Sketches by Boz - Penn State University

Sketches by Boztronage is more so; the three Miss Browns appointed all the first Sunday succeeding these events, there was suchthe old maids, and carefully excluded the young ones. a dropping of books, and rustling of leaves, that it wasMaiden aunts triumphed, mammas were reduced to the morally impossible to hear one word of the service forlowest depths of despair, and there is no telling in what five minutes afterwards.act of violence the general indignation against the three The three Miss Browns, and their party, saw the approachingdanger, and endeavoured to avert it by ridi-Miss Browns might have vented itself, had not a perfectlyprovidential occurrence changed the tide of publicfeeling. Mrs. Johnson Parker, the mother of seven could read their books, now they had got them, saidcule and sarcasm. Neither the old men nor the old womenextremely fine girls—all unmarried—hastily reported the three Miss Browns. Never mind; they could learn,to several other mammas of several other unmarried families,that five old men, six old women, and children either, suggested the three Miss Browns. No matter; theyreplied Mrs. Johnson Parker. The children couldn’t readinnumerable, in the free seats near her pew, were in the could be taught, retorted Mrs. Johnson Parker. A balanceof parties took place. The Miss Browns publiclyhabit of coming to church every Sunday, without eitherbible or prayer-book. Was this to be borne in a civilised examined—popular feeling inclined to the child’s examinationsociety. The Miss Johnson Parkers publiclycountry? Could such things be tolerated in a Christianland? Never! A ladies’ bible and prayer-book distributionsociety was instantly formed: president, Mrs. prayer-book distribution. A feather would have turneddistributed—a reaction took place in favour of theJohnson Parker; treasurers, auditors, and secretary, the the scale, and a feather did turn it. A missionary returnedfrom the West Indies; he was to be presented toMisses Johnson Parker: subscriptions were entered into,books were bought, all the free-seat people provided the Dissenters’ Missionary Society on his marriage withtherewith, and when the first lesson was given out, on a wealthy widow. Overtures were made to the Dissenters38