Home > Authors Index > Juliana Horatia Ewing > Six to Sixteen: A Story for Girls > This page
Six to Sixteen: A Story for Girls, a novel by Juliana Horatia Ewing |
||
Chapter 17. Eleanor's Health... |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER XVII. ELEANOR'S HEALTH--HOLY LIVING--THE PRAYER OF THE SON OF SIRACH Matilda went home, and Eleanor and I remained at Bush House. I fancy that when we no longer had to repress ourselves for poor Matilda's sake, Eleanor was more sensible of her own aches and pains. She also became rather irritable, and had more than one squabble with Madame about this time. Eleanor had brought several religious books with her--books of prayers and other devotional works. They were all new to Matilda and me, and we began to use them, and to imitate Eleanor in various little devout customs. On Sunday Eleanor used to read Jeremy Taylor's _Holy Living and Dying_; but as we never were allowed to be alone, she was obliged to bring it down-stairs. Unfortunately, the result of this was that Miss Mulberry, having taken it away to "look it over," pronounced it "not at all proper reading for young ladies," and it was confiscated. After this Eleanor reserved her devotional reading for bed-time, when, if she had got fairly through her lessons for next day, I was wont to read the Bible and other "good books" to her in a tone modulated so as not to reach Madame's watchful ear. Once she caught us. The books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus from the Apocrypha were favourite reading with Eleanor, who seemed in the grandly poetical praises of wisdom to find some encouragement under the difficulties through which we struggled towards a very moderate degree of learning. I warmly sympathized with her; partly because much of what I read was beautiful to read, even when I did not quite understand it; and partly because Eleanor had inspired me also with some of her own fervour against "the great war of ignorance." But, as I said, Madame caught us at last. Eleanor was lying, yet dressed, upon her bed, the window was open, and I, sitting cross-legged on the floor, was giving forth the prayer of the Son of Sirach, with (as I flattered myself) no little impressiveness. As the chapter went on my voice indiscreetly rose: "When I was yet young, or ever I went astray, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer. "I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end. "Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up I sought after her. "I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning. * * * * * "Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning. * * * * * "Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find. "Behold with your eyes, how that I have had but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest. "Get learning----" "Eh, mesdemoiselles! This is going to bed, is it? Ah! Give me that book, then." I handed over in much confusion the thin S.P.C.K. copy of the Apocrypha, bound in mottled calf, from which I had been reading; and ordering us to go to bed at once, Madame took her departure. Madame could read English well, though she spoke it imperfectly. The next day she did not speak of the volume, and we supposed her to be examining it. Then Eleanor became anxious to get it back, and tried both argument and entreaty, for some time, in vain. At last Madame said: "What is it, mademoiselle, that you so much wish to read in this volume of the holy writings?" "Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus are what I like best," said Eleanor. "Eh bien!" said Madame, nodding her head like a porcelain Chinaman, and with a very knowing glance. "I will restore the volume, mademoiselle." She did restore it accordingly, with the historical narratives cut out, and many nods and grimaces expressive of her good wishes that we might be satisfied with it now. In private, Eleanor stamped with indignation (whether or no her thick boots had fostered this habit I can't say, but Eleanor was apt to stamp on occasion). We had our dear chapters again, however, and I promised Eleanor a new and fine copy of the mutilated favourite as a birthday present. Eleanor was very good to me. She helped me with my lessons, and encouraged me to work. For herself, she laboured harder and harder. I used to think that she was only anxious to get all the good she could out of the school, as she did not seem to have many so-called "advantages" at home, by her own account. But I afterwards found that she did just the same everywhere, strained her dark eyes over books, and absorbed information whenever and wherever she had a chance. "I can't say you're fond of reading," said Emma one day, watching Eleanor as she sat buried in a book, "for I'm fond of reading myself, and we're not at all alike. I call you greedy!" And Eleanor laughed, and quoted a verse from one of our favourite chapters: "They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty." _ |
||