Part 7 (2/2)

The one exception was the wife of the shopkeeper She was a contrast to her husband and all the rest I do not think she was a Unitarian born and bred She talked but little about theology, but she was devoted to her Bible, and had a fine sense for all the passages in it which had an experience in the instinct for as right Oftentimes her prompt decisions were a scandal to her more sedate friends, who did not believe in any way of arriving at the truth except by rationalising, but she hardly ever failed to hit the mark It was in questions of relationshi+p between persons, of behaviour, and of uidance was the surest In such cases her force seeht, while the weakness of those around made it impossible for them not to wander, first on one side and then on the other She was unflinching in her expressions, and at any sacrifice did her duty It was her severity in obeying her conscience which not only gave authority to her admonitions, but was the source of her inspirations

She was not s She had soazine--a ”Repository” of sootten what--and she picked out froreatly admired She was not a well educated woreatest na I do not think she knew anything about Shakespeare, and she never entered into theof dra at every conceivable angle the paths of her acquaintances, and never straying along theht happen to be hers

While I was in the village an event happened which causedin the shop, and there was in the house at the tiirl Mrs Lane, for that washer, for, with her usual quickness, she thought she saw soirl which was peculiar One irl were absent, and there was a letter upon the table announcing that they were in a town about twenty reat, and a tu counsel

Mrs Lane said but little, but never wavered an instant Leaving her husband to ”consider as best to be done,” she got out the gig, drove herself over to her son's lodging, and presented herself to her ahter-in-laho fell upon her knees and prayed for pity

”My dear,” said Mrs Lane, ”get up this instant; you are hter

Not another word I've coirl was at heart a good girl She was so bound to her late mistress and her new mother by this behaviour, that the very depth in her opened, and she loved Mrs Lane ever afterwards with alht a little up to her son's level, and a happier e I never knew Mrs Lane told me what she had done, but she had no theory about it Sheto do

She was very fond of getting up early in the e this was an eccentricity bordering al about her garden She was a great lover of order in the house, and kept it well under control, but I do not think I ever surprised her when she was so busy that she would not easily, and without any apparent sacrifice, leave what she was doing to come and talk with me

As I have said, the world of books in which I lived was alether shut to her, but yet she was the only person in the village whose conversation was lifted out of the petty and personal into the region of the universal I have been thus particular in describing her--I fear without raising any ie of her--because she was of incalculable service to uished from lack of life, and her mere presence, so exuberant in its full vivacity, was like mountain air Furthermore, she was not troubled much with my philosophical difficulties They had not come in her path Her world was the world of men and women--more particularly of those she knew--and it was a world in which it did ood to dwell She was all the more important to me, because outside our own little circle there was no society whatever The Church and the other Dissenting bodies considered us non-Christian

I often wondered that Mr Lane retained his business, and, indeed, he would have lost it if he had not established a reputation for honesty, which drew custo the denunciations of the parson, preferred tea with some taste in it from a Unitarian to the insipid wood-flavoured stuff which was sold by the grocer who believed in the Trinity

CHAPTER VIII--PROGRESS IN EMANcipaTION

I ith ation for about a twelve that time, save so far as my intercourse with Mrs Lane, and one other friend presently to be mentioned, was concerned, was as sunless and joyless as it had ever been I about the fields, and absorbed mostly upon insoluble probleress, and which tended to draw ht have had

One day I alking along under the south side of a hill, which was a great place for butterflies, and I saw awith a butterfly-net He did not see me, for he looked about for a convenient piece of turf, and presently sat down, taking out a sandwich-box, from which he produced his lunch His occupation did not particularly attract me, but in those days, if I encountered a new person as not repulsive, I was always as eager to ht solve a secret for me, the answer to which I burned to know I have been disappointed so many times, and have found that nobody has much more to tell me, that my curiosity has somewhat abated, but even now, the news that anybody who has the reputation for intelligence has coly saluted the butterfly-catcher, who returned the salutation kindly, and we began to talk

He toldto that spot because he knew that it was haunted by one particular species of butterfly which he wished to get; and as it was a still, bright day, he hoped to find a specimen He had been unsuccessful for so that I knew all about his science, he began to discourse upon it with great freedo that he would be happy to show me his collection, which was one of the finest in the country

”But I forget,” said he, ”as I always forget in such cases, perhaps you don't care for butterflies”

”I take ly the beauty of their colours”

”Ah, yes, but you don't care for the them”

”No, not particularly I cannot say I ever saw much pleasure in the mere classification of insects”

”Perhaps you are devoted to some other science?”

”No, I am not”

”Well, I daresay it looks absurd for aafter a moth I used to think it was absurd, but I am wiser now

However, I cannot stop to talk; I shall lose the sunshi+ne The first time you are anywhere near me, come and have a look You will alter your opinion”