Faith and Hope, two qualities that Elizabeth cherished, along with her belief in the common goodness of humankind are treasures that I have found increasingly hard to hang onto in these dystopian days. “ May you live in interesting times” is often cited as a Chinese curse, ironic in its meaning of trouble. Something that could definitely be quoted today. Though no such curse exists, the closest proverb is “Better to be a dog in times of tranquillity than a human in times of chaos.” A phrase that would have resonated deeply with Elizabeth given her love of dogs and their faithful companionship.
But as always it seemed that Elizabeth had been privy to my thoughts. I remembered all the seasonal stories she had written, and how at this time of the year I had usually turned to one of them. It had always been either The Dean’s Watch or Sister of Angels, sometimes The Scent of Water with it’s ending of the glass ship sailing out on “living water.” Maybe it was that image that put me in mind of her short story “I Saw Three Ships”.
This Regency tale, set in a fictional Devonshire town, is in essence a meditation on a 17th‑century carol. The song which was very popular came from a folk tale crafted around the three Magi and their journey to Bethlehem. The imagery of ships had always been an important one for Elizabeth. In her preface to her “A Christmas Book” she says; “In the mid-winter gloom Christmas comes up over the horizon like a lighted ship homeward bound. The arrival has been prepared for and is expected, yet as the archaic shape draws slowly nearer and nearer, the lights of the lanterns reflected in the black water like moons and stars, the sails luminous as huge moth’s wings in the dark, we feel profound relief.”
Bethlehem, of course is a landlocked place, and the “ships” referred to would originally have been the camels, those “ships of the desert”, a common medieval metaphor, for those exotic animals ridden by the wise men on their way seeking the birth of the Messiah.
“A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
the ways deep and the weather sharp
The very dead of winter”
T. S. Eliot
It is vintage Goudge, containing many of the story lines and characters she loved. An orphan child brought up by elderly aunts, a child who is sensitive, fey almost and teaches her elders how to be “childlike” again, obtaining from her gifts of enjoyment in the wider world outside their social concerns. There are folk stories evoking an older wisdom and a cast of eccentric characters surrounding the innocence of the little girl. There is the beauty of the natural world under lined with the spiritual which Elizabeth does so deftly; “The stars shone so brightly that they made a weight of glory in the sky.” Memories perhaps of her view from her own bedroom window.
The real heart of the book is that she takes three disreputable old men, men outside of the polite mannered, constricted life of the era and makes them into believable Magi. The sad and haunted French refugee, the irascible “Rag and Bones” and the mysterious seafaring man who turns out to be the most life enhancing figure of them all.
Thank you Elizabeth for extending the hand of friendship and restoring to me a sense of hope and faith that starting from the new birth of Christmas reinvigorates my knowledge that the world is still a wonderous place. Where acts kindness and the unexpected turn lives from the survival to the magical.
Merci pour ce billet (note) qui traduit l esprit d émerveillement et de merveilleux d Elisabeth GOUDGE
BON NOËL ou tout arrive qui sait regardait, écouter et sentir avec son coeur
Thank you for your warm winter wishes. Joyeux Noël!
This is a wonderful article. Thank you so much Deborah. Yes , I totally agree …both as individuals and as a global community we need to have some words of quietude and solace more than ever. Yours and Elizabeth writings do exactly that. I find it astonshing that Elizabeth shows such an understanding to how childrens minds work, considering that she never had any of her own .There IS magic at work in the world .We just need to open eyes and ears to know this.
Thank you Katherine, Elizabeth was an amazing person wasn’t she? She had very close relationships with her nephews and nieces, and had a reputation as a compassionate person
I was so happy to see your email this morning. I had just watched the morning news and was filled with despair. Not only does it lighten my heart to know that there are others who love Elizabeth Goudge as much as I do,(I feel like she is a friend), but it reminds me to just get any of her books out and read them, to remember that there is still so much light amongst the darkest times. Than you for the wonderful article. Apparently, there are books of hers I have not read, which is delightful? I will give myself an early Christmas present this year and get a new book. Once again, thank you for the effort you put in, in keeping Elizabeth in our hearts.
It gladdens my heart that I could give you a little lift. We all need friends, now I feel more than ever. That is the true World of Elizabeth Goudge, a company of companies.
Another brilliant meditation on Elizabeth Goudge!
I also think that “I Saw Three Ships” is one of Goudge’s best stories, despite its brevity.
Please keep up the good work!
Your web-site is an extremely valuable archive.
In my own research on Elizabeth Goudge, Professor Google often leads me to one of the items in your Goudge web-site and I am always enriched by what I find there.
Thank you, and merry Christmas — 2025 — and best wishes for the coming year!
Thank you John, your encouragement means a lot to me. Merry Christmas to you too
Dear Deborah–I am so happy to see this posting! I remember when you closed the site and I occasionally would check back, to no avail. Thank you so much for sending out the emails to make me aware that you’ve been writing again. I love Ms. Goudge’s writing and so appreciate you maintaining it and giving her loyal readers a place to articulate their admiration!
Sending a prayer for peace and of thankfulness to all.
Thank you Kerry, the world could certainly do with all our prayers for peace and reconciliation. Elizabeth Goudge is a light shining in a dark place.
Merry Christmas to you too
Lovely to know you are reading along this month as well Deborah! It is a story of such light in the darkness.
All the best,
Julie
I also am an avid fan of Elizabeth Goudge’s writing. I found The Blue Hills 30 years ago at our local library in Massachusetts, USA.
I fell in love immediately. I have collected dozens of her books over the years and have read them all multiple times.
I learned of this website from a post on Facebook yesterday by John Gough. I’m grateful to know of this site for further illuminating articles written in praise of Elizabeth and her marvelous way of conveying that hope and faith you mention in your commentary on There Were Three Ships. This is another favorite of mine as well.
How does Elizabeth create these timeless stories that shine with love for life, unshakeable faith, and depth wisdom. The comforting warmth of her presence fills the room while reading her wonderful books. xoxo
Thank you for taking the time to communicate with the group. Elizabeth was a keen observer. She looked at the minuet details; not only of nature but of human frailties and strengths. She lived the life she wrote about. Her faith was the guiding principle she used to interact with the people around her. Which made her a writer of depth.