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Yonge, Charlotte Mary, 1823-1901

"Stories by English Authors: Africa (Selected by Scribners)"

" But
the promoter eventually withdrew his suggestion, as it was justly felt
that such a motion would interfere with the liberty of the subject too
much. But a storm of cheers burst forth when it was proposed to
transfer the diamond-safe from Werstein's keeping to a corner of the new
goddess's shrine.
Even Satan, the cat, joined in the general adoration, and, more favoured
than the rest, enjoyed at times a chaste salute from Miss Musgrave's
ripe-red lips.
Never, in so short a space of time, had a community been more changed
for the better than was that of Big Stone Hole. Never had woman's
humanising influence made itself more clearly felt. The azure cloud
of blasphemy that hung over the workings and the rest of the camp was
replaced again by the normal dust. Each man tried to beautify the inside
of his shanty to the best of his means and ideas, for there was no
knowing when the only "she" would take it into her pretty, capricious
head to pay a call. In this latter line the Scholar had a decided pull.
Education had taught him taste; necessity, handiness; and by aid of
the two he transformed his rude dwelling into something approaching the
rooms in which he used to dawdle away the happy hours, time ago.


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