From The School at Thrush Green
by Miss Read:
"Miss Agnes Watson and Miss Fogerty
agreed that the weekly wash would benefit
from a spell in the fresh air, and Agnes was
busy pegging out petticoats , night-gowns,
and other garments, when she was hailed
by a well-known voice on the other side
of the hedge. It was her old friend Isobel,
who lived next door."
When Agnes had heard that her old college
friend of many years was going to be her
neighbor, her joy was unbounded."
....( to the end of that hedge visit..)
"And I must finish my pegging out,"
agreed Agnes , and the two women parted
company.
What a warming thing friendship was,
thought Agnes, fastening two pairs of
respectable knickers to the line.
Even such a brief glimpse of dear Isobel
enlivened the day."
I love that last paragraph.
Warming friendship to enliven
the day!
Pegging. Pegs are clothespins .
New British word to my vocabulary!
Thrush Green is an imaginary place.
It is in the sleepy village of Lulling in
Cotswold. That is not imaginary.
A sort of Mitford.
Cotswolds
The village of Bibury features Cotswold stone cottages
4 comments:
I truly love Miss Read books, and that photo you're showing is so amazing. Can you imagine living in a village that looked like that everyday? I'm thinking heaven, you know?
Yes, I thought that too!
Bonnie
Oh, do I love those books! And what a perfect, perfect picture you found. Just the way I think it looks. I remember that the author does live in the Cotswolds, near Newbury, I think. And I haven't read of her death, so she must be 95 this year.
I wanted to tell you, Bonnie, that I did try reading the K. Norris book, but gave it up. I liked some of what she wrote, but I find her personality hard to take. I went back to a book review I have from 6 years ago of a book of hers called, Amazing Grace. This is what I wrote:
"In reading the book, I would be completely with the author, and then I would drift off, not feeling at all what she is talking about. The author takes many, many words and defines them in the context of the church. A few times, the book really touched my heart, but most of the time, I felt like Norris just went on and on. I think I don't care for her personality."
There's a depressed aura there and something else I can't put my finger on, but she just doesn't 'lift me up' somehow. I hope you don't feel badly, but I did want to tell you I tried.
Ah yes, Miss Read! As you suggested in your comment on my blog, reading her is like many moments of contemplation and peace and beauty, mixed in with all the human foibles and quirks! She's also a favorite of mine.
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