The Village Pastor and His Children (Volume 1); A Novel from the German of Augustus La Fontaine (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: we are friends. After the service I passed into the vest try, where I was surroundedby the elders of the commune who embraced me, and vowed I should be their pastor. I saw likewise my worthy ftrotector, whom I had not remarked in the church: he came to me with an affable air, and said some words to me, which, God be praised, I have completely forgotten! I did not even think at that time how much he must have been piqued; my heart was too full of pleasing, tender sentiments; there was no room for any painful idea. I would at that moment have pardoned my greatest enemy; and consequently, the man who had not been able to injure me. Chap. v. The country fcirsonage. I' Was now impatient to see my good mother: I found her expecting me in our dwelling, where I received her cordial embraces, mingled with tears. She told me riot to be uneasy about my establishment: the house was well furnished; she looked upon me as her son, and all she possessed was mine. She had only some distant re iations, who were very much at their ease; and in depriving them of this little inheritance, she did not do them the smallest wrong. She even desired to make it over to me in form before the justice of the place immediately; but this I refused, in order that 1 might not give myself an air of distrust in her eyes, or in those of my parishioners an air of avidity. I assured her that Iaccepted her -benefits with filial gratitude, but begged her not to make any deed until I should return to settle myself along with her, which wasto take place in a month. Certainly I may do myself the justice to say that a single idea of personal advantage had never entered my head when my soul adopted her for a mother. Had I found her between four naked walls, covered with rags- were I possessed of treasure...