Part 9 (2/2)

This faculty was always a strong one. She was catechized in church with the village children when only four years old, and when six, could repeat many poems from an old collection called ”The Diadem,”

such as Mrs. Hemans' ”Cross in the Wilderness,” and Dale's ”Christian Virgin to her Apostate Lover”; but she reminded me one day during her illness of how little she understood what she was saying in the days when she fluently recited such lines to her nursery audience!

She liked to repeat the alternate verses of the Psalms, when the others were read to her; and to the good things laid up in her mind she owed much of the consolation that strengthened her in hours of trial. After one night of great suffering, in which she had been repeating George Herbert's poem, ”The Pulley,” she said that the last verse had helped her to realize what the hidden good might be which underlaid her pain--

Let him be rich and weary; that, at least, If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to My breast.

During the earlier part of her illness, when every one expected that she would recover, she found it difficult to submit to the unaccountable sufferings which her highly-strung temperament felt so keenly; but after this special night of physical and mental darkness, it seemed as if light had broken upon her through the clouds, for she said she had, as it were, looked her pain and weariness in the face, and seen they were sent for some purpose--and now that she had done so, we should find that she would be ”more patient than before.” We were told to take a sheet of paper, and write out a calendar for a week with the text above, ”In patience possess ye your souls.” Then as each day went by we were to strike it through with a pencil; this we did, hoping that the pa.s.sing days were leading her nearer to recovery, and not knowing that each was in reality ”a day's march nearer home.”

For the text of another week she had ”Be strong and of a good courage,” as the words had been said by a kind friend to cheer her just before undergoing the trial of an operation. Later still, when nights of suffering were added to days of pain, she chose--”The day is Thine, the night also is Thine.”

Of what may be termed external spiritual privileges she did not have many, but she derived much comfort from an unexpected visitor. During nine years previously she had known the Rev. Edward Thring as a correspondent, but they had not met face to face, though they had tried on several occasions to do so. Now, when their chances of meeting were nearly gone, he came and gave great consolation by his unravelling of the mystery of suffering, and its sanctifying power; as also by his interpretation that the life which we are meant to lead under the dispensation of the Spirit who has been given for our guidance into Truth, is one which does not take us out of the world, but keeps us from its evil, enabling us to lead a heavenly existence on earth, and so to span over the chasm which divides us from heaven.

Perhaps some of us may wonder that Julie should need lessons of encouragement and comfort who was so apt a teacher herself; but however ready she may always have been to hope for others, she was thoroughly humble-minded about herself. On one day near the end, when she had received some letter of warm praise about her writings, a friend said in joke, ”I wonder your head is not turned by such things”; and Julie replied: ”I don't think praise really hurts me, because, when I read my own writings over again they often seem to me such 'bosh'; and then, too, you know I lead such a useless life, and there is so little I _can_ do, it is a great pleasure to know I may have done _some_ good.”

It pleased her to get a letter from Sir Evelyn Wood, written from the Soudan, telling how he had cried over _Laetus_; and she was almost more gratified to get an anonymous expression from ”One of the Oldest Natives of the Town of Aldershot” of his ”warm and grateful sense of the charm of her delightful references to a district much loved of its children, and the emotion he felt in recognizing his birthplace so tenderly alluded to.” Julie certainly set no value on her own actual MSS., for she almost invariably used them up when they were returned from the printers, by writing on the empty sides, and destroying them after they had thus done double duty. She was quite amused by a relation who begged for the sheets of ”Jackanapes,” and so rescued them from the flames!

On the 11th of May an increase of suffering made it necessary that my sister should undergo another operation, as the one chance of prolonging her life. This ordeal she faced with undaunted courage, thanking G.o.d that she was able to take chloroform easily, and only praying He would end her sufferings speedily, as He thought best, since she feared her physical ability to bear them patiently was nearly worn out.

Her prayer was answered, when two days later, free from pain, she entered into rest. On the 16th of May she was buried in her parish churchyard of Trull, near Taunton, in a grave literally lined with moss and flowers;--so many floral wreaths and crosses were sent from all parts of England, that when the grave was filled up they entirely covered it, not a speck of soil could be seen; her first sleep in mother earth was beneath a coverlet of fragrant white blossoms. No resting-place than this could be more fitting for her. The church is deeply interesting from its antiquity, and its fine oak-screen and seats, said to be carved by monks of Glas...o...b..ry, whilst the churchyard is an idyllically peaceful one, containing several yew-trees; under one of these, which over-shadows Julie's grave, the remains of the parish stocks are to be seen--a quaint mixture of objects, that recalls some of her own close blendings of humour and pathos into one scene. Here, ”for a s.p.a.ce, the tired body lies with feet towards the dawn,” but I must hope and believe that the active soul, now it is delivered from the burden of the flesh, has realized that Gordon's antic.i.p.ations were right when he wrote: ”The future world must be much more amusing, more enticing, more to be desired, than this world,--putting aside its absence of sorrow and sin. The future world has been somehow painted to our minds as a place of continuous praise, and, though we may not say it, yet we cannot help feeling that, if thus, it would prove monotonous. It cannot be thus.

It must be a life of activity, for happiness is dependent on activity: death is cessation of movement; life is all movement.”

If Archbishop Trench, too, was right in saying;

The tasks, the joys of earth, the same in heaven will be; Only the little brook has widen'd to a sea,

have we not cause to trust that Julie still ministers to the good and happiness of the young and old whom she served so well whilst she was seen amongst them? Let her, at any rate, be to us one of those who s.h.i.+ne as the stars to lead us unto G.o.d:

G.o.d's saints are s.h.i.+ning lights: who stays Here long must pa.s.se O'er dark hills, swift streames, and steep ways As smooth as gla.s.se; But these all night, Like Candles, shed Their beams, and light Us into bed.

They are, indeed, our pillar-fires, Seen as we go; They are that Citie's s.h.i.+ning spires We travel to.

A sword-like gleame Kept man for sin-- First _out_, this beame Will guide him _In_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Memorial.]

”If we still love those we lose, can we altogether lose those we love?”

”_The Newcomes_,” Chap. vii.

(_The last entry in J.H.E.'s Commonplace Book._)

LIST OF MRS. EWING'S WORKS.

+-------------------+------------------------+-------------------+------------+ | t.i.tLE. | FIRST PUBLISHED IN: | SUBSEQUENTLY. | PUBLISHER. | +-------------------+------------------------+-------------------+------------+ |A Bit of Green |_Monthly Packet_, |”Melchior's Dream, |Bell & Sons,| | |July, 1861 | and other Tales” | 1862 | | | | | | |The Blackbird's |--August, 1861 | ” | ” | | Nest | | | | | | | | | |Melchior's Dream |--December, 1861 | ” | ” | | | | | | |Friedrich's Ballad | ---- | ” | ” | | | | | | |The Viscount's | ---- | ” | ” | | Friend | | | | | | | | | |The Mystery of the |_London Society_, |”Miscellanea,” | S.P.C.K. | | b.l.o.o.d.y Hand |January and February, |vol. xvii. | | | |1865 | | | | | | | | |The Yew Lane Ghosts|_Monthly Packet_, |”Melchior's Dream, |Bell & Sons,| | | June, 1865 |and other Tales” | 1885. | | | | | | |The Brownies |_Monthly Packet_, |”The Brownies, | ” | | |1865 |and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Mrs. Overtheway's | | | | | Remembrances-- | | | | | Ida |_Aunt Judy's |”Mrs. Overtheway's | ” | | |Magazine_,May, 1866 |Remembrances” | | | Mrs. Moss |--June and July, 1866 | ” | ” | | | | | | |The Promise |--July, 1866 |”Verses for |S.P.C.K. | | | |Children” vol. ix. | | | | | | | |The Burial of the |--September, 1866 { |”Songs for Music, |H. King & Co| | Linnet | { |by Four Friends” | | | | { |”Papa Poodle, |S.P.C.K. | | | { |and other Pets” | | | | | | | |Christmas Wishes |--December, 1866 |”Verses for | ” | | | |Children” vol. ix. | | | | | | | |Mrs. Overtheway's | | | | | Remembrances-- | | | | | The Snoring|--December, 1866; Jan. |”Mrs. Overtheway's |Bell & Sons.| | Ghosts | and February, 1867 | Remembrances” | | | | | | | |An Idyll of the |--September, 1867 |”The Brownies, |” | | Wood | |and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Three Christmas |--December, 1867 | ” | ” | | Trees | | | | | | | | | |Mrs. Overtheway's | | | | | Remembrances-- | | | | | Reka Dom |--June, July, August, |”Mrs. Overtheway's | ” | | |September, and Oct. 1868|Remembrances” | | | Kerguelen's|--October, 1868 | ” | ” | | Land | | | | | | | | | |The Land of Lost |--March and April, 1869 |”The Brownies, |Bell & Sons.| | Toys | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Kind William and |--November, 1869 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned |S.P.C.K. | | the Water Sprite | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |Christmas Crackers |--December, 1869; |”The Brownies, |Bell & Sons.| | | Jan. 1870 | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Amelia and the |--February and March, | ” | ” | | Dwarfs | 1870 | | | | | | | | |The Cobbler and |--February, 1870 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned |S.P.C.K. | | the Ghosts | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |The Nix in |--April, 1870 | ” | ” | | Mischief | | | | | | | | | |Benjy in |--May and June, 1870 |”Lob Lie-by-the- |Bell & Sons.| | Beastland | | Fire and other | | | | | Tales” | | | | | | | |The Hillman and |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_, |”Old-Fas.h.i.+oned |S.P.C.K. | | the Housewife | May, 1870 | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |The Neck |--June, 1870 | ” | ” | | | | | | |Under the Sun |--July, 1870 | ---- | ---- | | | | | | |The First Wife's |--August, 1870 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned |S.P.C.K. | | Wedding Ring | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |The Magic Jar |--September, 1870 | ” | ” | | | | | | |Snap Dragons |_Monthly Packet_, |”Snapdragons” | ” | | | Christmas Number, | | | | | 1870 | | | | | | | | |Timothy's Shoes |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_, |”Lob Lie-by-the- |Bell & Sons.| | | November, December, | Fire, and other | | | | 1870; January, 1871 | Tales” | | | | | | | |A Flat Iron for |--November, 1870, to |”A Flat Iron | ” | | a Farthing | October, 1871 | for a Farthing” | | | | | | | |The Widow and |--February, 1871 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned |S.P.C.K. | | the Strangers | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |The Laird and |--April, 1871 | ” | ” | | the Man of Peace | | | | | | | | | |The Blind Hermit |_Monthly Packet_, |”Dandelion Clocks” | ” | | and the Trinity | May, 1871 | | | | Flower | | | | | | | | | |The Ogre Courting |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_, |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned | ” | | | June, 1871 | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |The Six Little |--August, 1871 | ---- | ---- | | Girls and the | | | | | Five Little Pigs | | | | | | | | | |The Little Master |--September, 1871 |”Papa Poodle, and |S.P.C.K. | | to his Big Dog | | other Pets” | | | | | | | |The Peace Egg |--December, 1871 |”Lob Lie-by-the- |Bell & Sons.| | | | Fire, and other | | | | | Tales” | | | | | | | |Six to Sixteen |--January to October. |”Six to Sixteen” | ” | | | 1872 | | | | | | | | |Murdoch's Rath |--February, 1872 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned |S.P.C.K. | | | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |The Magician's |--March, 1872 | ” | ” | | Gifts | | | | | | | | | |Knave and Fool |--June, 1872 | ” | ” | | | | | | |The Miller's Thumb |--November, 1872 to |”Jan of the |Bell & Sons.| | | October, 1873 | Windmill. A Story | | | | | of the Plains” | | | | | | | |Ran Away to Sea |--November, 1872 |”Songs for Music, |King & Co. | | | | by Four Friends” || | | | | | |Among the Merrows |--November, 1872 |”Brothers of Pity, |S.P.C.K. | | | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |The Willow Man |--December, 1872 |”Tongues in Trees” | ” | | | | | | |The Fiddler in |--January, 1873 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned | ” | | the Fairy Ring | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |A Friend in |--January, 1873 |”Verses for | ” | | the Garden | | Children,” | | | | | vol. ix. | | | | | | | |In Memoriam |--November, 1873 |”Parables from |Bell & Sons.| | --Margaret Gatty | | Nature.” | | | | |(Complete edition) | | | | | | | |Madam Liberality |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_, |”A Great | ” | | |December, 1873 | Emergency, | | | | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Old Father |_Little Folks_ { |”Lob Lie-by-the- | ” | | Christmas | { | Fire, and other | | | | { | Tales, 1873 | | | | { | (Ill.u.s.trated by | | | | { | R. Caldecott.) | | | | { | | | |Lob Lie-by-the- | ---- { | ” | ” | | Fire | { | | | | | | | | |Our Garden |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_, |”Our Garden” |S.P.C.K. | | | March, 1874 | | | | | | | | |Dolly's Lullaby |--April, 1874 |”Baby, Puppy, | ” | | | | and Kitty” | | | | | | | |The Blue Bells |--May, 1874 |”The Blue Bells | ” | | on the Lea | | on the Lea” | | | | | | | |May Day, Old Style |--May, 1874 |”Miscellanea,” | ” | | and New Style | | vol. xvii. | | | | | | | |A Great Emergency |--June to October, |”A Great Emergency,|Bell & Sons.| | | 1874 | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |The Dolls' Wash |--September, 1874 |”The Dolls' Wash” |S.P.C.K. | | | | | | |Three Little |--October, 1874 |”Three Little | ” | | Nest-Birds | | Nest-Birds” | | | | | | | |A very Ill- |--December, 1874, to |”A Great Emergency,|Bell & Sons.| | tempered Family | March, 1875 | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Songs for Music, | | | | | by Four Friends | | | | | | | | | | Ah! Would I | | | | | Could Forget | | | | | | | | | | The Elleree. A | | | | | Song of | | | | | Second Sight | | | | | | | | | | Faded Flowers | | | | | | | | | | Fancy Free. A | | | | | Girl's Song | | | | | | | | | | From Fleeting | | | | | Pleasures. A | | | | | Requiem for | | | | | One Alive | | | | | | | | | | How Many Years |”Songs for Music, by |”Verses for |S.P.C.K | | Ago? | Four Friends,” H. | Children, and | | | | | | | | The Lily of | King & Co., 1874. | Songs for Music,”| | | the Lake | | vol. ix. | | | | | | | | Madrigal | | | | | | | | | | Maiden with | | | | | the Gipsy | | | | | Look | | | | | | | | | | My Lover's | | | | | Gift | | | | | | | | | | Other Stars | | | | | | | | | | The Runaway's | | | | | Return, or | | | | | Ran Away to | | | | | Sea | | | | | | | | | | Serenade | | | | | | | | | | Speed Well | | | | | | | | | | Teach Me |(From the Danish.) | | | | With a | | | | | Difference | | | | | | | | | | Anemones (left | | | | | in MS.) | | | | | | | | | | Autumn Leaves | | | | | (left in | | | | | MS.) | | | | | | | | | |Cousin Peregrine's |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_, |”Miscellanea,” vol.|S.P.C.K. | | Wonder Stories. | | xvii. | | | | | | | | The Chinese | --March, 1875 | | | | Jugglers | | | | | | | | | |Waves of the |--May, 1875 | ” | ” | | Great South Sea | | | | | | | | | |Jack of Pera |--July, 1875 | ” | ” | | | | | | |Little Woods |--August, 1875 | ” | ” | | | | | | |Good Luck is Better|--August, 1875 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned | ” | | than Gold | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |A Hero to his |--October, 1875 |”Little Boys and | ” | | Hobby Horse | | Wooden Horses” | | | | | | | |The Kyrkegrim |--November, 1875 |”Dandelion Clocks” | ” | | turned Preacher | | | | | | | | | |Hints for Private |--November and |”The Peace Egg,” | ” | | Theatricals |--December, 1875; | vol. x. | | | |--February, 1876 | | | | | | | | |Toots and Boots |--January, 1876 |”Brothers of Pity, | ” | | | | and other Tales | | | | | of Beasts and | | | | | Men” | | | | | | | |The Blind Man |--February, 1876 |”Dandelion Clocks” | ” | | and the Talking | | | | | Dog | | | | | | | | |The Princes of |--April, 1876 |”Miscellanea,” | S.P.C.K. | | Vegetation | | vol. xvii | | | | | | | |I Won't |--April, 1876 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned | ” | | | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |Father Hedgehog and|--June to August, 1876 |”Brothers of Pity, | ” | | His Neighbours | | and other Tales” | | | || | | |House Building |--June, 1876 |”Doll's | ” | | and Repairs | | Housekeeping” | | | | | | | |An Only Child's |--July, 1876 | ” | ” | | Tea-Party | | | | | | | | | |Dandelion Clocks |--August, 1876 |”Dandelion Clocks, | ” | | | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Our Field |--September, 1876 |”A Great Emergency,|Bell & Sons.| | | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Papa Poodle |--September, 1876 |”Papa Poodle, and | S.P.C.K. | | | | other Pets” | | | | | | | |A Week Spent in a |--October, 1876 |”A Week Spent in a |Wells, | | Gla.s.s Pond | | Gla.s.s Pond” |Darton & Co.| | | | | | |Big Smith |--October, 1876 |”Little Boys and | S.P.C.K. | | | |Wooden Horses” | | | | | | | |The Magician turned|--November, 1876 |”Old-fas.h.i.+oned | ” | | Mischief-Maker | | Fairy Tales” | | | | | | | |A Bad Habit |--January, 1877 |”Melchior's Dream, |Bell & Sons,| | | | and other Tales” | 1885. | | | | | | |Brothers of Pity |--April, 1877 |”Brothers of Pity, | S.P.C.K. | | | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Kit's Cradle |--April, 1877 |”Baby, Puppy, and | ” | | | | Kitty” | | | | | | | |Ladders to Heaven |--May, 1877 |”Dandelion Clocks,”| ” | | | | &c. | | | | | | | |Boy and Squirrel |--June, 1877 |”Tongues in Trees” | ” | | | | | | |Master Fritz |--August, 1877 |”Master Fritz” | ” | | | | | | |A Sweet Little |--September, 1877 |”A Sweet Little | ” | | Dear | | Dear” | | | | | | | |We and the World |--November, 1887, to |”We and the World” |Bell & Sons.| | | June, 1878, and | | | | | April to October, | | | | | 1879 | | | | | | | | |The Yellow Fly |--December, 1877 |”Baby, Puppy, and | S.P.C.K. | | | | Kitty” | | | | || | |So-so |--September, 1878 |”Dandelion Clocks,”| ” | | | | &c. | | | | | | | |Flaps |_Aunt Judy's Magazine_ |”Brothers of Pity, | ” | | |January, 1879 | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Canada Home |--January, 1879 |”Verses for | ” | | | | Children,” &c. | | | | | vol. ix. | | | | | | | |Garden Lore |--March, 1879 | ” | ” | | | | | | |A Soldier's |--July, 1879 |”A Soldier's | ” | | Children | | Children” | | | | | | | |Jackanapes |--October, 1879 |”Jackanapes” | ” | | | | | | |Grandmother's |--June, 1880 |”Grandmother's | S.P.C.K. | | Spring | | Spring” | | | | | | | |Touch Him if You |--July, 1880 |”Touch Him if you | ” | | Dare | | Dare” | | | | | | | |The Mill Stream |--August, 1881 |”The Mill Stream” | ” | | | | | | |Blue and Red; or, |--September, 1881 |”Blue and Red,” | ” | | the Discontented | | &c. | | | Lobster | | | | | | | | | |Daddy Darwin's |--November, 1881 |”Daddy Darwin's | ” | | Dovecote | | Dovecote” | | | | | | | |Laetus Sorte Mea: |--May to October, 1882 |”The Story of a | ” | | or, the Story | | Short Life” | | | of a Short Life | | | | | | | | | |Sunflowers and a |--November, 1882 |”Mary's Meadow.” | ” | | Rushlight | | &c., vol. xvi. | | | | | | | |The Poet and the |--January, 1883 |”The Poet and the | ” | | Brook | | Brook” | | | | | | | |Mother's Birthday |--April, 1883 |”Mother's Birthday | ” | | Review | | Review” | | | | | | | |Convalescence |--May, 1883 |”Convalescence” | ” | | | | | | |A Happy Family |--September, 1883 |”Melchior's Dream, |Bell & Sons.| | | | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Mary's Meadow |--November, 1883, to |”Mary's Meadow,| S.P.C.K. | | | March, 1884 | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |The Peace Egg. |--January, 1884 |”The Peace Egg,” | ” | | A Christmas | | &c. | | | Mumming Play | | | | | | | | | |Letters from a |--November, 1884, to |”Mary's Meadow, | ” | | Little Garden | February, 1885 | and other Tales” | | | | | | | |Tiny's Tricks and |_Child's Pictorial |”Brothers of Pity, | ” | | Toby's Tricks |Magazine_ | and other | | | |May, 1885 | Tales,” vol. xii.| | | | | | | |The Owl in the |--June, 1885 | ” | ” | | Ivy Bush; or, | | | | | the Children's | | | | | Bird of Wisdom | | | | | --Introduction | | | | | --Owlhoot I. |--July, 1885 | ” | ” | | --Owlhoot II. |--August, 1885 | ” | ” | +-------------------+------------------------+-------------------+------------+

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