Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/268

Rh was in the orchard,—I heard a voice behind me: 'God bless your work, Madeline!' I turned around to reply: 'God grant it!' but I was so surprised that I could not utter a word,and the sickle fell from my hand."

"It was that officer, was it not?" asked Christina, interrupting her.

"Not so fast, my dear," continued Grandmother; "it was not that officer, for then I should not have dropped the sickle. It was a joyous surprise. George stood before me! I must tell you that I had not seen him for three years. You remember that George was the son of our neighbor, the widow Novotny, the one who was with me when I spoke with the Emperor Joseph."

"Yes, I remember; you also told me that he became a weaver instead of a priest."

"Yes, his uncle was to blame for that. Learning was as easy to him as play; his father heard nothing but good reports of him whenever he came home for the vacations. He was so fine a reader, that when he was at home he would take father's place in reading the Bible to the neighbors every Sunday. We all liked to listen to him, and his mother used to say: 'I seem already to hear him preach.' We treated him as if he were already ordained, and whatever delicacy any of us had we sent it to him; and when his mother objected, saying: "Dear Lord, what can I give you in return?' we replied: 'When George is a priest he will give us a blessing.'

"We grew up together. What pleased one pleased the other; but when he came home for the second and the third vacation I began to feel