Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, October 9, 1841 by Various
page 34 of 61 (55%)
page 34 of 61 (55%)
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prison threshold a new-made man; and wending towards his happy home, had
in his face--so lately smirched with shameless vice--such lustrous glory, that even his dearest creditors failed to recognise him! Beautiful is the village church of Phariseefield! Beautiful is its antiquity--beautiful its porch, thronged with white-headed men and ruddy little ones! Beautiful the graves, sown with immortal seed, clustering round the building! Beautiful the vicar's horses--the vicar himself preaches to-day,--and very beautiful indeed, the faces, ay, and the bonnets, too, of the vicar's daughters! Beautiful the sound of the bell that summons the lowly Christian to cast aside the pomps and vanities of the world, and to stand for a time in utter nakedness of heart before his Maker,--and very beautiful the silk stockings of the Dowager Lady Canaan's footman, who carrieth with Sabbath humility his Lady's books to Church! Yet all this beauty is as deformity to the new-born loveliness of _John Jones_; who, on the furthermost seat--far from the vain convenience of pew and velvet hassock--sits, and inwardly blesses the one shilling and fourteen shillings costs, that with more than fifteen-horse power have drawn him from the iniquities of the Jerry-shop and hustle-farthing,--to feed upon the manna dropping from the lips of the Reverend Doctor FAT! There sits _John Jones_, late drunkard, poacher, reprobate; but now, fined into Christian goodness--made a very saint, according to Act of Parliament! If Mother Church, with the rods of spikenard which the law hath benevolently placed in her hands, will but whip her truant children to their Sunday seats,--will only consent to draw them through the bars of a prison to their Sabbath sittings,--will teach them the real value of Christianity, it being according to her own estimate--_with the expenses_--exactly fifteen shillings,--sure we are, that Radicalism and |
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