by Fanny Burney
CHAPTER LXXIV
Juliet, thus escaped from the eminent and terrific dangers to which shehad been exposed, entered the farm-house with a glowing delight diffusedover her countenance, that instinctively communicated a participatingpleasure to the people of the farm; and caused her to be received withan hospitality that might have contented the expectations of an oldfriend.
Nothing so unfailingly ensures, or rather creates a welcome, ascheerfulness; cheerfulness! so beautifully, by Addison, called an Hymnto the Divinity! Whether it be, that the view of sprightliness seems thefore-runner of pleasure to ourselves; or whether we judge all within tobe innocent, where all without is serene; various, according tosentiment, or circumstance, as may be the motive, the result is nearlyuniversal; that those who approach us with cheerfulness, are sure to bemet with kindness. Cheerfulness is as distinct from insipid placidity asfrom buoyant spirits; it seems to indicate a disposition of thankfulenjoyment for all that can be attained of good, blended with resignationupon principle to all that must be endured of evil.
Her first care was to satisfy her two still wondering conductors, whoproved to be sons to the master of the farm, by giving to eachhalf-a-crown; that they might not lose their time, she told them, bywaiting till she had settled her business with their father: and, afterdoubling her caresses to her protector, Dash, she sent them back totheir work; manifestly glad that they had not affronted a young woman,who knew how to behave herself, they said, so handsomely.
She now begged an audience of the farmer, to whom she resolved tocommunicate her alarming adventure at the hut.
The farmer, who was surrounded by his family and his labourers, to whomhe was issuing orders, desired her to speak out at once.
Juliet could by no means consent to publish so dark and uncertain ahistory to so many hearers; she again, therefore, entreated to addresshim in private.
He had come home, he answered, only to take a mug of beer; for theplough was in the field: however, she might call again, if she would, atdinner-time; but he had no time to give to talk in a morning.
And forth he went, whistling, and hallooing after his labourers, as hejogged his way.
She then applied to his bustling, sturdy wife; but with no bettersuccess; who was to feed the poultry? who was to give the wash to thepigs? who was to churn the butter? if she threw away her time bygossipping in the morning?
The rest of the family consisted of three grown up daughters, and fouror five children. The daughters, though more civil, because lessvoluntarily busy, and, as yet, less interested than their parents, weretoo inexperienced to give any assistance, or form any judgment upon suchan affair; Juliet, therefore, who was sinking with fatigue andemptiness, and who desired nothing so much as to remain for some timeunder any safe roof, begged, of the young women, a bason of bread andmilk for her breakfast; and permission to stay at the farm till the hourof dinner.
These requests were granted without the smallest demur, even before sheproduced her purse; which they viewed with no small surprize, sayingthat they hoped they were not so near, as to take money for a littlebread and milk of a traveller; but that, if she must needs do it, shemight give a small matter to the children.
Recollecting, now, her rustic and ordinary garb, and fearing to awakensuspicion, or curiosity, she put a penny a-piece into the hands of twolittle boys and a girl.
It was then that she saw how far she was removed from the capital; inthe precincts of which the poor and the labourer are almost constantlyrapacious, or necessitous. The high price to be obtained, there, forwhatever is marketable, makes generosity demand too great a sacrifice,save from the exalted few; who, still in all places, and in all classes,are, by the candid observer, occasionally, to be found. But in thisobscure hamlet, where plenty was not bribed away to sale, this littledonation was received with as much amazement as joy; and the childrenscampered to the dairy, and to the plough-field, to shew it first tomammy, and then to dad.
Juliet, having taken her simple repast, strolled into a small meadow,just without the farm-yard; where she seated herself upon a style, toenjoy, at once, the fragrant air, and personal repose.
The prospect here, though less sublime in itself, and less exalting inthe ideas which it inspired, than that of the lonely and majesticbeauty, which had so powerfully charmed her, visually andintellectually, in the midst of the New Forest; was yet gay, varied,verdant and lovely. On the opposite side of a winding and picturesqueroad, by which the greater part of the hedge around the meadow wasskirted, was situated a small Gothic church; of which the steeple wasnearly over-run with ivy, and the porch, half sunk into the ground, fromthe ravages of time and of neglect; wearing, all together, the air of avenerable ruin. Further on, and built upon a gentle acclivity, stood aclean white cottage, evidently appropriated to the instruction of youth,or rather childhood; to which sundry little boys and girls, each with abook, or with needle-work, in his hand, were trudging with anxiousspeed. Juliet spoke to each of them as they passed; pleased with theirinnocent prattle, and gathering alternately, from their nativeintelligence, or gaping stupidity, food to amuse her mind, withpredictions of their future characters. Sheep were browsing upon adistant heath; cows were watering in a neighbouring stream; and twobeautiful colts were prancing and skipping, with all the bounding vigourof untamed liberty, in the meadow. Geese, turkies, cocks and hens, ducksand pigs, peopled the farm-yard; keeping up an almost constant chorus ofrural noises; which, at first, stunned her ears, but which, afterwards,entertained her fancy, by drawing her observation to their varioushabits and ways. The children came, jumping, to play around her; and herfriend Dash, discovering her retreat, frequently left the wood-cuttersto bound forwards, and court her caresses.
The young women of the house, to divert their several labours ofweeding, churning, or washing, occasionally, also, joined her, for thepleasure of a little chat; which they by no means, like their father ormother, held in contempt. Juliet received them with an urbanity thatgave such a zest to their little visits, that it served to quicken theirwork, that they might quicken their return; and, with the eldest, shechanged the bonnet of Debby Dyson, for one that was plainer, and yetmore coarse.
There was nothing in these young persons of sufficient 'mark orlikelihood' to make them attractive to Juliet; but she was glad to earntheir good will; and not sorry to learn what were their occupations;conscious that a dearth of useful resources, was a principal cause, inadversity, of FEMALE DIFFICULTIES.
Here, then, Juliet formed a project to rest, till her own should beremoved; or, at least, till she could obtain some intelligence, thatmight guide her uncertain steps: this seemed the spot upon which shemight find repose; this seemed the juncture for enjoying quiet andtranquility in the country life; to which she desired to devote theresidue of the time that might still be destined to suspense.--Here,retirement would be soothing, and even seclusion supportable, from thecharm of the scenery, the beauty of the walks, the guileless characters,and vivifying activity of the inhabitants of the farm-house; and thefragrant serenity of all around. Here, peace and plenty were the resultof industry; and primitive, though not polite hospitality, was theoffspring of natural trust. If there was no cultivation, there was noart; if there was no refinement, there were integrity and good will.
She applied, therefore, to her new young acquaintances, to promote herplan with their parents. They lost not a moment in making thearrangement; and Juliet was immediately installed in a small chamber,upon the attic-story. She settled that she should eat from their table,but alone; for she dreaded remark or discovery. No terms were fixed; alittle matter, they said, would suffice; and Juliet saw that she hadnothing to fear from imposition; every face in the family bearing themark, or the promise, of steady honesty.
Nor, indeed, could any price be exorbitant to Juliet, that could procuresome relief to her fears, and some respite from her toils. Her firstcare was to obtain, through her new friends, implements for writing; andthen to transmit, in detail, assurances of her present safet
y, and evencomfort, to Gabriella; from whom she entreated intelligence, whetherpursuit and enquiry were still active.
As fearful, now, of the name of Ellis, as, heretofore, she had been ofthat of Granville, she desired that the answer might be directed, undercover to 'Master Simmers, Farmer, at ----, near the New Forest;' and thatthe enclosed letter might have no other address than, 'For the youngWoman who lodges at the Farm.'
Again, then, she returned to the meadow, which, now her mind was more atease, seemed adorned with added verdure, freshness, and beauty. Here,pensive, yet not without consolation, she past the day.
The next, she rambled a few paces further, and found out a cottage, in asituation of the most romantic loveliness, in which two labourers, andtheir wives, resided with their mother; a cheerful, pleasing old woman,with whom Juliet was immediately in amity.
She visited, also, the school; made acquaintance with its mistress, whoappeared to be a sensible and worthy woman; and captivated the easyhearts of the little scholars, by the playful manner in which shenoticed their occupations, encouraged their diligence, and assisted themto learn their lessons.
She aided, also, the young women of the farm, in various of the lighterdomestic offices that fell to their share; and amused, at once, andinstructed her own mind, by opening a new road for admiration of thewondrous works of the Great Creator, in observing and studying thevarious animals abounding in and about the farm. The remark andattention of a few days, sufficed to shew her, not only as muchdifference in the interiour nature of the four-footed and of theplumaged race, as there is in their hides or their feathers; but nearly,or, perhaps, quite as much diversity, in their dispositions, as in thoseof their haughty human masters; though the means of manifestation boreno comparison. In fixing her attention upon them, in following theirmotions, and considering their actions; she found that though the samehappy instinct guided them all alike to self-preservation, the degreesof skill with which they discovered the shortest and best method forattaining what they coveted, were infinite; yet not more striking thanthe variety of their humours; kind, complying, generous; or fierce,selfish, and gloomy, in their intercourse with one another. _Le droit duplus fort_, (the right of strength,) though the most ordinary, was by nomeans the only, or the universal basis of animal legislation. Dexterityand sagacity find ascendance wherever there is animation: andpropensities benign and social, or malignant and savage, as palpablydistinguish beast from beast, and bird from bird, as man from hisfellow.
What an inexhaustible source was here, to a thinking being, both forinformation and entertainment! Oh Providence Divine! she cried, howminute is the perfection, yet how grand the harmony of thy works!
Still, however, she sought vainly to obtain the requested conference.The farmer, whose thoughts were absorbed exclusively in the interests ofhis farm, was always too busy to afford her any time, and tooindifferent to give her any attention. As she lodged in the house, hecould hear her, he said, when he should be more at leisure; and all hereloquence was ineffectual, either to awaken his curiosity, or to excitehis benevolence, by intimations of the importance, or of the haste, ofthe business which she wished to communicate. 'Ay, girl, ay,' he wouldreply; 'by and by will do just as well.'
But by and by came not! When she endeavoured to catch a moment, at thehour of breakfast, the whole day, he would cry, was as good as thrownaway, if a man lost a moment of his morning: yet if she solicited hishearing in the evening, he would cordially offer her some bread andcheese, and beer; but rise from them himself, heavy and sleepy, to go tobed; saying, 'Hark y', my girl; when you've worked as hard as a farmer,you'll be as glad of your night's rest.'
If she sought him in the middle of the day, he was always surrounded byhis family, and by labourers, from whom he would never step apart;telling her to speak out what she had to say, and to fear nothing andnobody.
Farming, she soon found, he regarded as the only art of life worthcultivation, or even worth attention; every other seemed to himsuperfluous or silly. A woman, therefore, as she could neither ploughthe field, nor mow the corn, he considered as every way an inferiourbeing: and, like the savages of uncivilised nature, he would scarcelyhave allowed a female a place at his board, but for the mitigation givento his contempt, from regarding her as the mother of man.
The sex, therefore, of Juliet, was here wholly against her; and youthand beauty, those powerful combatants of misanthropy! were necessarilywithout influence, where they were never looked at: Could they ripen hiscorn? or make his hay? No; What then, was their value?
Nevertheless, he treated neither his wife nor his daughters ill; he onlyconsidered them as his servants: and when they were diligent and useful,he praised them and gave them presents; and, when their work was done,suffered them to seek what diversion they pleased, without interferenceor controul. The females were indifferent, and therefore contented;though neither confidential nor affectionate.
The sons, on the contrary, were open, boisterous, and daring;domineering over their sisters, and mocking their mother; while theynearly shared, with their partial father, both his authority and hisprofits.
In a family such as this, Juliet had no chance of softening the languorof her suspense by society; and books, its best substitute, had neverfound their way into the farm-house; save an odd volume or two oftrials, sundry tracts upon farriery, and various dismal old ballads.
The first charm of this rural residence, consisting in its views andits walks, soon lost something of its animation to Juliet, through therestriction of fear, which impeded her from roving beyond theneighbourhood of the farm. And though the beautiful prospect from themeadow, and the air and exercise of mounting to the school, mightpermanently have afforded her delight, if shared with some loved friend,or enjoyed with some good author; she became, in a short time, throughthe total deprivation of either, nearly as languid from monotonywithout, as she was wearied by ungenial intercourse within.
On Sunday, after they had all been to church, the young women proposedto accompany her in a stroll; and the hope of a romantic ramble withoutdanger, induced her acceptance of the invitation. This, however, was anessay which she did not feel tempted to repeat. She found that theironly idea of taking a stroll, was to get away from home; and their onlyobject of pursuit, was to encounter their several sweethearts. Theywalked not for exercise; they had more than enough in their dailyoccupations. They walked not for air; they rarely spent an hour of theday under shelter. They walked still less in search of rural views, orpicturesque beauties; they saw them not; or, rather, they saw them tooconstantly to heed them. Their chosen scene was the high road; alongwhich they leisurely, but merrily sauntered, to enjoy,--not the verdureof the adjacent fields, or wood; not the freshness of the salubriousbreeze; not the charm, here and there occasionally bursting upon thesight, of sloping hills, or flowery dales; but to watch for everydistant cloud of rising dust, that announced, or that promised theapproach of a horse, cart, or waggon.
What, to these, was the pleasure of situation? Juliet saw, with concern,that all which, to herself, would have solaced a similar way of life, tothem was null. Accustomed from their infancy to beautiful scenery, theylooked at it as a thing of course, without pleasure or admiration;because without that which fixes all worldly acceptation ofhappiness,--comparison.
The mother, whose existence, from the fear and from the commands of herhusband, was laborious; and, from her own love of saving, penurious; hadscarcely even any idea of pleasure, beyond what accrued from feeding herrabbits, fattening her hogs, and carrying her eggs and poultry to a goodmarket.
The farmer, whose will had no controul, either from himself or hisfamily; and who indulged his own humours in the same proportion that hekept theirs in awe, had yet a master; and a master more despotic andungovernable than himself,--the Weather! to whose power, however, he byno means submitted tamely. The whole house rang with the violence of hisrage, if the rain fell while his hay were cutting or stacking; and hecould scarcely swallow his dinner for chagrin, if it failed t
o fall whenhis peas wanted filling: his imprecations were those of a man provokedby the grossest personal injury, if a sharp wind came not at hisbidding, when he perceived insects crawling upon the leaves of hisfruit-trees in the orchard; and his whole family trembled, as ifimmediate ruin, or an earthquake were impending, when he claimed, andclaimed in vain, the sun to ripen his corn.
Juliet now found, that a farmer is sensible to no happiness, that a gustof wind, a shower of rain, or the beams of the sun; as they meet, oroppose, his wishes; does not confirm, or may not destroy.
The storms, nevertheless, raised by this man of the elements, were fromcauses too obvious to create surprize; and they were known to be tooharmless in their operations, to occasion any other movement in hishousehold, than that of a general struggle which should first get out ofhis way till they were blown over: but, to a stranger, to Juliet, theywere more tremendous, because as foreign to the habits of her life, asthey were ungenial to her nature. To change therefore, a scene socontinually overcast, she took leave of the family, thankfully repayingthe services which she had received; and left the farm, to lodge herselfwith the pleasing old woman, who had won her favour, in the beautifullypicturesque cottage in the neighbourhood.
