Page:Early Reminiscences.djvu/63

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1840–1842
35

now the spirit of Servetus had risen up to pervade Calvin's "Church." The Swiss are wont on Sunday afternoons to amuse themselves in the skittle-ground bowling over ninepins. In the morning, wherever these liberal Evangelicals had sway, their churches furnished a morning skittle-ground, in which the pastor alone was bowler, knocking over one article of the Faith after another; and the congregation looked on with some interest, and question in their minds, as to which article of the Faith would be bowled over, or to take further illustration, as to whether another dissolving view in Christian doctrine would be presented to them on the ensuing Sunday. (3) This party was made up of the Mômiers, Mumpers, that is to say, the pietists, the genuine Evangelicals, cleaving with heart and soul to the doctrines of Grace and the Atonement, the latter as formulated by Calvin.

To return to my mother's letters.

"November 30, 1841.

"We have found out a very nice elderly widow lady, a Mrs. Clark, one of the Kelly (of Kelly) family, who is passing her winter like ourselves in this neighbourhood. She is such a sweet-looking, beautifully neat old lady that we were vastly pleased to alight upon her. She is all alone, having lost her husband no long time since. She has introduced us to one or two Swiss families with whom she is well acquainted. She knows so many people in Devonshire whom we know that we have subjects of interest in common at all times. . . .

"By this time I know you will have begun to be impatient to hear something about the children. Sabine, my first-born, shall be marshalled before you forthwith. He is full of energy and interest now in his new school duties and pleasures; the companions he has found there are at present his great theme, and I hear a great deal about a little Reginald, a Henri and a Charles, the former of whom is English, and of the two latter one is German, and the other Swiss. The master and his wife seem both very nice people, the former speaks very pleasantly about Sabine, and thinks him so attentive, obedient and tractable, that he is well-satisfied with him. As to learning much in the few hours he is there, it is out of the question, but the only object was to let him acquire French without trouble, and that I think he will do. One object seems to be gained by sending him there, that