The Grey Woman and other TalesGaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn
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The Grey Woman and other Tales
Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories
“Hurrah! for oud smoke-jack!” cried Bob, putting Franky softly down on
the grass, before he whirled his hat round, preparatory to a shout.
“Hurrah! hurrah!” from all the men. “There’s the rim of my hat lying
like a quoit yonder,” observed Bob quietly, as he replaced his brimless
hat on his head with the gravity of a judge.
“Here’s the Sunday-school children a-coming to sit on this shady side,
and have their buns and milk. Hark! they’re singing the infant-school
grace.”
They sat close at hand, so that Franky could hear the words they sang,
in rings of children, making, in their gay summer prints, newly donned
for that week, garlands of little faces, all happy and bright upon
that green hill-side. One little “Dot” of a girl came shily behind
Franky, whom she had long been watching, and threw her half-bun at
his side, and then ran away and hid herself, in very shame at the
boldness of her own sweet impulse. She kept peeping from her screen at
Franky all the time; and he meanwhile was almost too much pleased and
happy to eat; the world was so beautiful, and men, women, and children
all so tender and kind; so softened, in fact, by the beauty of this
earth, so unconsciously touched by the spirit of love, which was the
Creator of this lovely earth. But the day drew to an end; the heat
declined; the birds once more began their warblings; the fresh scents
again hung about plant, and tree, and grass, betokening the fragrant
presence of the reviving dew, and—the boat time was near. As they trod
the meadow-path once more, they were joined by many a party they had
encountered during the day, all abounding in happiness, all full of
the day’s adventures. Long-cherished quarrels had been forgotten, new
friendships formed. Fresh tastes and higher delights had been imparted
that day. We have all of us our look, now and then, called up by some
noble or loving thought (our highest on earth), which will be our
likeness in heaven. I can catch the glance on many a face, the glancing
light of the cloud of glory from heaven, “which is our home.” That look
was present on many a hard-worked, wrinkled countenance, as they turned
backwards to catch a longing, lingering look at Dunham woods, fast
deepening into blackness of night, but whose memory was to haunt, in
greenness and freshness, many a loom, and workshop, and factory, with
images of peace and beauty.
That night, as Libbie lay awake, revolving the incidents of the day,
she caught Franky’s voice through the open windows. Instead of the
frequent moan of pain, he was trying to recall the burden of one of the
children’s hymns,—
Here we suffer grief and pain,
Here we meet to part again;
In Heaven we part no more.
Oh! that will be joyful, &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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