Life And Adventures Of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I. (of II.)

by Robert Paltock

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Youwarkee cannot bear a strong light--Wilkins makes her spectacles, which help her--A description of them

  Youwarkee and I having no other company than one another's, we talkedtogether almost from morn to night, in order to learn each other'sdialect But how compilable soever she was in all other respects, I couldnot persuade her to go out with me to fetch water, or to the lake, inthe day-time. It being now the light season, I wanted her to be moreabroad; but she excused herself, telling me her people never came intothose luminous parts of the country during the false glare, as theycalled it, but kept altogether at home, where their light was moremoderate and steadier; and that the place where I resided was notfrequented by them for half the year, and at other times only uponparties of pleasure, it not being worth while to settle habitationswhere they could not abide always. She said Normnbdsgrsutt was thefinest region in the world, where her king's court was, and a vastkingdom. I asked her twice or thrice more to name the country to me,but not all the art we could use, hers in dictating, and mine inendeavouring to pronounce it, would render me conqueror of thather monosyllable (for as such it sounded from her sweet lips); so Irelinquished the name to her, telling her whenever she had any moreoccasion to mention the place, I desired it might be under the style ofDoorpt Swangeanti, which she promised; but wondered, as she could speakthe other so glibly, as she called it, I could not do so too.

  I told her that the light of my native country was far stronger than anyI had seen since my arrival at Graundevolet (for that, I found by her,was the name my dominions went by); and that we had a sun, or ball offire, which rolled over our heads every day, with such a light, and sucha heat, that it would sometimes almost scorch one, it was so hot, andwas of such brightness that the eye could not look at it without dangerof blindness. She was heartily glad, she said, she was not born in sowretched a land; and she did not believe there was any other so goodas her own. I thought no benefit could arise from my combating theseinnocent prejudices, so I let them alone.

  She had often lamented to me the difference of our eyesight, and thetrouble it was to her that she could not at all times go about with me,till it gave me a good deal of uneasiness to see her concern. At last Itold her, that though I believed it would be impossible to reduce mysight to the standard of hers, yet I was persuaded I could bring hers tobear the strongest light I had ever seen in this country. She wasmightily pleased with the thought of that, and said she wished I might,for she was sensible of no grief like being obliged to stay at home whenI went abroad on my business, and was resolved to try my experiment if Ipleased, and in the meantime should heartily pray for the success. I hiton the following invention.

  I rummaged over all my old things, and by good luck found an oldcrape hatband. This I tried myself, single, before my own eyes, in thestrongest light we had; but believing I had not yet obscured it enough,I doubled it, and then thought it might do; but for fear it should notI trebled it, and then it seemed too dark for eyes like mine to discoverobjects through it, and so I judged it would suit hers; for I wasdetermined to produce something, if possible, that would do at first,without repetition of trial, which I thought would only deject her more,by making her look on the matter as impracticable. I now only wanted aproper method for fixing it on her, and this I thought would be easilyeffected, but had much more difficulty in it than I imagined. A first Ipurposed to tie the crape over her eyes, but trying it myself, I foundit very rough and fretting: I then designed fixing it to an old crown ofa hat that held my fish-hooks and lines, and so let it hang down beforeher face; but that also had its inconveniences, as it would slapher eyes in windy weather, and would be not only useless, but verytroublesome in flight; so that I was scarce ever more puzzled before. Atlast I thought of a method that answered exceedingly well, the hintof which I took from somewhat I had seen with my master when I was atschool, which he called goggles, and which he used to tie round hishead to screen his eyes in riding. The thing I made upon that plan wascomposed of old hat, pieces of rams-horn, and the above-mentioned crape.

  When I had finished the whole apparatus, I tried it first upon myself,and finding great reason to believe it would perfectly answer theintention, I ran directly to Youwarkee. "Come," says I, "my dear, willyou go with me to the water-rill; for I must fetch some this morning?"She shook her head, and, with tears in her eyes, wished she could."But," says she, "let me see how light it is abroad."--"No," says I, "mylove, you must not look out till you go."--"Indeed," says she, "if itdid not affect my eyes and head you should not ask me twice."--"Well,"says I, "my Youwarkee, I am now come to take you with me; and that youmay not suffer by it, turn about, and let me apply the remedy I toldyou of for your sight" She wanted much to see first what it was, but Ibegged her to forbear till she tried whether it would be useful or notShe told me she would absolutely submit to my direction, so I adjustedthe thing to her head. "Now," says I, "you have it on, let us go outand try it, and let me know the moment you find the light offensive, andtake particular notice how you are affected." Hereupon away we marched,and I heard no complaint in all our walk to the lake.

  "Now, my dear Youwarkee," says I, when we got there, "what do you thinkof my contrivance? Can you see at all?"--"Yes, very well," says she."But, my dear Peter, you have taken the advantage of the twilight, Iknow, to deceive me; and I had rather have stayed at home than havesubjected you to return in the night for the sake of my company." I thenassured her it was mid-day, and no later, which pleased her mightily;and, to satisfy her, I untied the string behind, and just let her beconvinced it was so. When I had fixed the shade on her head again, sheput up her hands and felt the several materials of which it consisted;and after expressing her admiration of it, "So, my dear Peter," saysshe, "you have now encumbered yourself with a wife indeed, for sinceI can come abroad in a glaring light with so much ease, you will neverhenceforward be without my company."

  Youwarkee being thus in spirits, we launched the boat, watered, took adraught of fish, and returned; passing the night at home, in talking ofthe spectacles (for that was the name I told her they must go by) andof the fishing, for that exercise delighted her to a great degree. But,above all, the spectacles were her chief theme; she handled them andlooked at them again and again, and asked several rational questionsabout them; as, how they could have that effect on her eyes, enablingher to see, and the like. She ventured out with them next day byherself; and, as she threatened, was as good as her word, for shescarcely afterwards let me go abroad by myself, but accompanied meeverywhere freely, and with delight.