The Vicar of Wakefield (3 page)

My attention was so much taken up by Mr Burchell's account, that
I scarce looked forward as we went along, til we were alarmed by
the cries of my family, when turning, I perceived my youngest
daughter in the midst of a rapid stream, thrown from her horse, and
struggling with the torrent. She had sunk twice, nor was it in my
power to disengage myself in time to bring her relief. My
sensations were even too violent to permit my attempting her
rescue: she must have certainly perished had not my companion,
perceiving her danger, instantly plunged in to her relief, and with
some difficulty, brought her in safety to the opposite shore. By
taking the current a little farther up, the rest of the family got
safely over; where we had an opportunity of joining our
acknowledgments to her's. Her gratitude may be more readily
imagined than described: she thanked her deliverer more with looks
than words, and continued to lean upon his arm, as if still willing
to receive assistance. My wife also hoped one day to have the
pleasure of returning his kindness at her own house. Thus, after we
were refreshed at the next inn, and had dined together, as Mr
Burchell was going to a different part of the country, he took
leave; and we pursued our journey. My wife observing as we went,
that she liked him extremely, and protesting, that if he had birth
and fortune to entitle him to match into such a family as our's,
she knew no man she would sooner fix upon. I could not but smile to
hear her talk in this lofty strain: but I was never much displeased
with those harmless delusions that tend to make us more happy.

A proof that even the humblest fortune may grant happiness,
which depends not on circumstance, but constitution

The place of our retreat was in a little neighbourhood,
consisting of farmers, who tilled their own grounds, and were equal
strangers to opulence and poverty. As they had almost all the
conveniencies of life within themselves, they seldom visited towns
or cities in search of superfluity. Remote from the polite, they
still retained the primaeval simplicity of manners, and frugal by
habit, they scarce knew that temperance was a virtue. They wrought
with cheerfulness on days of labour; but observed festivals as
intervals of idleness and pleasure. They kept up the Christmas
carol, sent true love-knots on Valentine morning, eat pancakes on
Shrove-tide, shewed their wit on the first of April, and
religiously cracked nuts on Michaelmas eve. Being apprized of our
approach, the whole neighbourhood came out to meet their minister,
drest in their finest cloaths, and preceded by a pipe and tabor: A
feast also was provided for our reception, at which we sat
cheerfully down; and what the conversation wanted in wit, was made
up in laughter.

Our little habitation was situated at the foot of a sloping
hill, sheltered with a beautiful underwood behind, and a pratling
river before; on one side a meadow, on the other a green. My farm
consisted of about twenty acres of excellent land, having given an
hundred pound for my predecessor's good-will. Nothing could exceed
the neatness of my little enclosures: the elms and hedge rows
appearing with inexpressible beauty. My house consisted of but one
story, and was covered with thatch, which gave it an air of great
snugness; the walls on the inside were nicely white-washed, and my
daughters undertook to adorn them with pictures of their own
designing. Though the same room served us for parlour and kitchen,
that only made it the warmer. Besides, as it was kept with the
utmost neatness, the dishes, plates, and coppers, being well
scoured, and all disposed in bright rows on the shelves, the eye
was agreeably relieved, and did not want richer furniture. There
were three other apartments, one for my wife and me, another for
our two daughters, within our own, and the third, with two beds,
for the rest of the children.

The little republic to which I gave laws, was regulated in the
following manner: by sun-rise we all assembled in our common
appartment; the fire being previously kindled by the servant. After
we had saluted each other with proper ceremony, for I always
thought fit to keep up some mechanical forms of good breeding,
without which freedom ever destroys friendship, we all bent in
gratitude to that Being who gave us another day. This duty being
performed, my son and I went to pursue our usual industry abroad,
while my wife and daughters employed themselves in providing
breakfast, which was always ready at a certain time. I allowed half
an hour for this meal, and an hour for dinner; which time was taken
up in innocent mirth between my wife and daughters, and in
philosophical arguments between my son and me.

As we rose with the sun, so we never pursued our labours after
it was gone down, but returned home to the expecting family; where
smiling looks, a treat hearth, and pleasant fire, were prepared for
our reception. Nor were we without guests: sometimes farmer
Flamborough, our talkative neighbour, and often the blind piper,
would pay us a visit, and taste our gooseberry wine; for the making
of which we had lost neither the receipt nor the reputation. These
harmless people had several ways of being good company, while one
played, the other would sing some soothing ballad, Johnny
Armstrong's last good night, or the cruelty of Barbara Allen. The
night was concluded in the manner we began the morning, my youngest
boys being appointed to read the lessons of the day, and he that
read loudest, distinctest, and best, was to have an half-penny on
Sunday to put in the poor's box.

When Sunday came, it was indeed a day of finery, which all my
sumptuary edicts could not restrain. How well so ever I fancied my
lectures against pride had conquered the vanity of my daughters;
yet I still found them secretly attached to all their former
finery: they still loved laces, ribbands, bugles and catgut; my
wife herself retained a passion for her crimson paduasoy, because I
formerly happened to say it became her.

The first Sunday in particular their behaviour served to mortify
me: I had desired my girls the preceding night to be drest early
the next day; for I always loved to be at church a good while
before the rest of the congregation. They punctually obeyed my
directions; but when we were to assemble in the morning at
breakfast, down came my wife and daughters, drest out in all their
former splendour: their hair plaistered up with pomatum, their
faces patched to taste, their trains bundled up into an heap
behind, and rustling at every motion. I could not help smiling at
their vanity, particularly that of my wife, from whom I expected
more discretion. In this exigence, therefore, my only resource was
to order my son, with an important air, to call our coach. The
girls were amazed at the command; but I repeated it with more
solemnity than before.—'Surely, my dear, you jest,' cried my wife,
'we can walk it perfectly well: we want no coach to carry us now.'
'You mistake, child,' returned I, 'we do want a coach; for if we
walk to church in this trim, the very children in the parish will
hoot after us.'—'Indeed,' replied my wife, 'I always imagined that
my Charles was fond of seeing his children neat and handsome about
him.'—'You may be as neat as you please,' interrupted I, 'and I
shall love you the better for it, but all this is not neatness, but
frippery. These rufflings, and pinkings, and patchings, will only
make us hated by all the wives of all our neighbours. No, my
children,' continued I, more gravely, 'those gowns may be altered
into something of a plainer cut; for finery is very unbecoming in
us, who want the means of decency. I do not know whether such
flouncing and shredding is becoming even in the rich, if we
consider, upon a moderate calculation, that the nakedness of the
indigent world may be cloathed from the trimmings of the vain.'

This remonstrance had the proper effect; they went with great
composure, that very instant, to change their dress; and the next
day I had the satisfaction of finding my daughters, at their own
request employed in cutting up their trains into Sunday waistcoats
for Dick and Bill, the two little ones, and what was still more
satisfactory, the gowns seemed improved by this curtailing.

A new and great acquaintance introduced. What we place most
hopes upon, generally proves most fatal

At a small distance from the house my predecessor had made a
seat, overshaded by an hedge of hawthorn and honeysuckle. Here,
when the weather was fine, and our labour soon finished, we usually
sate together, to enjoy an extensive landscape, in the calm of the
evening. Here too we drank tea, which now was become an occasional
banquet; and as we had it but seldom, it diffused a new joy, the
preparations for it being made with no small share of bustle and
ceremony. On these occasions, our two little ones always read for
us, and they were regularly served after we had done. Sometimes, to
give a variety to our amusements, the girls sung to the guitar; and
while they thus formed a little concert, my wife and I would stroll
down the sloping field, that was embellished with blue bells and
centaury, talk of our children with rapture, and enjoy the breeze
that wafted both health and harmony.

In this manner we began to find that every situation in life
might bring its own peculiar pleasures: every morning waked us to a
repetition of toil; but the evening repaid it with vacant
hilarity.

It was about the beginning of autumn, on a holiday, for I kept
such as intervals of relaxation from labour, that I had drawn out
my family to our usual place of amusement, and our young musicians
began their usual concert. As we were thus engaged, we saw a stag
bound nimbly by, within about twenty paces of where we were
sitting, and by its panting, it seemed prest by the hunters. We had
not much time to reflect upon the poor animal's distress, when we
perceived the dogs and horsemen come sweeping along at some
distance behind, and making the very path it had taken. I was
instantly for returning in with my family; but either curiosity or
surprize, or some more hidden motive, held my wife and daughters to
their seats. The huntsman, who rode foremost, past us with great
swiftness, followed by four or five persons more, who seemed in
equal haste. At last, a young gentleman of a more genteel
appearance than the rest, came forward, and for a while regarding
us, instead of pursuing the chace, stopt short, and giving his
horse to a servant who attended, approached us with a careless
superior air. He seemed to want no introduction, but was going to
salute my daughters as one certain of a kind reception; but they
had early learnt the lesson of looking presumption out of
countenance. Upon which he let us know that his name was Thornhill,
and that he was owner of the estate that lay for some extent round
us. He again, therefore, offered to salute the female part of the
family, and such was the power of fortune and fine cloaths, that he
found no second repulse. As his address, though confident, was
easy, we soon became more familiar; and perceiving musical
instruments lying near, he begged to be favoured with a song. As I
did not approve of such disproportioned acquaintances, I winked
upon my daughters in order to prevent their compliance; but my hint
was counteracted by one from their mother; so that with a chearful
air they gave us, a favourite song of Dryden's. Mr Thornhill seemed
highly delighted with their performance and choice, and then took
up the guitar himself. He played but very indifferently; however,
my eldest daughter repaid his former applause with interest, and
assured him that his tones were louder than even those of her
master. At this compliment he bowed, which she returned with a
curtesy. He praised her taste, and she commended his understanding:
an age could not have made them better acquainted. While the fond
mother too, equally happy, insisted upon her landlord's stepping
in, and tasting a glass of her gooseberry. The whole family seemed
earnest to please him: my girls attempted to entertain him with
topics they thought most modern, while Moses, on the contrary, gave
him a question or two from the ancients, for which he had the
satisfaction of being laughed at: my little ones were no less busy,
and fondly stuck close to the stranger. All my endeavours could
scarce keep their dirty fingers from handling and tarnishing the
lace on his cloaths, and lifting up the flaps of his pocket holes,
to see what was there. At the approach of evening he took leave;
but not till he had requested permission to renew his visit, which,
as he was our landlord, we most readily agreed to.

As soon as he was gone, my wife called a council on the conduct
of the day. She was of opinion, that it was a most fortunate hit;
for that she had known even stranger things at last brought to
bear. She hoped again to see the day in which we might hold up our
heads with the best of them; and concluded, she protested she could
see no reason why the two Miss Wrinklers should marry great
fortunes, and her children get none. As this last argument was
directed to me, I protested I could see no reason for it neither,
nor why Mr Simpkins got the ten thousand pound prize in the
lottery, and we sate down with a blank. 'I protest, Charles,' cried
my wife, 'this is the way you always damp my girls and me when we
are in Spirits. Tell me, Sophy, my dear, what do you think of our
new visitor? Don't you think he seemed to be
good-natured?'—'Immensely so, indeed, Mamma,' replied she. 'I think
he has a great deal to say upon every thing, and is never at a
loss; and the more trifling the subject, the more he has to
say.'—'Yes,' cried Olivia, 'he is well enough for a man; but for my
part, I don't much like him, he is so extremely impudent and
familiar; but on the guitar he is shocking.' These two last
speeches I interpreted by contraries. I found by this, that Sophia
internally despised, as much as Olivia secretly admired
him.—'Whatever may be your opinions of him, my children,' cried I,
'to confess a truth, he has not prepossest me in his favour.
Disproportioned friendships ever terminate in disgust; and I
thought, notwithstanding all his ease, that he seemed perfectly
sensible of the distance between us. Let us keep to companions of
our own rank. There is no character more contemptible than a man
that is a fortune-hunter, and I can see no reason why
fortune-hunting women should not be contemptible too. Thus, at
best, we shall be contemptible if his views be honourable; but if
they be otherwise! I should shudder but to think of that! It is
true I have no apprehensions from the conduct of my children, but I
think there are some from his character.'—I would have proceeded,
but for the interruption of a servant from the 'Squire, who, with
his compliments, sent us a side of venison, and a promise to dine
with us some days after. This well-timed present pleaded more
powerfully in his favour, than any thing I had to say could
obviate. I therefore continued silent, satisfied with just having
pointed out danger, and leaving it to their own discretion to avoid
it. That virtue which requires to be ever guarded, is scarce worth
the centinel.