gentleman's manor

The small town of Vernon is also considered prosperous because it is close to London.Especially in the town, there are two-story houses on both sides of the road, arranged in rows.The owner of the house is generally a wealthy farmer or businessman. The businessman opens a shop downstairs and lives upstairs. Those who have a spare house will rent the vacant room to a small employee with a serious job, charging a rent of one to two pounds a year.

During the day, the streets are full of people and people.

Hughes stopped in front of a watch shop, and I went in to pick up a clock that had been brought in for repairs a few days earlier.

The boss is sitting in the depths of the shop, surrounded by many exquisite clocks, ticking with the swing.The boss still has a lens on one eye and is repairing the clock. When he saw me walking in, he hurriedly got up to greet me.

"Mr. Pastor, your things have been repaired. I was about to send someone to deliver them to you, but you came to pick them up yourself."

"I accompanied my sister to a tailor's shop to make some dresses, and I happened to pass by, so I came to pick them up." I said.

"The young lady of your mansion is about to enter society, right?"

"Yes, going social this fall."

"Hehe, what a happy event. You want to find a good husband for Miss Constantine."

"I accept your words."

When we were looking at the goods, there was a sudden dispute outside.

"Mr. Sheriff, please let me go, please let me go, I still have a sick old man and a child to take care of at home." A woman was begging for mercy, her voice screaming.

I looked up and saw two sheriffs in black uniforms escorting a woman in rags.The woman held the door at the door of the watch shop, refusing to leave.

Seeing this, the shop owner walked out displeased, and scolded: "What are you doing! Leave quickly! Don't disturb my customers!"

Anna, who was sitting in the carriage, looked at the woman in surprise, and asked the magistrate, "Gentlemen, what did she do wrong?"

The sheriff took off his hat and bowed slightly to Anna: "I'm sorry for disturbing you, ma'am. It's all terrible things, so I don't want to reveal them to you."

But the woman cried to Anna: "Miss, please help me, I don't want to be taken away. Without me, the elderly and children in the family will starve to death. Please show me your mercy."

"Shut up! You murderer! Wicked witch! You are going to be hanged for strangling your newborn child!" The magistrate pulled the woman away by her hair.

Anna was indeed frightened, her small face was pale, she saw me walking out of the watch shop, got off the carriage and said to me: "Brother, this is too scary, that woman just strangled the child she just gave birth to. How can there be such a cruel mother in the world! Holy Mary, please bless that dead child, he is so pitiful."

The owner of the watch shop sighed: "She is a lowly woman who lives in the vegetable market. The man has died long ago, but the children in her stomach are oozing out one by one. Since a few years ago, her stomach has swollen and deflated. The children who were born were nowhere to be seen, she said they were given away. Now the truth is finally revealed, those children were all killed by her."

Anna's body shook, as if she couldn't accept such a terrible story, I helped her into the carriage, and then told Hughes to go home immediately.

Although Anna has been abused, she is a young lady after all. She was taken care of by a maid when she was a child, and she only associates with decent people when she grows up. She has never been in contact with the dark side of society, and she has not even seen a few poor people.She heard that a mother killed her child cruelly, so she blamed the other party for being cruel and terrible, but she didn't think about it deeply.

If life allowed, no mother would be willing to abandon her child, let alone kill it.

Thinking of the woman I met in the church in the country, and thinking of the mother who strangled the child, I lamented the hardships of life for lower-class women, and all this prompted me to make a decision.The deeds of Pastor Kerr in India who sacrificed himself and helped the poor everywhere influenced me a lot.Once born again, I should not only be confined to my own life, but should also respond to God's teachings and show mercy to those in need.My strength may be small, but it is enough to save one or two poor women.

So a few days later, I went to visit the monastery near the church.

The most senior nun in the monastery is named Maria, who was once the wife of a lawyer.After her husband's death, she entered a convent and became a nun without children.

It was early in the morning when I went, and the nuns gathered in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, holding white candles and singing hymns.

"God, come and save us."

"Glory belongs to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, in the beginning of creation, present or future."

"Praise you, Lord. God, please forgive me."

"When your kindness comes, your generosity and mercy will forgive my sins and purify my evil..."

The sound of prayers as pure as ice and snow echoed in the empty hall, and the holy singing washed away the filth of the world. I knelt on one knee in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, bowed my head and crossed myself on my chest.

After Sister Maria saw me, she walked up to me with a blank face, and said in a flat voice, "Pastor Constantine."

"Hello, Sister Maria." I bowed to her.

Sister Maria is a very withdrawn and arrogant person, she is strict in doing things, and says what she says. The nuns are in awe of her.But it is undeniable that she is a woman with a big heart, and she often saves the food in the monastery to donate to the poor.

"Have you come to the monastery to order anything?"

"I have something to discuss with you."

In the early morning, roses were in full bloom in the garden of the monastery, sending out bursts of refreshing fragrance. Sister Maria and I walked together on the path surrounded by bushes.The nun's black skirt swept the grass on the ground, and the white cap on her head was transparent in the early morning mist, and even the slightly gray hair of the nun could be seen.

"Forgive me for not agreeing to your proposal," Sister Maria said.

"You don't have to worry about the money. I will find a way to raise funds and encourage the congregation to donate, and the church will give me some money." I proposed to house poor children and women in the monastery, but I was rejected as soon as I asked. I thought the nun was worried about food.

"It's not for this reason, Mr. Pastor. You have to know that our monastery's reputation is extremely strict. If some women with bad reputations are allowed to come in, it will not only affect the reputation of the monastery, but also cause waves in the nuns' peaceful hearts. , I am in charge of the entire monastery, and it is my duty to maintain the reputation here." Sister Maria said with a cold face: "And once the reputation of charity spreads, poor people from all directions will gather, how can we handle it then? What's more, there are some shameless people who pretend to be pitiful and beg for alms for the sake of petty gains, how can you tell them apart? No matter how much money you have, you can't afford it."

"The pastor of the parish was more stable. You are too impulsive. When an idea comes up, you execute it immediately, without considering the reality at all." The nun complained.

Sister Maria's accusation made my face flush, and I was indeed a little impulsive, and hurriedly asked for advice: "I'm sorry, I was reckless, but I really want to do something."

"Charity doesn't happen overnight. Although God saves the world, there are still many poor people. It doesn't seem that believing in God can reduce the pain." The nun's words were somewhat cynical, very harsh and ironic.

I didn't expect the old nun to have such an idea, and I stood there for a while.

"But you are right in wanting to help those poor people." The nun showed a cautious smile on her serious face, "But be selective."

Sister Maria took me outside a row of small houses behind the convent.

There were a lot of clothes hanging outside the house, and a few tattered women came in and out. When they saw Sister Maria, they all greeted respectfully. Occasionally, there were babies crying in the house.

"I've been doing this shitty thing for years, and I couldn't be happier if someone was willing to help." Sister Maria said, "The women here are all pregnant women, teenage girls... sick... homeless women, we Take them in for a while, help them give birth, and then... drive them away. But after the baby is born, the mother usually leaves the baby and sneaks away alone. We have to take care of these babies, but send them away when they are six or seven years old Factories or other places, there is always a place for these little kids, you know... as apprentices, mining, working, stealing, child prostitution, life is not good, but they can't starve to death... If they are lucky enough to grow up, it's theirs too Lucky... who told them to have no father or mother."

"God!" I made the sign of the cross on my chest.

"Stop calling God, God won't hear you." The nun sarcastically said, "You rich kids are so rare."

"No, I'm not amazed, I'm admiring you, you've done so much by yourself," I said.

"Hmph! I hope these surviving children won't resent me for not letting them die early." The nun said coldly.

After I got home, I discussed with Anna about funding the monastery, and decided to reduce some of the family's expenses.I saved a great deal of money on expensive clothes, and with the grants I got from the Church, I could give the Abbey £[-] a year, enough to feed and drink a hundred people for a year, if saved.

Anna also said that she would go to the monastery to help.

"I'm the pastor's sister. Of course, I have to take the lead. Others will help us after seeing it." Anna said.

"No, you can't. You're a young lady, and you're about to enter society. Your activities are only in the neighborhood, picking flowers, drinking tea, and visiting relatives and friends. Besides, you Never show your face, even if it's full of women. You know, they're not any kind of women you've ever seen, they come from poor backgrounds, they may have fatal infectious diseases like typhoid, smallpox, etc. Contacting them will affect your reputation , it will hinder your future discussion about marriage, I will never agree." I rejected her proposal, but I was surprised in my heart that my timid sister would have such a wish.

"Since they may have infectious diseases, why does my brother take care of them?" Anna said not to be outdone.

"I'm a pastor, and it's my duty to take care of all of God's people, including those poor women," I said.

"Then I am the pastor's sister, and it is my duty as the hostess to support the men in the family."

"No! If I say no, I won't!" I said sternly.

My sister who is usually well-behaved and obedient is suddenly so tough, I really can't handle it.It can be seen that a timid and weak person does not mean that he will never be able to muster courage, and Anna also has an extraordinary enthusiasm.

Before long, she ran off to the monastery by herself, offering to do what she could.Although Sister Maria didn't like me very much, she liked her very much, but she didn't dare to really let a gentleman's sister do the work. She only let her follow her to receive the gentleman's wife and daughter in order to get donations.

I got angry when I found out, and reprimanded her not to go again, but she not only refused to listen, but also contradicted me for the first time.

"If I can't get married in the future, I will be a nun. I also want to help these poor women."