Mary's Dream: A True Life Story

Mary's Dream: A True Life Story
The true story of a poor girl's quest for a Bible. (True Story)

She walked several kilometers bare- web-footed in the winter cold to buy a Bible. But it was oversubscribed out before she got to her destination. What happened? Find out.

There are dreams and there are dreams. And there are dreamers and there are dreamers too. Several of these dreamers realize their dreams, spell others have had their names legal document in water. In some, theirs may be an ambition to rule empires, spell for else young men, the mere accomplishment of marrying a fair lady and living gayly with her ever after in a hanging garden beside a blue sea, is a big dream.

Now consider one of these dreamers who dreams of owing a Bible. But the family being really poor could barely provide food for the members, not to talk of purchasing a Bible. Now this dreamer is not the Biblical Joseph, the dreamer. But her name is Mary Jones, a sixteen - year old girl born 1784 in a village in Wales that goes by the curious name of Llanfihangel.

There is nothing wrong to dream of owning a Bible though. But the odds against her are many. Because the girl lived in the wrong century and unreal in the wrong times. In those days, to own a Bible was to die. Like William Tyndale. Like Jan Hus. Like so many an others.

But big dreamers are die- hards. And Mary was one of them. So this girl of poor weavers started saving whatsoever money that she got in order to buy a Bible. It was Mary's parents that aroused her interest in the Bible. They told her Bible stories and instilled the fear of God in her heart. Since the family ne'er had a Bible, Mary often see a neighbor's Welsh Bible.

Then once she was sixteen years old in the year 1800, news came that a few Welsh Bibles were accessible for sale at the local church at Bala. She checked her box of coins. It was full. She told her parents that her dream was coming true. For she was going to Bala to buy her own copy of the Bible.

The journey to Bala itself was not an easy one. From Llanfiangel in the Atlantic outline up to Bala in the boondocks is over 40 kilometers. Again, she was to walk barefooted in the middle of winter and without a winter coat or booth to get there. Furthermore, it was a steepy mountainous terrain, often rising, falling, and wandering here and there. And worse: it was a route for robbers.

Few parents would-be allow a sixteen - year old girl to take a risk. But few families have sixteen year olds who have a love for the Bible. So on the day of Mary's departure Mr. and Mrs. Jones bought bread and dried meat that would-be last her journey, tied them up in a large white hanky and put it in a basket.

Mary ties her coins in a neck handkerchief, puts it in the pocket of her long dress, adorns a hat and carries her basket of provisions. And with a hug, a kiss and a arrivederci from her parents, she starts the long, uncertain journey to Bala.

She had thought of production the journey in three days. She walked 18 kilometers the 1st day. It was really cold and she barrel all on the journey. She only stopped up to eat and rest under a tree. She was simply about dropping dead once she hawk-eyed a security guard warming himself beside a fire in a village gate house. Not wanting to spend the money by lodging in an inn, she begged the security guard that he allow her to pass the night in the gate house.

“No problem" same the old man spreading his palms by the fire. “But who ye and wherever art chiliad goest this winter cold?" he asked.

“I am Mary. Going to Bala."

“That's 22 kilometers away, and no winter boots and coat" same the old man absent mindedly. “Here's several hot soup. It'll do ye several good"

With that, he pours the hot soup in two bowls. And they drink and talk of the weather. Before .long, the old security guard falls asleep followed by the tired Mary.

In the morning, she thanks the old man, washed her face and continues her journey. Today, she walks 15 kilometers, stopping doubly to rest and eat. What does the journey hard, is that she would-be have to climb and descend mountains. Her legs swoll and ached. And at night, she met a group of weavers who were working through the night by a fireside. She indicated her disposition to help in the loom for an possibleness to stay for the night.

The curious weavers received her after hearing her story. She worked for a spell and was allowed to even as sleep in the early morning hours. They even as gave her a coin before she left in the morning. Once she was exhausted in the evening, she dragged herself into an unlit gate home at the fringe of a village. The security guard was not there. Perhaps, he wish be coming later, she thought. And she lay on a mat and slept away.

It was 2 am. Two thieves, Red Devil and Black Night were looking for causal agency to rob. The road was empty. It was plain that they would-be have to go hungry and empty handed. And the night was cold. They looked into the dark gate house. The night security guard didn't come. So they distinct to go in and rest for a spell before the break of dawn. But to their surprise they found a girl fast asleep there. Red devil control her throat, spell black night searched and took her money. After that, they take her remaining bread and meat, effort the material and the basket; and ran away.

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The local chemist generally called Dr. Hades found it unusual to be woken by this barefooted girl with a basket this early morning. After listening to her, he asked:

“Do you cognize them that scarf your money?"

“No" was Mary's answer.

“And is that why you want to drink arsenic to kill yourself?

“Yes" she replies.

“But wherever did you get the coin you want to use to pay for the poison?"

She explained that it was a gift from several weavers whom she had helped to weave the night before. But Dr. Hades was not satisfied with her answer. Perhaps, the girl is a run-away—one of these bad girls in the neighborhood. Perhaps, she of necessity food and a nice sleep. He goes to an inner room, returns with a mixture which he gives to her, and asks her to use the coin to buy several food.

Mary thanks him and walks to the gatehouse. She spread the white hanky on the ground, finds a piece of rock and starts to write a suicide note on it, the bottle of arsenic by her side. But halfway, she falls asleep.

...............................................

Lord Godsend, a generous rich man, happened to be passing through that road at that time. He was driven in his horse- drawn chariot by Jonny, who is in the habit of swearing by the minute.

“By Jove, the girl is dead" he says to Lord Godsend, inform to the sleeping Mary as they ride pass.

“How do you know, Jonny?" asked the rich man.

“ Upon mi life, killed by robbers, mi Lord.'' So they argued back and forth. But after they had gone a nice distance, Lord Bunce asked to be driven back to confirm who is right. But Jonny didn't want to hear and prompted the horse to ride on. “By heavens she must be smelling mi Lord".

Mary had woken up now. She finishes her writing, reads it and signs her name. She quickly fare her last food, drinks the mixture, and lies down waiting to die.

.................................................

“Exactly what I said, mi Lord" same Jonny showing Lord Bunce the empty bottle of arsenic once they finally got there. “Poisoned herself to death. By my horse shoe, a bad girl."

Lord Bunce picks the suicide note and reads, “ I drank poison and died. Because thieves scarf the money that I wanted to use to buy a Bible. Express feelings not for me, dear mum and dad. We wish meet again—Mary Jones."

Lord Bunce was angry. Who must have oversubscribed the poison that killed this girl? He looked at the poison bottle and see the address label: ARSENIC. DR. HADES. 13 BALA ROAD, UPTOWN. He got into the carriage at once and rode away to get the cops to arrest Dr. Hades. Once they got there, however, the chemist was swearing and locution that he ne'er oversubscribed her arsenic but a sleeping mixture, which he put in an arsenic instrumentality and even as gave her back the money to buy food since he thought that she required food and a nice sleep.

But the cops and all the villagers who gathered there that morning wish not believe Dr. Hades.

“Do you think Jonny that the girl is sleeping or dead?" asked Lord Godsend.

“Upon the wheels of this carriage she is as dead as a rock. If otherwise, I wish drink arsenic and join my ancestors," he replies. And to prove the point the police decide to 1st visit the scene, before taking the chemist to jail.

..................................................

Mary wakes up. What is this?she asks. Had she not taken poison to die? She looks about but she could find neither the arsenic bottle, nor the sucide note. Only her empty basket. This must be a bad dream she thought. She now gets up and is confronted by crowd led by the police and a rich man in a horse- drawn carriage. She thought of running. But wherever can a girl; who is weak, hungry and cold run to? The folk likewise stood momentarily thinking that it was an apparition.

But it was Dr. Hades that confiscate the initiative and exclaimed: “See! She was only sleeping, not dead. Then things were explained . Lord Bunce took her to an inn wherever he gave her food to eat and filled her basket with provisions. He likewise gave her several money to buy the Bible. Mary, full of thanks to the kind man continuing to walk the remaining 7 kilometers to Bala. And the folk wondered at the spirit of this little girl who is walking 40 kilometers to buy a Bible.

After that, they joked whether Jonny would-be take arsenic and die as he swore, for that is what honorable men do. But Jonny was not a man of honor. “In the name of all the saints" he swore again, “I knew not once I same so." And they simply laughed and called him Jonny the joker.

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It was Sunday hour once Mary entered the church premises. The church service had simply concluded and the worshippers were stepping out of the church. Then she asked the 1st folk that she met wherever the Bible copies were sold. One called the else and presently everyone gathered and looked at her as if she was a space alien.

It was not that she was bare web-footed and poorly dressed. The fact was that all the Bibles had oversubscribed out yesterday. And the money that she was having could not even as buy one, even as if it was available. Double trouble for Mary.

Because of the chaos that Saturday, the Reverend Father himself oversubscribed the Bibles. He 1st took his special personal copy that was sent to him by the pope that copy was written in several colors in several Welsh and English. It likewise has cross references and a Bible index. The title cover itself is written in gold letters and the whole Bible is zipped in a golden case. It was such a beautiful Bible that folk were busy looking at it once the common bibles oversubscribed out.

Those who did not get copies of the Bible were many—some families joined to buy one. In fact, two divine fought over ownership of the last copy, tearing it into two parts. In the end, several shared the cost and by a toss of the coin, one took the Old Testament spell the else took the New Testament. That was why they looked at Mary in wonderment, and once they explained to her, she folded and wept.

Now, Rev. Benny goodman looked through the church window and wondered what was amiss. So he took his winter coat and walked out, his golden Bible in hand. After listening to Mary's story, the Reverend 1st dried her tears and kissed her. Then he slipped his sandals under her feet, took off his winter coat and put it on Mary. Third he gave her his golden Bible in Welsh and English and which was written in many an colors with these words: “Read it carefully, study it diligently, treasure up the sacred words in your memory, and act up to its teaching." And he finally blesses her and tells her to use the money which Lord Bunce gave her to pay for a ride home. Mary's eyes shone, the church folk were speechless.

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It was big news once Mary reached Llanfiangel on a horse -drawn carriage wearing a winter coat, pair of sandals, and wait a moment: a golden Bible! Everyone flocked to see the bible and her poor parents were overjoyed.

Years later, this story was told at the Committee of the Religious Tract Society of London. The result was that a decision was ready-made to supply Bible translations to the folk of Wales and the whole world. So if you own a Bible today, remember the sacrifice of a sixteen- year old girl from a remote village in Wales whose dream came true.

May your dream move true!

ARTHUR ZULU is an editor, book reviewer and author of the debatable book CHASING SHADOWS!: A Dream. ( A book that reveals the terrorists' master plan to finally set the earth on fire!) For a copy of the book and FREE excerpt, goto:
http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/21013
For contacts, mailto:
mostcontroversialwriter@yahoo.com

ARTHUR ZULU is an editor, book reviewer and author of the debatable book CHASING SHADOWS!: A Dream. ( A book that reveals the terrorists' master plan to finally set the earth on fire!) For a copy of the book and FREE excerpt, goto:
http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/21013
For contacts, mailto:
mostcontroversialwriter@yahoo.com