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 saw directly that she would never be able to mount the wall, and that
help must be had at once or not at all, and I resolved with an inward
prayer, to try my power over the creature. I blew a sharp note on my
whistle. The bull looked round, and gave a grumble of recognition,
as who should say, "wait till I finish this little affair and I will
come," but, as I called him, and held out the basket from which he was
used to receive his treats, he turned and followed me quietly enough. I
led him to his enclosure, tempted him inside, and gave him half a loaf
of white bread, which I was carrying to poor Mary. Then securing the
gate, as well as I could, I went back to find out what had become of
Wilson. I found her sitting flat on the ground, crying as if her heart
would break. Her first words were very unexpected—
"Oh, Mrs. Corbet, I have used you shameful, and yet you have saved my
life. I do believe that nasty creature would have killed me before I
could get away. But I beg your pardon for treating you so—that indeed,
I do; and I will never do it again, if you will only forgive me!"
"I forgive you with all my heart!" said I. "But don't sit there on the
wet grass, or you will get a fever, and that will be as bad as the
bull."
I helped her to rise, and finding that she really trembled so she could
hardly stand, I gave her my salts and my arm to lean on back to the
hall. She found her voice presently and began to pour out her woes.
She hated the place. It was not what she had expected. She was worked
almost to death, and my lady was taken up with that grinning French
woman, and had never a good word for poor Wilson, as had served her so
long.
I tried to stop her, but I might as well have tried to stop the
Highbeck at flood time. At last the worst of her troubles came out. She
was so afraid. She heard such dreadful noises at night, like people
walking and whispering in the entry and in the room itself, and cries
and groans that seemed to come from far down, and I don't know what
all. She slept with a Bible under her pillow, but it did no good. The
noises came all the same.
"Did I think a Prayer-Book would be better?" Her terror was so real,
that I could not but be sorry for her.
"Neither Bible nor Prayer-Book will do you any good by lying under your
pillow!" said I. "They are not made to be used like adder stones or
rowan twigs. Study your Bible and Prayer-Book, confess your sins, ask
Divine protection, and then you will not be afraid of the noises the
wind makes in this old pile."
"But, I can't!" sobbed Wilson. "I am not good like you and Miss
Leighton, and I have done so many wicked things. Oh, I wish I had never
left my mother's cottage to wait on a great lady."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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