CHAPTER XV. A SABBATH-DAY.

Types of eternal rest, fair buds of bliss¹,
In heavenly flowers unfolding week by week
The next world’s gladness imaged forth² in this,
Days of whose worth the Christian’s heart can speak.
Vaughan.

The Sabbath dawned clear and beautiful, bringing refreshing³ breezes after the intense heat of the past fortnight. After the morning service in the Methodist church Mrs. Lester stayed to the Bible class led by the minister. The lesson was the eighth chapter of Romans, and it was interesting to see two old men, with spectacles, bending earnestly over one book, and talking over the meaning of the passage. The members of the class were all men and women, and there was a very free interchange of thought, as they looked 169into the Scriptures⁴ of truth. One face especially attracted Mrs. Lester’s attention. It was a youthful face, rather large, very fair, with light hair, blue eyes, and regular features, not beautiful, but with a sweet, heavenly expression on the high brow, and in the untroubled eye. In the class-meeting that followed the Bible class, she spoke⁵ calmly, but with an unfaltering trust, of her love to the Saviour⁶, as being the master-passion of her soul; that she loved God supremely⁷, and found him to be a satisfying portion. Her father, who led the class, spoke to her, with tears in his eyes, of the time when her decrepit⁸ form would put on immortality⁹, and would shine with glorious beauty; when she would know no weary hours of pain, but would dwell in the land where the inhabitants shall no more say, I am sick, but where all tears shall be wiped away.

Yes, that sweet face was the face of a 170cripple. Her form was shrunken and withered¹⁰, and her limbs had never carried her whithersoever she would. Her father took her into his arms at the close of the service, her limbs hanging limp and as if without life, and carried her to the little wagon¹¹ in which he had drawn¹² her to church. Mrs. Lester asked her if she was not tired with the long service.

“O no,” she said; she would like to stay there till the evening prayer-meeting at five o’clock.

It was not very often she could go to the house of God. She felt with David, “A day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” O how she loved the house of God, the place where his honor dwelleth.

This poor, crippled girl, who had known no happy childhood, who had never been able to participate in its sports, who had 171always been confined to the narrow precincts of a home destitute¹³ of all the luxuries of life, who had been daily accustomed to pain and privation, had yet found the true secret of happiness. It lay like moonlight on her countenance¹⁴. She had that within which many of the rich and wise and great, who look at will on the glorious scenery of earth, who command the treasures of literature and art, who surround themselves with all the comforts and appliances of a home of elegant sufficiency, fail to gain—calm peace in her heart, perfect contentment with her lot, and a spring of never-failing happiness. Nor is she useless in the world, though she has no worldly means to give, nor hands or feet to do her bidding. The light of her holy example, her patience, meekness¹⁵, resignation, and faith, are treasures to the Church. Every Wednesday there is a prayer-meeting in her room, of which she takes the charge, as she can be always present, and 172the beauty and propriety¹⁶ with which she speaks of divine things make her words very profitable.

In the afternoon Mrs. Lester and Norman went to the prayer-meeting. At the close of the service Mrs. Day, to whom Mrs. Clayton had introduced her in the morning, came up and asked her to go home by the way of her house, as she wished to gather some flowers for her. The large garden, filled with flowers and shrubbery, blooming most luxuriantly in that fertile soil, looked cool and inviting¹⁷. Mrs. Day handed Norman some flowers as the beginning of his bouquet¹⁸, and told him to go and pick what he liked. Pink and white spireces, double China pinks, a few lingering June roses, the pretty bee larkspur, the coreopsis, candytuft, and verbenas, were gathered in profusion¹⁹ by Mrs. Day’s lavish²⁰ hand, and arranged in two bouquets²¹ for Mrs. Clayton and Mrs. Lester. “Four years ago,” said she, “this garden was a bare 173field. I never was so discouraged in coming to any new place.”

“You certainly have transformed it into a very pleasant home,” replied Mrs. Lester. “Taste and cultivation²², with such a soil as this, can soon work wonders. You can truly sit under your own vine and fig-tree,” continued she, pointing to a beautiful grape-vine that had crept up a lattice, and inclosed with its graceful²³ green curtain a verandah in the rear of the house.

“Yes,” said she, “I planted that vine myself, and it is a daily rejoicing to me, and a sermon too. It reminds me continually of that true Vine from which we must draw all our life and sustenance²⁴.”

“It is well,” said Mrs. Lester, “to have divine truths thus brought to our minds by the objects that surround us.”

“My prairie home,” said Mrs. Day, “was really beautiful; that was quite to my mind; a nice house shaded with trees, 174adorned with shrubbery and flowers, and looking upon broad fertile fields.”

“Why did you leave so pretty a home?” asked Mrs. Lester.

“We came here to be near a church, and to enjoy religious privileges. For years after we went on the prairie our house was the home of the preachers, and meetings were always held there. As the country became more settled the services were transferred to a church, four miles from us, and we at length concluded to give up our home to our son, and come to spend the evening of our lives in a place where we could constantly enjoy the services of God’s house. We have tried to make religion the chief business of our life, and God has prospered²⁵ us.”

“And you enjoy this new country?” inquired Mrs. Lester.
 

No. 666.

WESTERN SETTLER’S FIRST HOME.

177“It seems to me,” she replied, “the oldest country God has made; such riches as these are in the soil all ready and prepared for the seed of the sower, only waiting for man’s coming to yield of its abundance.”

The sun was tinging²⁶ town and prairie with his parting beams, and the garden was already in deep shadow when Norman and his mother, loaded with bright and fragrant²⁷ flowers, returned home.

1 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

4 scriptures   

经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典

参考例句：

• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the Scriptures are 'inspired'. 使徒彼得在此表达了他相信《圣经》是通过默感写成的。
• You won't find this moral precept in the scriptures. 你在《圣经》中找不到这种道德规范。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 saviour   

n.拯救者，救星

参考例句：

• I saw myself as the saviour of my country.我幻想自己为国家的救星。
• The people clearly saw her as their saviour.人们显然把她看成了救星。

7 supremely   

adv.无上地，崇高地

参考例句：

• They managed it all supremely well. 这件事他们干得极其出色。
• I consider a supremely beautiful gesture. 我觉得这是非常优雅的姿态。

8 decrepit   

adj.衰老的，破旧的

参考例句：

• The film had been shot in a decrepit old police station.该影片是在一所破旧不堪的警察局里拍摄的。
• A decrepit old man sat on a park bench.一个衰弱的老人坐在公园的长凳上。

9 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

10 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

11 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

12 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

13 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

14 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

15 meekness   

n.温顺，柔和

参考例句：

• Amy sewed with outward meekness and inward rebellion till dusk. 阿密阳奉阴违地一直缝到黄昏。 来自辞典例句
• 'I am pretty well, I thank you,' answered Mr. Lorry, with meekness; 'how are you?' “很好，谢谢，”罗瑞先生回答，态度温驯，“你好么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

16 propriety   

n.正当行为；正当；适当

参考例句：

• We hesitated at the propriety of the method.我们对这种办法是否适用拿不定主意。
• The sensitive matter was handled with great propriety.这件机密的事处理得极为适当。

17 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

18 bouquet   

n.花束，酒香

参考例句：

• This wine has a rich bouquet.这种葡萄酒有浓郁的香气。
• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。

19 profusion   

n.挥霍；丰富

参考例句：

• He is liberal to profusion.他挥霍无度。
• The leaves are falling in profusion.落叶纷纷。

20 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

21 bouquets   

n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香

参考例句：

• The welcoming crowd waved their bouquets. 欢迎的群众摇动着花束。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• As the hero stepped off the platform, he was surrounded by several children with bouquets. 当英雄走下讲台时，已被几名手持花束的儿童围住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

23 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

24 sustenance   

n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

25 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

26 tinging   

v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的现在分词 )

参考例句：

27 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。