Caroline afterwards became
an inmate of my mother's family, and we were warm friends until
her death a few years ago.
Some of the girls could not believe that the Bible was meant to
be counted among forbidden books. We all thought that the
Scriptures had a right to go wherever we went, and that if we
needed them anywhere, it was at our work. I evaded the law by
carrying some leaves from a torn Testament in my pocket.
The overseer, caring more for law than gospel, confiscated all he
found. He had his desk full of Bibles. It sounded oddly to hear
him say to the most religious girl in the room, when he took hers
away, "I did think you had more conscience than to bring that
book here." But we had some close ethical questions to settle in
those days. It was a rigid code of morality under which we lived.
Nobody complained of it, however, and we were doubtless better
off for its strictness, in the end.
The last window in the row behind me was filled with flourishing
house-plants--fragrant leaved geraniums, the overseer's pets.
Pages:
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234