Thursday, April 9, 2009

Why you should read (or listen to) books by E.F. Benson


From Queen Lucia, Chapter 5:


"The train came in, but he looked in vain for his sisters. They had distinctly said they were arriving by it, but in a couple of minutes it was perfectly clear that they had done nothing of the kind, for the only person who got out was Mrs. Weston's cook, who as all the world knew went into Brinton every Wednesday to buy fish. At the rear of the train, however, was an immense quantity of luggage being taken out, which could not all be Mrs. Weston's fish, and indeed, even at that distance, there was something familiar to Georgie about a very large green hold-all which was dumped there. Perhaps Hermy and Ursy had travelled in the van, because 'it was such a lark,' or for some other tomboy reason, and he went down the platform to investigate. There were bags of golf clubs, and a dog, and portmanteaux, and even as the conviction dawned on him that he had seen some of these objects before, the guard, to whom Georgie always gave half-a-crown when he travelled by this train, presented him with a note scrawled in pencil. It ran--


Dearest Georgie,


It was such a lovely day that when we got to Paddington Ursy and I decided to bicycle down instead, so for a lark, we sent our things on, and we may arrive tonight, but probably tomorrow. Take care of Tiptree; and give him plenty of jam. He loves it.


Yours,


Hermy


P.S.--Tipsipoozie doesn't really bite: it's only his fun.


Georgie crumpled up this odious epistle, and became aware that Tipsipoozie, a lean Irish terrier, was regarding him with peculiar disfavor, and showing all his teeth, probably in fun. In pursuance of this humorous idea, he then darted towards Georgie, and would have been extremely funny, if he had not been handicapped by the bag of golfclubs to which he was tethered."


2 comments:

Geek Knitter said...

Aaaaand... I'm off to the library this afternoon!

Mary Keenan said...

ohhhh, I love this! how did I miss these books I wonder?