Adela Cathcart Vol 1 | |
Auhtor: George Macdonald | |
| Language: english Published: 1864 Genres:fiction and literatureDownloads: 137 eBook size: 273Kb Review by Bob Tobias, February 2006 Rating: (****) Copyright: Public Domain in the U.S. Please check the copyright status in your country. | |
Summary of the Book 'Adela Cathcart Vol 1':
Adela Cathcart Vol 1 by George Macdonald. ADELA CATHCART Volume I. BY GEORGE MACDONALD M.A. Me list not of the chaf ne of the stre Maken so long a tale as of the corn. CHAUCER.--_Man of Lawes Tale_. ADELA CATHCART Originally published in 1864 With appreciation to Mrs. Morag Black for the master copies of Volumes II and III to the Bodleian Library for the photo-copies of Volume I and to Miss Tracy Samuel for type-copying Volumes I II and III for this Edition. To John Rutherfurd Russell M.D. This book is affectionately dedicated by the author. Contents of the First Volume Chapter I CHRISTMAS EVE II CHURCH III THE CHRISTMAS DINNER IV THE NEW DOCTOR V THE LIGHT PRINCESS VI THE BELL VII THE SCHOOLMASTER S STORY ADELA CATHCART. Chapter I. Christmas Eve. It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve sinking towards the night. All day long the wintry light had been diluted with fog and now the vanguard of the darkness coming to aid the mist the dying day was well nigh smothered between them. When I looked through the window it was into a vague and dim solidification of space a mysterious region in which awful things might be going on and out of which anything might come but out of which nothing came in the meantime except small sparkles of snow or rather ice which as we swept rapidly onwards and the darkness deepened struck faster and faster against the weather-windows. For we that is myself and a fellow-passenger of whom I knew nothing yet but the waistcoat and neckcloth having caught a glimpse of them as he searched for an obstinate railway-ticket were in a railway-carriage darting along at an all but frightful rate northwards from London. Being the sole occupants of the carriage we had made the most of it like Englishmen by taking seats diagonally opposite to each other laying our heads in the corners and trying to go to sleep. But for me it was of no use to try any longer. Not that I had anything particular on my mind or spirits but a man cannot always go to sleep at spare moments. If anyone can let him consider it a great gift and make good use of it accordingly that is by going to sleep on every such opportunity. As I however could not sleep much as I should have enjoyed it I proceeded to occupy my very spare time with building up what I may call a conjectural mould into which the face dress carriage c. of my companion would fit. I had already discovered that he was a clergyman but this added to my difficulties in constructing the said mould. For theoretically I had a great dislike to clergymen having hitherto always found that the _clergy_ absorbed the _man_ and that the _cloth_ as they called it even themselves would be no bad epithet for the individual as well as the class. For all clergymen whom I had yet met regarded mankind and their interests solely from the clerical point of view seeming far more desirous that a man should be a good church man as they called it than that he should love God. Hence there was always an indescribable and to me unpleasant odour of their profession about them. If they knew more concerning the _life_ of the world than other men why should everything they said remind one of mustiness and mildew In a word why were they not men at worst when at best they ought to be more of men than other men --And here lay the difficulty by no effort could I get the face before me to fit into the clerical mould which I had all ready in my own mind for it. That was at all events the face of a man in spite of waistcoat and depilation. I was not even surprised when all at once he sat upright in his seat and asked me if I would join him in a cigar. I gladly consented. And here let me state a fact which added then to my interest in my fellow-passenger
Excerpts from the Book 'Adela Cathcart Vol 1':
... in three minutes more, we were at Purleybridge-the only passengers but one who arrived at the station that night. A servant was waiting for me, and ...
... colonel, with more kindness than the form of the question deserved. Have you no conjecture on the subject. I asked. None. I have tried hard to ...
... to put on the best smile and the loveliest dress that the cold time and her suffering state would allow, in welcome of the Lord of the snow and the summer. ...
... to the army, now.. I made no reply, but I thought the more. It seemed to me that to get tired of Percy was the most natural proceeding that could ...
... let the debt gather and gather, till the thought of it, I believe, actually drove her out of her mind for the time. She dared not tell her husband ...
... Day, with many thanks to Colonel and Miss Cathcart.. No, my good Madam, said the colonel it is we who owe you the happiest part of our Christmas ...
... live upon it, and so die and go home to their Father. And without good spiritual food to keep the spiritual senses healthy and true, they cannot ...
... a fairy-tale.. Ah, the pope. I daresay.. And not the archbishop.. I don't think your reasoning quite correct, Mr. Smith, said the clergyman ...
... or push her down, but you couldn't let her down. It is true, you might let her fly into the fire or the coal-hole, or through the window but none ...
... been off again, over the floor, had not the king started up and caught her just in time. Seeing that nothing but talk could be got out of her, he rang ...
... looked almost sad. 'I shall be most happy to fall in with you any time you like.' said the prince, devotedly. 'Thank you. I don't know. Perhaps ...
... what he meant, but could not-revealing a notion that he meant something. But as soon as ever she left the lake, she was so altered, that the ...
... hopeless of finding a man willing to sacrifice himself. No time could be lost, however for the princess was lying motionless on her bed, and taking no ...
... jarred upon me a little, I confess, said Mrs. Armstrong. But I daresay that was silly.. I think it was, my dear. But you can afford to be silly ...
... connection between them yet this sympathy sprung in part from a real similarity in their history and present condition. All the facts that were known ...
... walk. Passing from the little garden gate, she went along a bare country road for some distance, and then, turning aside by a footpath through ...
... door, exchanging surly compliments with some of his own kind when the fool came strolling past, and, I do not know from what cause, the dog flew at him. ...
... and necessities: I now believe that she had found that correspondence. More talk was not desirable and I was glad when, after a few attempts ...
... my love and be blessed. And thou shall not keep it without thy reward. For thy necessities-in thy little house, is there not yet room. in thy barrel, ...
... only smile.'. And how fared the heart of the father. At first, in the bitterness of his grief, he called the loss of his child a punishment for his ...