文档介绍：THE VOICE
THE VOICE
MARGARET DELAND
1
THE VOICE
CHAPTER I
"Dr. Lavendar," said William King, "some time when Goliath is doing
his on a plank road, don't you want to pull him up at that house on the
Perryville pike where the Grays used to live, and make a call? An old
fellow called Roberts has taken it; he is a--"
"Teach your grandmother," said Dr. Lavendar; "he is an Irvingite. He
comes from Lower Ripple, down on the Ohio, and he has a daughter,
Philippa."
"Oh," said Dr. King, "you know 'em, do you?"
"Know them? Of course I know them! Do you think you are the only
man who tries to enlarge his business? But I was not essful in my
efforts. The old gentleman doesn't go to any church; and the young lady
inclines to the Perryville meeting-house--the parson there is a nice boy."
"She is an attractive young creature," said the doctor, smiling at some
pleasant memory; "the kind of girl a man would like to have for a daughter.
But did you ever know such an old-fashioned little thing!"
"Well, she's like the girls I knew when I was the age of the Perryville
parson, so I suppose you'd call her old-fashioned," Dr. Lavendar said.
"There aren't many such girls nowadays; sweet-tempered and sensible and
with some fun in 'em."
"Why don't you say 'good,' too?" William King inquired.
"Unnecessary," Dr. Lavendar said, scratching Danny's ear; "anybody
who is amiable, sensible, and humorous is good. Can't help it."
"The father is good," William King said, "but he is certainly not
sensible. He's an old donkey, with his TONGUES and his VOICE!"
Dr. Lavendar's face sobered. "No," he said, "he may be an Irvingite,
but he isn't a donkey."
"What on earth is an Irvingite, anyhow?" William asked.
Dr. Lavendar looked at him, pityingly: "William, you are so
ridiculously young! Well, I suppose you can't help it. My boy, about the
time you were born, there was a man in London-- some folks called him a
saint, and some folks called him a fool; it's