The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 806 pages of information about The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808).

The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 806 pages of information about The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808).

We observed him very earnest with her, pointing up to the sun, and to every quarter of the heavens; then down to the earth, then out to the sea, then to himself, then to her, to the woods, to the trees.  “Now,” says my clergyman, “you see my words are made good; the man preaches to her; mark him; now he is telling her that our God has made him, and her, and the heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, &c.”—­“I believe he is,” said I. Immediately we perceived Will Atkins start up upon his feet, fall down upon his knees, and lift up both his hands; we supposed he said something, but we could not hear him; it was too far off for that:  he did not continue kneeling half a minute, but comes and sits down again by his wife, and talks to her again.  We perceived then the woman very attentive, but whether she said any thing or no we could not tell.  While the poor fellow was upon his knees, I could see the tears run plentifully down my clergyman’s cheeks; and I could hardly forbear myself; but it was a great affliction to us both, that we were not near enough to hear any thing that passed between them.

Well, however, we could come no nearer for fear of disturbing them; so we resolved to see an end of this piece of still conversation, and it spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice.  He sat down again, as I have said, close by her, and talked again earnestly to her, and two or three times we could see him embrace her passionately; another time we saw him take out his handkerchief and wipe her eyes, and then kiss her again, with a kind of transport very unusual; and after several of these things, we saw him on a sudden jump up again and lend her his hand to help her up, when immediately leading her by the hand a step or two, they both kneeled down together, and continued so about two minutes.

My friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud, “St. Paul, St. Paul, behold he prayeth!”—­I was afraid Atkins would hear him; therefore I entreated him to withhold himself awhile, that we might see an end of the scene, which to me, I must confess, was the most affecting, and yet the most agreeable, that ever I saw in my life.  Well, he strove with himself, and contained himself for awhile, but was in such raptures of joy to think that the poor heathen woman was become a Christian, that he was not able to contain himself; he wept several times:  then throwing up his hands, and crossing his breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and by way of giving God thanks for so miraculous a testimony of the success of our endeavours:  some he spoke softly, and I could not well hear; others audibly; some in Latin, some in French; then two or three times the tears of joy would interrupt him, that he could not speak at all.  But I begged that he would compose himself, and let us more narrowly and fully observe what was before us, which he did for a time, and the scene was not ended there yet; for after the poor man and his wife were risen again

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The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.