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
"But to those who are satisfied with themselves!" continued Mr.
Cheriton. "The Pharisees who think themselves good enough already, and
look down on their fellow sinners as if they were worms of the dust—to
you, if such there be here—the Holy One hath another message. 'Thou
sayest I am rich, and increased with goods and have need of nothing;
and knowest not, that thou art wretched, and miserable, and pour, and
blind, and naked.'"
I can give no notion of Mr. Cheriton's manner as he said these words,
and the verse following them. They concluded the discourse, which did
not take up ten minutes in all. He then finished with a collect and the
benediction.
I saw Mrs. Bunnell's good plain face, bright with satisfaction. Poor
Master Tubbs in his desk, looked utterly dazed and confounded. Two or
three maiden ladies—or so I judged them to be, conferred together,
with somewhat sour and indignant faces. Most of the poor women in the
free seats seemed pleased, and I saw two of them shake hands, as those
who congratulate each other on some delightful event. After a moment's
whispered colloquy, they approached the poor creature I have mentioned
who sat sobbing in her corner, and after a little talk, they assisted
her to rise, arranged her somewhat disordered dress, and led her away
still weeping between them.
"Do you see that?" said Mrs. Thorpe, pointing out the group to Mrs.
Crump.
"I see—poor thing!" said Mrs. Crump, compassionately. "I am glad to
see any one befriend her. To think how I remember that girl—a perfect
rose-bud in her poor mother's house—and to see her now trampled, as it
were, in the very mire of the streets."
"Who is she?" I ventured to ask.
"One whose name even I would not have you know," said Mrs. Thorpe; "and
yet I might make her the text of a sermon. She was one who would needs
judge and decide for herself where she would go, and what she would do,
and whom she would consort with. She fell into wicked hands, as was to
be expected, broke her mother's heart, and brought her gray hairs in
sorrow to the grave, was the plaything of an hour to be cast out and
trodden under foot of man."
"She must have felt as though the sermon was meant for her," said Mrs.
Crump. "I am glad Joan Bristall has taken her up. But what did you
think of the sermon?"
"That is more than I can tell you just now," answered Mrs. Thorpe. "I
must think it over. I know it came home to me as no sermon ever did
before, except Mr. Wesley's the other day at Mrs. Edwards' funeral."
"I thought it savored a good deal of enthusiasm," said Mrs. Cropsey,
nervously. "I hope Mr. Cheriton is not going to turn out an enthusiast
like Mr. Wesley. What a dreadful thing it would be!"
"What is an enthusiast?" I asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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