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
I have said that there was an extensive range of unused apartments
on one side of the cemetery. They were commonly kept locked up, but
one day as we three young ones were playing in the cloister, Mother
Bursar came out with a bunch of keys and proceeded to unlock the grand
entrance.
We clustered round her and watched with much interest the opening of
the great two leaved portal.
"So! I suppose you are all dying of curiosity to see these wonderful
rooms," said Mother Bursar, smiling at our eager faces. "Well you may
follow me if you will keep close behind me and touch nothing. But mind
you do not slip away, for the rooms and passages are many and you might
be lost or have a fall. The floors are not as good as they might be."
We eagerly availed ourselves of the permission and with many
exclamations of wonder followed Mother Bursar into the great hall and
through the apartments opening from it. These rooms had once been
splendidly decorated with carving and painting, and enough still
remained to show that the subjects of the paintings were not always
religious by any means. Some furniture was still standing about, here a
great cushioned chair, there a cabinet once gay with inlaid ivory and
gilding, or a Persian rug eaten with the moths.
"Why does not dear mother have some of these pretty things in her own
room?" I ventured to ask as I paused before a beautiful table with
cupids and birds inlaid all over it.
"Dear mother does not care for such things, my child!" answered Mother
Bursar. "They are not fit for one who has renounced the world. But we
are going to overlook all the hangings and curtains and see if we can
make any of them over into bed coverings for some of the poor people,
and for our own beds as well. Come now, troop out little ones. I have
opened the windows to let in the air and shall leave them for a while,
till the place is freshened up."
"Let us stay here and look at the pictures on the walls, dear mother!"
begged Amabel, who loved everything beautiful. "We will not go into any
other rooms."
"Very well!" said Mother Bursar, who was always indulgent and who knew
that Amabel and Dénice at least could be trusted. "Mind you stay here
in the hall and go no where else, above all do not venture up the
stairs."
Mother Bursar went away and left us and we were busy studying the
story of Joseph and his family on the painted wall, when Desireè came
stealing in.
"So here are all the good little girls!" said she. "All busy breaking
rules. I wonder what Mother Prudentia will say to that."
"We are not breaking rules as it happens," I answered warmly as usual.
"Mother Bursar gave us leave to stay here and look at the pictures till
she came back. There are much prettier pictures in the other rooms but
we must not go there," I added rather regretfully, remembering the
beautiful ladies dancing under the trees which I had seen within.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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