Country life -- England -- Fiction; Families -- Fiction; Riots -- England -- Bristol -- Fiction; Wells (England) -- Fiction
A word here and a word there; a gentle touch of the same white hand
which had been stretched out to poor Bob Priday, and had brought home to
his soul the power of God's love, and Joyce, in all the first flush of
her young beauty, in all the bright gladness of the summer morning at
Fair Acres, had never looked so lovely as when she drew Susan gently
away, and, putting her arm in hers, left the ward, followed by the
wondering and wistful glances of the patients and the nurses.
There was no time to lose, for the sound of distant tumult grew louder.
The old surgeon urged the coachman to take as wide a sweep as possible,
to avoid the Bristol streets, and just as they were starting a man
rushed in with more news.
The mob were on their way to Bridewell to set the prisoners free who had
been committed on Saturday, and Colonel Brereton had declared his
intention of withdrawing the 14th Light Dragoons from the city.
This last act in the drama of irresolution and incompetence was
followed, before sun-down, with the flames of a burning city, and the
ever increasing fury of a mob, whose blood was inflamed with the wine
from the Mansion House cellars, which had been drunk with eager
recklessness, and had excited the brains of the poor, ignorant people
till they were literally madmen, ah! and mad women too, as well as
rioters.
When Joyce reached her own door, little Falcon met her.
"Mother," he said, "when the church bells were ringing, the soldiers
were coming down Park Street, and grandmother said we must not go to
church."
"It is better not to go, dear boy," his mother said.
"It's not a bit like Sunday," Falcon exclaimed, "for the people are
beginning to shout again, and roar louder than ever down below."
Mrs. Arundel was sitting with Gilbert, who was drowsy and heavy, and
asked but few questions as to where Joyce had been.
"It was a great risk," Mrs. Arundel said; "and did it effect any good?"
"I think so," said Joyce, simply. "I took hope to the death-bed of a
poor man, the hope which was not denied to the thief on the cross; and I
took a daughter to bear witness to her father that love could triumph
even over the memory of wrong-doing like his."
Mrs. Arundel shook her head. "We must leave the result with God," she
said; "a God of love; but He will by no means spare the guilty. Where
are Piers and Susan?"
"They are gone back to Down Cottage. I got out of the coach at the turn
to Brandon Hill. The children looked so well and happy, and my mother
has made them so cosy and comfortable."
Then Joyce took up her post by her husband's bed. The doctor, who came
in later, said that he was to be kept very quiet and free from
excitement; and, he added, "I wish, indeed, he were further from the
town, for I greatly fear worse things are at hand."
The story of that fearful Sunday is too well known to need any minute
description here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account