CHAPTER IV.
_A description of Mr Wilson's way of living. The tragical adventure ofthe dog, and other grave matters._
The gentleman returned with the bottle; and Adams and he sat some timesilent, when the former started up, and cried, "No, that won't do." Thegentleman inquired into his meaning; he answered, "He had beenconsidering that it was possible the late famous king Theodore mighthave been that very son whom he had lost;" but added, "that his agecould not answer that imagination. However," says he, "G-- disposes allthings for the best; and very probably he may be some great man, orduke, and may, one day or other, revisit you in that capacity." Thegentleman answered, he should know him amongst ten thousand, for he hada mark on his left breast of a strawberry, which his mother had givenhim by longing for that fruit.
That beautiful young lady the Morning now rose from her bed, and with acountenance blooming with fresh youth and sprightliness, like Miss----[A], with soft dews hanging on her pouting lips, began to take herearly walk over the eastern hills; and presently after, that gallantperson the Sun stole softly from his wife's chamber to pay his addressesto her; when the gentleman asked his guest if he would walk forth andsurvey his little garden, which he readily agreed to, and Joseph at thesame time awaking from a sleep in which he had been two hours buried,went with them. No parterres, no fountains, no statues, embellished thislittle garden. Its only ornament was a short walk, shaded on each sideby a filbert-hedge, with a small alcove at one end, whither in hotweather the gentleman and his wife used to retire and divert themselveswith their children, who played in the walk before them. But, thoughvanity had no votary in this little spot, here was variety of fruit andeverything useful for the kitchen, which was abundantly sufficient tocatch the admiration of Adams, who told the gentleman he had certainly agood gardener. Sir, answered he, that gardener is now before you:whatever you see here is the work solely of my own hands. Whilst I amproviding necessaries for my table, I likewise procure myself anappetite for them. In fair seasons I seldom pass less than six hours ofthe twenty-four in this place, where I am not idle; and by these means Ihave been able to preserve my health ever since my arrival here, withoutassistance from physic. Hither I generally repair at the dawn, andexercise myself whilst my wife dresses her children and prepares ourbreakfast; after which we are seldom asunder during the residue of theday, for, when the weather will not permit them to accompany me here, Iam usually within with them; for I am neither ashamed of conversing withmy wife nor of playing with my children: to say the truth, I do notperceive that inferiority of understanding which the levity of rakes,the dulness of men of business, or the austerity of the learned, wouldpersuade us of in women. As for my woman, I declare I have found none ofmy own sex capable of making juster observations on life, or ofdelivering them more agreeably; nor do I believe any one possessed of afaithfuller or braver friend. And sure as this friendship is sweetenedwith more delicacy and tenderness, so is it confirmed by dearer pledgesthan can attend the closest male alliance; for what union can be so fastas our common interest in the fruits of our embraces? Perhaps, sir, youare not yourself a father; if you are not, be assured you cannotconceive the delight I have in my little ones. Would you not despise meif you saw me stretched on the ground, and my children playing round me?"I should reverence the sight," quoth Adams; "I myself am now the fatherof six, and have been of eleven, and I can say I never scourged a childof my own, unless as his schoolmaster, and then have felt every strokeon my own posteriors. And as to what you say concerning women, I haveoften lamented my own wife did not understand Greek."--The gentlemansmiled, and answered, he would not be apprehended to insinuate that hisown had an understanding above the care of her family; on the contrary,says he, my Harriet, I assure you, is a notable housewife, and fewgentlemen's housekeepers understand cookery or confectionery better; butthese are arts which she hath no great occasion for now: however, thewine you commended so much last night at supper was of her own making,as is indeed all the liquor in my house, except my beer, which falls tomy province. "And I assure you it is as excellent," quoth Adams, "asever I tasted." We formerly kept a maid-servant, but since my girls havebeen growing up she is unwilling to indulge them in idleness; for as thefortunes I shall give them will be very small, we intend not to breedthem above the rank they are likely to fill hereafter, nor to teach themto despise or ruin a plain husband. Indeed, I could wish a man of my owntemper, and a retired life, might fall to their lot; for I haveexperienced that calm serene happiness, which is seated in content, isinconsistent with the hurry and bustle of the world. He was proceedingthus when the little things, being just risen, ran eagerly towards himand asked him blessing. They were shy to the strangers, but the eldestacquainted her father, that her mother and the young gentlewoman wereup, and that breakfast was ready. They all went in, where the gentlemanwas surprized at the beauty of Fanny, who had now recovered herself fromher fatigue, and was entirely clean drest; for the rogues who had takenaway her purse had left her her bundle. But if he was so much amazed atthe beauty of this young creature, his guests were no less charmed atthe tenderness which appeared in the behaviour of the husband and wifeto each other, and to their children, and at the dutiful andaffectionate behaviour of these to their parents. These instancespleased the well-disposed mind of Adams equally with the readiness whichthey exprest to oblige their guests, and their forwardness to offer themthe best of everything in their house; and what delighted him still morewas an instance or two of their charity; for whilst they were atbreakfast the good woman was called for to assist her sick neighbour,which she did with some cordials made for the public use, and the goodman went into his garden at the same time to supply another withsomething which he wanted thence, for they had nothing which those whowanted it were not welcome to. These good people were in the utmostcheerfulness, when they heard the report of a gun, and immediatelyafterwards a little dog, the favourite of the eldest daughter, camelimping in all bloody and laid himself at his mistress's feet: the poorgirl, who was about eleven years old, burst into tears at the sight; andpresently one of the neighbours came in and informed them that the youngsquire, the son of the lord of the manor, had shot him as he past by,swearing at the same time he would prosecute the master of him forkeeping a spaniel, for that he had given notice he would not suffer onein the parish. The dog, whom his mistress had taken into her lap, diedin a few minutes, licking her hand. She exprest great agony at his loss,and the other children began to cry for their sister's misfortune; norcould Fanny herself refrain. Whilst the father and mother attempted tocomfort her, Adams grasped his crabstick and would have sallied outafter the squire had not Joseph withheld him. He could not howeverbridle his tongue--he pronounced the word rascal with great emphasis;said he deserved to be hanged more than a highwayman, and wished he hadthe scourging him. The mother took her child, lamenting and carrying thedead favourite in her arms, out of the room, when the gentleman saidthis was the second time this squire had endeavoured to kill the littlewretch, and had wounded him smartly once before; adding, he could haveno motive but ill-nature, for the little thing, which was not near asbig as one's fist, had never been twenty yards from the house in the sixyears his daughter had had it. He said he had done nothing to deservethis usage, but his father had too great a fortune to contend with: thathe was as absolute as any tyrant in the universe, and had killed all thedogs and taken away all the guns in the neighbourhood; and not onlythat, but he trampled down hedges and rode over corn and gardens, withno more regard than if they were the highway. "I wish I could catch himin my garden," said Adams, "though I would rather forgive him ridingthrough my house than such an ill-natured act as this."
The cheerfulness of their conversation being interrupted by thisaccident, in which the guests could be of no service to their kindentertainer; and as the mother was taken up in administering consolationto the poor girl, whose disposition was too good hastily to forget thesudden loss of her little favourite, which had been fondling with hera few minutes before; and as Jos
eph and Fanny were impatient to get homeand begin those previous ceremonies to their happiness which Adams hadinsisted on, they now offered to take their leave. The gentlemanimportuned them much to stay dinner; but when he found their eagernessto depart he summoned his wife; and accordingly, having performed allthe usual ceremonies of bows and curtsies more pleasant to be seen thanto be related, they took their leave, the gentleman and his wifeheartily wishing them a good journey, and they as heartily thanking themfor their kind entertainment. They then departed, Adams declaring thatthis was the manner in which the people had lived in the golden age.
[A] Whoever the reader pleases.
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