Read "Thomas Wingfold. Volume II" by George MacDonald online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
It was evening, and the air was still warm. Pine Street was almost / empty, save of the red sun, which blinded him so that wherever he / looked he could only see great sunblots. All but a few of the shops / were closed, but amongst the few he was surprised to find that of / his friend the linendraper, who had always been a strong advocate of / early closing. The shutters were up, however, though the door stood / wide open. He peeped in. To his sun-blinded eyes the shop looked / very dark, but he thought he saw Mr. Drew talking to some one, and / entered. He was right; it was the draper himself, and a poor woman / with a child on one arm, and a print dress she had just bought on / the other. The curate leaned against the counter, and waited until / business should be over to address his friend.
"Is Mr. Drew an embryonic angel? " he half felt, half thought within / himself. "Is this shop the chrysalis of a great psyche? Will the / draper, with his round good-humoured face and puckering smile, ever / spread thunderous wings and cleave the air up to the throne of God?"