Clergy -- Fiction; Great Britain -- Fiction; Religious fiction
It happened at one of these meetings, about the middle of the month of
June, when the beauty of the weather had brought together rather a
larger party than usual, that a subject of great interest to the
majority of the company was brought under discussion by Mr. Cartwright.
No sooner had Mr. Samuel Hetherington, his curate, finished his prayer,
and such of the company risen from their knees as chose to come early
enough to take part in that portion of the morning's arrangements, than
the vicar opened the subject.
"My dear friends and neighbours," he said, "I have to communicate what I
am sure will give you all pleasure: for are we not a society united in
the Lord? Notwithstanding the little differences of station that may
perhaps exist among us, have we not all one common object in view? It is
for the furtherance of this divine object that I have now to mention to
you a circumstance at which my soul and the soul of Mrs. Cartwright
rejoice, and at which I am fully persuaded that your souls will rejoice
likewise."
This preface produced a movement of lively interest throughout the whole
room, and there was hardly a person present who did not eagerly
undertake to answer for the sympathy of his or her soul with those of
the vicar and his lady.
"Since we had the pleasure of seeing you last," resumed the vicar, "I
have received a despatch from the secretary of the South Central African
Bible Association, by which I learn that it is in contemplation to send
out to Fababo a remarkably serious young Jew, recently converted, as
missionary, and minister plenipotentiary in all spiritual affairs
relative to the church about to be established for Fababo and its
dependencies. But as you all well know that such a glorious enterprise
as this cannot be undertaken without funding and it has been requested
of me, in the despatch to which I have alluded, that I should exert such
little influence as I have among you, my dear friends and neighbours,
for the collecting a sum in aid of it, our good Mrs. Simpson's sweet
little cherub Mimima is furnished with a box, which she will carry round
as soon as the collation is ended, to petition your generous
contributions."
A murmur of approbation, admiration, and almost of adoration, burst from
the whole company, and the conversation immediately turned upon the
conversion of Jews, and the happiness of having found so very desirable
a mission for Mr. Isaacs. While the enthusiasm was at its height, Mrs.
Cartwright, having previously received a hint from her husband, proposed
that a serious fancy-fair should be held on that day month, on the lawn
before the drawing-room windows of Cartwright Park, for assisting the
outfit of Mr. Isaacs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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