» Jane of Lantern Hill . lmm-anne.net

Jane of Lantern Hill

Before she had found the trick of going to the moon, Jane had longed to get into the looking-glass as Alice did. She used to stand so long before her mirror hoping for the miracle to happen that Aunt Gertrude said Victoria was the vainest child she had ever seen.

The Little Baby of Matthieu

Jane picked a poem she had long liked in spite, or perhaps because, of its habitant English, “The Little Baby of Mathieu,” and plunged enthusiastically into learning it.

Alice in Wonderland

“The house . . . and the pond . . . and the harbour . . . and the gulf! A good buy,” said dad. “And half an acre of land. All my life I’ve wanted to own a bit of land . . . just enough to stand on and say, ‘This is mine.’ And now, Jane, it’s brillig.”
“Four o’clock in the afternoon.” Jane knew her Alice too well to be caught tripping on that.

Job 26:11

Thunder like that is an insult to decency. But it will soon pass . . . it is passing now. ‘The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His reproof.’ Do you know where that is found, Jane?

Psalm 98:8

And all the hills will be joyful together… more of the Bible, Jane. You’ll love it.

Job 38:7

When all the morning stars sang together’ … the essence of creation’s joy is in that, Jane. Can’t you hear that immortal music of the spheres?

Joshua 10:12

‘Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou, moon, in the vale of Ajalon.’ Such sublime arrogance, Jane… Mussolini himself couldn’t rival that.

Job 38:11

Here shall thy proud waves be stayed’ … look at them rolling in there, Jane… ’so far and no farther’ . . . the majestic law to which they yield obedience never falters or fails.

Proverbs 30:8

‘Give me neither poverty nor riches’ . . . the prayer of Agar, son of Jakeh. A sensible man was Agar, my Jane. Didn’t I tell you the Bible was full of common sense?

Proverbs 29:11

‘A fool uttereth all his mind.’ Proverbs is harder on the fool than on anybody else, Jane . . . and rightly. It’s the fools that make all the trouble in the world, not the wicked.

Ruth 1:16

‘Whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God; where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me and more also if aught but death part thee and me.’ The high-water mark of the expression of emotion in any language that I’m acquainted with, Jane… Ruth to Naomi… and all such simple words. Hardly any of more than one syllable… the writer of that verse knew how to marry words as no one else has ever done.

Ecclesiastes 12:4

‘All the daughters of music shall be brought low’ . . . aren’t you a little sorry for them, Jane . . . those foolish, light-footed daughters of music? Do you think they quite deserved such a humiliation?

John 20:13

‘They have taken away my lord and I know not where they have laid him’… that supreme cry of desolation!

Jeremiah 6:16

‘Ask for the old paths and walk therein and ye shall find rest.’ Ah, Jane, the feet of some of us have strayed far from the old paths… we can’t find our way back to them, much as we may long to.

Proverbs 25:25

‘As cold water to a thirsty soul so is good news from a far country.’ Were you ever thirsty, Jane… really thirsty… burning with fever… thinking of heaven in terms of cold water? I was, more than once.

Psalm 90:4

‘A thousand years in thy sight is but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night.’ Think of a Being like that, Jane, when the little moments torture you.

John 8:32

‘Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.’ The most terrible and tremendous saying in the world, Jane…because we are all afraid of truth and afraid of freedom… that’s why we murdered Jesus.

On the Road to Mandalay
The Bugle Song

“I know,” said Jane. “‘On the road to Mandalay’… I read that in one of Miss Colwin’s books… and ‘horns of elfland faintly blowing.’ That gives me a beautiful ache.”

Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Inferno
Lucasta
Highland MaryOdyssey

Can you guess who the dark lady was, Jane? You know when a poet praises a woman she is immortal… witness Beatrice… Laura… Lucasta… Highland Mary. All talked about hundreds of years after they are dead because great poets loved them. The weeds are growing over Troy but we remember Helen

The Poplars

And so I sing the poplars and when I come to die
I will not look for jasper walls but cast about my eye
For a row of wind-blown poplars against an English sky.

Abide with Me

Miranda sang ‘Abide with Me’ in church last Sunday night. (They have preaching at night once a month.) She says she loves to sing because she always feels thin when she sings.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

She wore a green dress the first time I saw her . . . well, if any other girl had worn the dress, it would have been a green dress and nothing more. On Robin it was magic . . . mystery . . . the robe of Titania.

Compensation

I agree with Emerson that the highest price you can pay for a thing is to ask for it. Too high sometimes. A year later I weakened . . . I did write and ask her to come back.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

“Dad”… Jane had to ask the question… she had to go right to the root of the matter… “do you… love… mother still?”…”‘The rose that once has blown for ever dies,’” he said.

Unknown

On a wild wet morning in late April the letter came. Jane, who had been watching for it for weeks and was beginning to feel a bit worried, carried it in to mother with the face of
One to whom glad news is sent
From the far country of his home after long banishment.

Last modified: January 10, 2009