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Janet McLaren The Faithful Nurse By: William Henry Giles Kingston (1814-1880) |
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The Morrison family lose both parents in an epidemic. One little girl,
Margaret, and two little boys, David and Donald are left. There is an
old woman who has been a nurse in the family. There appear to be no
resources, and after selling up what there is, all rather too well used
to fetch much money, old Janet takes the children to a big town on the
East coast of Scotland, where she rents a single garret room, and
settles in. She can send the boys to school, where they do well, but
she wishes to do what she can, despite her own limited ability, for
Margaret, at home. The boys do extremely well in their classes, winning books as prizes. A
boy called Alec Galbraith beats Donald to first place, but David comes
top in his class. Margaret has an illness, and is recommended sea
bathing to help her recovery. She almost drowns, and is saved by a boy
whom few recognise, but who turns out to be Alec. Poor old Janet labours away to bring up these children. Alec, now grown
up, goes to Canada, and in due course the boys follow him. The rest of
the book deals with what happens there, and how they lose touch with one
another for a while, and then regain it under strange circumstances. All comes out more or less well in the end. A short book, but an easy
one to read or listen to. JANET MCLAREN, THE FAITHFUL NURSE, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. CHAPTER ONE. DONALD MORRISON, WHOSE WIFE HAS LATELY BEEN CALLED AWAY, DYING IN HIS
HIGHLAND MANSE, HIS CHILDREN LEFT DESTITUTE, ARE TAKEN CARE OF BY THEIR
OLD NURSE. SHE CONVEYS THEM TO A SEA SIDE TOWN, WHERE SHE TAKES UP HER
ABODE WITH THEM IN A SMALL ATTIC, AND LABOURS FOR THEIR MAINTENANCE,
WHILE SHE PLACES THE TWO BOYS, DONALD AND DAVID, AT SCHOOL. HER ANXIETY
ABOUT THE EDUCATION OF MARGARET. In his Highland manse, far away among the hills, where he had dwelt as
pastor for many years over a wayward flock, Donald Morrison lay on a
sick bed. The same fever which had carried off his dear wife a few
weeks before, had now stricken him down. He knew that he was dying. As
far as he himself was concerned he was willing to yield up his spirit to
his Maker; but what would become of his motherless children, his sweet
young Margaret, and his two boys, Donald and David, their principles
unformed, and ignorant of the evils of the world? "Father in heaven protect them," he ejaculated. "Give me faith to know
that Thou wilt take care of them, teach them and guide them in their
course through life." But he felt that his mind was clouded, his spirit
was cast down, the disease was making rapid progress. It was hard to
think, hard even to pray, gloomy ideas, and doubts, and fears, such as
assail even true Christians, crowded on his mind. He forgot it was but
for a time the sincere faith which had animated him through life. The
victory was not to be with the Evil One. Soon there came hope, and joy, and confidence. "All will be well with
the righteous, those who put on Christ's righteousness," he mentally
exclaimed, and peace came back to his soul. As he gazed out through the window he could see, down away on the wild
hill side, his children at play, their young spirits too buoyant to be
long suppressed by the recollection of their late bereavement, and
unconscious that they were soon to be deprived of their remaining
parent. His eye for a moment rested on the familiar landscape, the blue
waters of the loch glittering in the sunshine, a bleak moorland
sprinkled here and there with white fleeced sheep stretching away on one
side, and on the other a valley, down which flowed, with ceaseless
murmurings, a rapid stream, a steep hill covered with gorse and heather,
the summit crowned with a wood of dark pines rising beyond it. Just
above the manse could be seen the kirk, which, with a few cottages,
composed the village; while scattered far around were the huts in which
the larger part of the pastor's flock abode... Continue reading book >>
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Genres for this book |
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Fiction |
Teen/Young adult |
War stories |
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