Dawn of a Tomorrow
Dawn of a Tomorrow
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A man, depressed, desperate, on the brink of cutting the delicate
thread that ties him to this earth, in his mind there is no tomorrow.
After today, no more sleepless nights, no more remembering, never more
to wake. After today... but where will he be tomorrow? He asks himself
that question, but cannot find an answer. No tomorrow...
From
the first, the reader is drawn into a story of Antony Dart, who is on
his way to end his own life...a life without God, and therefore without
hope. The fog is dense; he wanders around on his way to the pawn shop
to buy the pistol. With that done, once more he goes out into the fog.
And then, he meets a little girl. She is a poor, ragged child of the
streets, but for some irresistible reason Dart follows her, though he
knows not why. She leads him to Apple Blossom Court where she lives, a
dirty, rundown, dark place like so many in the slums of London.
There,
he meets a woman whose past has been a life of sin and hardship, and
yet, her child like faith and trust in God is real to her as her next
breath. She says of faith:
But 'Im as stretched forth
the 'eavens an' laid the foundations of the earth, 'Im asis the Life
an' Love of the world, 'E's 'ere! Stretch out yer 'and,' she ses, 'an'
call out, "Speak, Lord, thy servant 'eareth," an' ye'll 'ear an' see.
An'
never you stop sayin' it--let yer 'eart beat it an' yer breath breathe
it--an' yer 'll find yer goin' about laughin' soft to yerself an'
lovin' everythin' as if it was yer own child at breast. An' no 'arm can
come to yer. Try it when yer go 'ome.' "
Antony Dart is struck with the simplicity of her belief and trust.
"Am
I sitting here listening to an old female reprobate's disquisition on
religion?" passed through Antony Dart's mind. "Why am I listening? I am
doing it because here is a creature who believes—knowing no doctrine,
knowing no church. She believes--she thinks she knows her Deity is by
her side. She is not afraid. To her simpleness the awful Unknown is the
Known--and with her."
This is a great book! It is short, but draws the reader into the story. It isn't
really the type of book younger children because of the near suicide (though is has no violence),
it is very good for teens and adults, though. A very good book!
~ Star Dust