtfully. "The 'Te Deum' and the Magnificat and the Psalms are the
same. And I like the Collects very much, they say so much in such few
words."
"Kesiah Lee says the Methodists and Mr. Wesley too, pray to God in
their own words, and ask Him for what they need," said I. I said that
seemed like great presumption, and she said that so long as He was
really our Father, it seemed as if we ought to be as free to go to Him
as to our earthly Father.
"St. Theresa used to make prayers, I know," said Amabel; "it is in her
life. But then she was a saint."
"Well, St. Paul says all God's people are called to be saints. We will
ask Mrs. Cropsey about it; she is coming to-morrow, you know."
But Mrs. Cropsey was not destined to be any great help to us when
she came. She was a pretty little woman in widow's weeds, who was so
obviously scared at the charge she had undertaken that our awe of her
was speedily changed into compassion. It was well for her that we had
previously been taught obedience and docility, for I am sure we should
never have learned them from her. She was an admirable musician, and
sung charmingly, but as to any thing else, we were as able to instruct
her as she us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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