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Article THE WORRIED BISHOP; ← Page 4 of 10 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Worried Bishop;
"But , " proceeded the bishop , "in deference to my old friend , Colpncl Western ' s xvishes , I xvill xvrite to two of the governors ; to Dr . Fisher , Avhich xvill avail but little ; and to Lord Sidmouth , xvlhcli xvill avail still less : lint I Avill Avrite . Can you read , boj' ? Let me hear you : " and the bishop handed a volume lying near him to the listening ancl eager Harry . It xvas a strange book
to be found in such a presence . Where all spoke of wealth , and luxury , ancl refinement , what room coulcl there be for "The Miseries of Human Life ? " Yet there lay the volume at hand , opexx , as if the prelate had jxxst been conning its contents . " Here , " cried the dignitary , pointing to a partiexdar page ; " read me three consecutive sections , ancl audibly . "
The boy obeyed ; read xvell ; without tremor or hesitation . The concluding paragraph was so quaintly expressed , ancl conveyed so droll an idea , that the bishop ' s presence failed to repress Harry ' s sense of the ludicrous ; ancl , after completing his task , he burst into a joyous , ringing laugh . " The boy has humoxu * , " saicl the great man , approxingly : " clo you know , young gentleman , by xvhom that book Avas Avritten ?"
" I have heard , my lord , by a very serious clergyman . " The hit xvas hap-hazard ; but it told . The prelate eyed the speaker keenly for a moment , ancl then laughed heartily . " No ! No ! Poor Beresford xvas not serious . Ho ! Ho ! He Avas an Oxford man ; a felloAv of Merton : held Kibworth — a capital living — ancl maintained an admirably
appointed household ; but as to being serious—ho ! ho ! ho ! Never , never ! " His lordship again eyed Harry ; some idea seemed to strike him ; suddenly ringing the bell , he saicl to the fat butler xx'ho ansxvered it , " Plumper ! take this young gentleman into the eating-room , ancl see that he has some substantial luncheon . Attend to him yoxu * self ; and give him half a glass
of Madeira in a goblet of spring xvater . " Harry here hinted that this arrangement xvas not needed . " I pay no attention to disclaimers from school-boys , " pursued the churchman . " I know xvhat they ' re xvorth . I'm quite sure that you need refreshment . Go ! And noxv "—addressing himself to Cecil— " for my letter to Dr . Fisher . " He dreAv his Avriting materials toAvards
him as he spoke , ancl began . But his lordship made little progress . An audacious mosquito-gnat , devoid of all reA'erence for his capacious xvig and right reverend ears , commenced a droning , and a xvlxxx' / ixxg , and a bxxxzxxxg , which thoroxxghly bothered the learned xvriter . The bishop pished and pshaxveel , dodged , changed his seat , his table , moved to another part of the room . To no VOL . 1 . 1 )
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Worried Bishop;
"But , " proceeded the bishop , "in deference to my old friend , Colpncl Western ' s xvishes , I xvill xvrite to two of the governors ; to Dr . Fisher , Avhich xvill avail but little ; and to Lord Sidmouth , xvlhcli xvill avail still less : lint I Avill Avrite . Can you read , boj' ? Let me hear you : " and the bishop handed a volume lying near him to the listening ancl eager Harry . It xvas a strange book
to be found in such a presence . Where all spoke of wealth , and luxury , ancl refinement , what room coulcl there be for "The Miseries of Human Life ? " Yet there lay the volume at hand , opexx , as if the prelate had jxxst been conning its contents . " Here , " cried the dignitary , pointing to a partiexdar page ; " read me three consecutive sections , ancl audibly . "
The boy obeyed ; read xvell ; without tremor or hesitation . The concluding paragraph was so quaintly expressed , ancl conveyed so droll an idea , that the bishop ' s presence failed to repress Harry ' s sense of the ludicrous ; ancl , after completing his task , he burst into a joyous , ringing laugh . " The boy has humoxu * , " saicl the great man , approxingly : " clo you know , young gentleman , by xvhom that book Avas Avritten ?"
" I have heard , my lord , by a very serious clergyman . " The hit xvas hap-hazard ; but it told . The prelate eyed the speaker keenly for a moment , ancl then laughed heartily . " No ! No ! Poor Beresford xvas not serious . Ho ! Ho ! He Avas an Oxford man ; a felloAv of Merton : held Kibworth — a capital living — ancl maintained an admirably
appointed household ; but as to being serious—ho ! ho ! ho ! Never , never ! " His lordship again eyed Harry ; some idea seemed to strike him ; suddenly ringing the bell , he saicl to the fat butler xx'ho ansxvered it , " Plumper ! take this young gentleman into the eating-room , ancl see that he has some substantial luncheon . Attend to him yoxu * self ; and give him half a glass
of Madeira in a goblet of spring xvater . " Harry here hinted that this arrangement xvas not needed . " I pay no attention to disclaimers from school-boys , " pursued the churchman . " I know xvhat they ' re xvorth . I'm quite sure that you need refreshment . Go ! And noxv "—addressing himself to Cecil— " for my letter to Dr . Fisher . " He dreAv his Avriting materials toAvards
him as he spoke , ancl began . But his lordship made little progress . An audacious mosquito-gnat , devoid of all reA'erence for his capacious xvig and right reverend ears , commenced a droning , and a xvlxxx' / ixxg , and a bxxxzxxxg , which thoroxxghly bothered the learned xvriter . The bishop pished and pshaxveel , dodged , changed his seat , his table , moved to another part of the room . To no VOL . 1 . 1 )