Book Beginnings: The Four Graces by D.E. Stevenson

Here is the beginning of "The Four Graces" by D. E. Stevenson: "The voice that breathed o'er Eden, That earliest wedding day, The primal marriage blessing, It hath not passed away." Matilda Grace was humming the words to herself as she played it on the organ. She enjoyed playing the organ in her father's church -- firstly, because she knew the instrument so well (it was a very old friend and possessed the faults and failings of an artistic temperament); secondly, because making any sort of music gave her pleasure; and thirdly (why not admit it?), because it really was rather amusing to see everybody without being seen."
This is the second of Stevenson's books I have read, the first was the wonderful "Miss Buncle's Book". The four Graces are the four Grace sisters, and the setting is an English village. The book was published in 1946.
D.E. Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1892 and she lived in Scotland her whole life. In her lifetime 7 million copies of her books were sold, in Great Britain and the USA. I like what the author wrote in a short preface explaining the humor the Graces display: The author has found that "All the best people have at least one bat in the balfry."
Rose City Reader hosts a Friday event where we are all invited to post the first sentence or two of a book we are reading.
I am adding this on Monday, Dec. 4. I quickly completed reading "The Four Graces" and loved it. It is charming, happy and all the characters are appealing, except for aunt Rona who barges in and hopes to live with them permanently and sets her cap for Mr. Grace. I ordered another of her books yesterday, "Miss Buncle Married", because this one was so good. Be sure and read "Miss Buncle's Book" before the one I have on order. Happy reading.