Friday, February 18, 2011

Do you read the Bible

Fri 18 Feb 1743: I rode forward for Newcastle. We inquired at Poppleton, a little town three miles beyond York, and hearing there was no other town near, thought it best to call there. A Bible lying in the window, my fellow-traveller asked the woman of the house if she read that book. She said, ‘Sir, I can’t read, the worse is my luck. But that great girl is a rare scholar. And yet she cares not if she never looks in a book. She minds nout but play.’ I began soon after to speak to our landlord, while the old woman drew closer and closer to me. The girl spun on. But all on a sudden she stopped her wheel, burst out into tears, and, with all that were in the house, so devoured our words that we scarce knew how to go away.
In the evening we came to Boroughbridge, and Saturday 19 to Newcastle.