Weaker than a Woman — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CHAPTER XIII. THE RIDE HOME, There was no place in England prettier than the old par- WEAKER THAN A WOMAN, 69 ish church at Lilford. It was an old Norman edifice, with — quaint square towers and a harmonious peal of bells. The church stood on rising ground, and behind it was a grove of oak trees—fine old spreading oaks, that had seen many generations of men and women come and go. Great green hills stretched out on either side—hills with quiet little hamlets nestling on their wooded slopes; little old-world villages were dotted around, and the old church stood up royally on the hill-side. The walls were gray, and covered with ivy; the old windows were of stained glass; ivy covered the square towers; the old porch with its stone seat was a marvel of architecture; the path that led to it was bordered by lime trees; look where one would one saw nothing but ripples of foliage and a gold-green light. Sunday in Lilford was a day that would have charmed a poet. The very spirit of peace and rest seemed to brood over the earth, while the sweet chime of the Sabbath bells sounded through the venerable oaks. So long as he could remember Felix always walked home with Violet. from church; when they were children they ran down the hills in very gladness of heart, but now they walked sedately, Helix almost forgetting the beauty of the fair world around him, as he looked into the beautiful face of the young girl by his side—Violet faintly conscious of the admiring glances that came from all sides, yet really trying with all her heart to disregard them because 1b was Sunday. It would hardly have seemed like Sunday to Felix if his privilege had been withdrawn. He went, as usual, on the first Sunday in June, when the old church was looking its fairest and the sunlight on the oak trees was wonderful to see. There was Violet, her beautiful face shining, he _ thought, like the face of an angel; there was Evelyn, Took ing like a fair, meek saint. Great was his surprise to see Sir Owen Chevenix also. It was the first time that he had made his appearance at church, and the congregation was just a little excited about it. Doctor Hunter, on seeing him Eomicbooks (Ele)