The Long Haul of Mary Jones (age 16) (IP)

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 29 May 2015
  • 1251 reads
4 comments
 

For many long years she had worked hard to earn
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
so glad for the school that had helped her to learn
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
to read in her language, but Bibles were scarce
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
and she wanted to feast on each chapter and verse.

So now she was walking to Bala barefoot,
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
she couldn’t afford to wear out a boot,
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
she tramped on and on for twenty-five miles
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
to take all her coins to the Rev. Thomas Charles.

Welsh Bibles were few, as in many a tongue;
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
amazed at long labour in one still so young
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
he found her a Bible, and then she tramped home
TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP
and the work to print Bibles was quickly begun.

Mary Jones and her Bible inspired the founding of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

[IP: Tramp]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Christian, Biblical
Other Non-fiction
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Great rhythm here, it really captures her determination.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, the connection from the IP suddenly came to me, and it was a pleasure to have a go at getting it down simply, as you say with the rhythm of her years of earning and her long walk. She has been an inspiration to many. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Rhiannon

This was an interesting read, and a bit of history too. My husband's second cousin spent thousands of hours translating the bible into Gugerati - as she had lived and worked in India as a missionary for many years,  Any my relatives used to walk barefoot in the summer to save shoe leather, so that part rings a bell too.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jean. And how interesting about your relative's work. The story of Mary Jones is very famous in Wales, and beyond, or was, because of its being told to effect to urge the setting up of a charity to print Bibles in many languages, reasonably cheaply. She lived in Llanfihangel near Dolgellau, near the mountain, Cader Idris. Rhiannon