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The Works of Professor Wilson of the University of Edinburgh: Tales
The Works of Professor Wilson of the University of Edinburgh Tales Author:John Wilson, James Frederick Ferrier 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: the floor : and there are potatoes in the field, and clear water in the spring. We need fear nothing, want nothing; blessed be God for all his mercies !" ... more »Gilbert went into the sick-room, and got the letter from his wife, who was sitting at the head of the bed, watching, with a heart blessed beyond all bliss, the calm and regular breathings of her child. " This letter," said he, mildly, " is not from a hard creditor. Come with me while I read it aloud to our children." The letter was read aloud, and it was well fitted to diffuse pleasure and satisfaction through the dwelling of poverty. It was from an executor to the will of a distant relative, who had left Gilbert Ainslie L.1500. " The sum," said Gilbert, " is a large one to folks like us, but not, I hope, large enough to turn our heads, or make us think ourselves all lords and ladies. It will do more, far more, than put me fairly above the world at last. I believe, that, with it, I may buy this very farm, on which my forefathers have toiled. But God, whose providence has scut this temporal blessing, may He send us wisdom and prudence how to use it, and humble and grateful hearts to us all." "You will be able to send me to school all the year round now, father," said the youngest boy. " And you may leave the flail to your sous now, father," said the eldest. " You may hold the plough still, for you draw a straighter furrow than any of us ; but hard work for young sinews ; and you may sit now oftener in your arm-chair by the ingle. You will not need to rise now in the dark, cold, and snowy winter mornings, and keep thrashing corn in the. barn for hours by candle-light, before the late dawning." There was silence, gladness, and sorrow, and but little sleep in Moss-side, between the rising and the setting of the stars,...« less