Sister of the Angels: Week 3

Goudge's Inspiration for Henrietta, Four Themes & Wells Cathedral Choir

Three editions of Sister of the Angels by Elizabeth Goudge in my Goudge bookcase.

“It was all so clear to Henrietta. If Nicolas de Malden had painted the second coming upon the other walls of course he would have painted the first coming upon this one. That, to her, was obvious.

Nicolas would not have frightened people by portraying God the just and terrible judge unless at the same time he had comforted them with a picture God the Child, who himself endured the whole range of human suffering from birth to death.

‘And let himself be looked after sometimes,’ said Henrietta with great firmness as though still addressing Nicolas the First and Nicolas the Second…”

🌟 Elizabeth Goudge, Sister of the Angels

Welcome to the last of our discussions about Sister of the Angels !

In 1939, on the eve of WWII, Goudge released her little novella out into the world and it has found a place in so many hearts over its 85 years. There are few vintage copies to find, likely because they were in library circulation and paper would soon be in short supply for the 1940’s. There are a few paperback copies to be had from the 1960’s and 70’s, but again many are in poor condition after so much use. With the reprinting of Sister of the Angels by Girls Gone By Publishers, we are each able to read the precious story of Henrietta’s journey to find her calling and for all of Torminster to continue its journey towards the Christ Child at Christmas.

Once again, this was the Goudge book that I needed to read this month. How about you?

Today I will show you where Goudge seems to have found her inspiration for Henrietta, we will talk about four themes that are found in Sister of the Angels, and we will hear the Wells Cathedral Choir sing us the last hymn, O Little Town of Bethlehem!

So glad you can join us…

“…And sitting back on her heels she produced a stumpy pencil, sucked it vigorously, though Grandfather had expressly told her that she must not suck pencils, and bent low over her drawing spread out upon the altar step. For she felt that she had not made this point sufficiently clear; she must stress the Child's dependence upon the father and mother who protected him and the friends who brought him needed gifts.

With a few deft lines she raised Joseph's arm a little higher, made Mary's cloak sweep around the foot of the manger and added a little bottle of wine and a loaf of bread to the gifts that lay before it.”

🌟 Elizabeth Goudge, Sister of the Angels

The historical painter: Henrietta Fricker

I discovered something excited this week that may very well point us to a concrete historical connection between Goudge, Fra Angelico and Henrietta, the painter of angels…