Explore "Heather and Snow" by George MacDonald on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Things went on in the same way for four years more, the only visible / change being that Kirsty seldomer went about bare-footed. She was now / between two and three and twenty. Her face, whose ordinary expression / had always been of quiet, was now in general quieter still; but when / heart or soul was moved, it would flash and glow as only such a face / could. Live revelation of deeps rarely rippled save by the breath of / God, how could it but grow more beautiful! Cloud or shadow of cloud was / hardly ever to be seen upon it. Her mother, much younger than her / father, was still well and strong, and Kirsty, still not much wanted at / home, continued to spend the greater part of her time with her brother / and her books. As to her person, she was now in the first flower of / harmonious womanly strength. Nature had indeed done what she could to / make her a lady, but Nature was not her mother, and Kirsty's essential / ladyhood came from higher-up, namely, from the Source itself of Nature. / Simple truth was its crown, and grace was the garment of it. To see her / walk or run was to look on the divine idea of Motion.
As for Steenie, he looked the same loose lank lad as before, with a / smile almost too sad to be a smile, and a laugh in which there was / little hilarity. His pleasures were no doubt deep and high, but seldom, / even to Kirsty, manifested themselves except in the afterglow.