The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and his Friend, Mr. Abraham Abrams/Book III, Chapter IV

CHAPTER IV.

_A description of Mr Wilson's way of living. The tragical adventure of

the dog, and other grave matters._

The gentleman returned with the bottle; and Adams and he sat some time

silent, when the former started up, and cried, "No, that won't do." The

gentleman inquired into his meaning; he answered, "He had been

considering that it was possible the late famous king Theodore might

have been that very son whom he had lost;" but added, "that his age

could not answer that imagination. However," says he, "G-- disposes all

things for the best; and very probably he may be some great man, or

duke, and may, one day or other, revisit you in that capacity." The

gentleman answered, he should know him amongst ten thousand, for he had

a mark on his left breast of a strawberry, which his mother had given

him by longing for that fruit.

That beautiful young lady the Morning now rose from her bed, and with a

countenance blooming with fresh youth and sprightliness, like Miss

[A], with soft dews hanging on her pouting lips, began to take her

early walk over the eastern hills; and presently after, that gallant

person the Sun stole softly from his wife's chamber to pay his addresses

to her; when the gentleman asked his guest if he would walk forth and

survey his little garden, which he readily agreed to, and Joseph at the

same time awaking from a sleep in which he had been two hours buried,

went with them. No parterres, no fountains, no statues, embellished this

little garden. Its only ornament was a short walk, shaded on each side

by a filbert-hedge, with a small alcove at one end, whither in hot

weather the gentleman and his wife used to retire and divert themselves

with their children, who played in the walk before them. But, though

vanity had no votary in this little spot, here was variety of fruit and

everything useful for the kitchen, which was abundantly sufficient to

catch the admiration of Adams, who told the gentleman he had certainly a

good gardener. Sir, answered he, that gardener is now before you:

whatever you see here is the work solely of my own hands. Whilst I am

providing necessaries for my table, I likewise procure myself an

appetite for them. In fair seasons I seldom pass less than six hours of

the twenty-four in this place, where I am not idle; and by these means I

have been able to preserve my health ever since my arrival here, without

assistance from physic. Hither I generally repair at the dawn, and

exercise myself whilst my wife dresses her children and prepares our

breakfast; after which we are seldom asunder during the residue of the

day, for, when the weather will not permit them to accompany me here, I

am usually within with them; for I am neither ashamed of conversing with

my wife nor of playing with my children: to say the truth, I do not

perceive that inferiority of understanding which the levity of rakes,

the dulness of men of business, or the austerity of the learned, would

persuade us of in women. As for my woman, I declare I have found none of

my own sex capable of making juster observations on life, or of

delivering them more agreeably; nor do I believe any one possessed of a

faithfuller or braver friend. And sure as this friendship is sweetened

with more delicacy and tenderness, so is it confirmed by dearer pledges

than can attend the closest male alliance; for what union can be so fast

as our common interest in the fruits of our embraces? Perhaps, sir, you

are not yourself a father; if you are not, be assured you cannot

conceive the delight I have in my little ones. Would you not despise me

if 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 father

of six, and have been of eleven, and I can say I never scourged a child

of my own, unless as his schoolmaster, and then have felt every stroke

on my own posteriors. And as to what you say concerning women, I have

often lamented my own wife did not understand Greek."--The gentleman

smiled, and answered, he would not be apprehended to insinuate that his

own had an understanding above the care of her family; on the contrary,

says he, my Harriet, I assure you, is a notable housewife, and few

gentlemen's housekeepers understand cookery or confectionery better; but

these are arts which she hath no great occasion for now: however, the

wine 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 to

my province. "And I assure you it is as excellent," quoth Adams, "as

ever I tasted." We formerly kept a maid-servant, but since my girls have

been growing up she is unwilling to indulge them in idleness; for as the

fortunes I shall give them will be very small, we intend not to breed

them above the rank they are likely to fill hereafter, nor to teach them

to despise or ruin a plain husband. Indeed, I could wish a man of my own

temper, and a retired life, might fall to their lot; for I have

experienced that calm serene happiness, which is seated in content, is

inconsistent with the hurry and bustle of the world. He was proceeding

thus when the little things, being just risen, ran eagerly towards him

and asked him blessing. They were shy to the strangers, but the eldest

acquainted her father, that her mother and the young gentlewoman were

up, and that breakfast was ready. They all went in, where the gentleman

was surprized at the beauty of Fanny, who had now recovered herself from

her fatigue, and was entirely clean drest; for the rogues who had taken

away her purse had left her her bundle. But if he was so much amazed at

the beauty of this young creature, his guests were no less charmed at

the tenderness which appeared in the behaviour of the husband and wife

to each other, and to their children, and at the dutiful and

affectionate behaviour of these to their parents. These instances

pleased the well-disposed mind of Adams equally with the readiness which

they exprest to oblige their guests, and their forwardness to offer them

the best of everything in their house; and what delighted him still more

was an instance or two of their charity; for whilst they were at

breakfast the good woman was called for to assist her sick neighbour,

which she did with some cordials made for the public use, and the good

man went into his garden at the same time to supply another with

something which he wanted thence, for they had nothing which those who

wanted it were not welcome to. These good people were in the utmost

cheerfulness, when they heard the report of a gun, and immediately

afterwards a little dog, the favourite of the eldest daughter, came

limping in all bloody and laid himself at his mistress's feet: the poor

girl, who was about eleven years old, burst into tears at the sight; and

presently one of the neighbours came in and informed them that the young

squire, 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 for

keeping a spaniel, for that he had given notice he would not suffer one

in the parish. The dog, whom his mistress had taken into her lap, died

in 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; nor

could Fanny herself refrain. Whilst the father and mother attempted to

comfort her, Adams grasped his crabstick and would have sallied out

after the squire had not Joseph withheld him. He could not however

bridle his tongue--he pronounced the word rascal with great emphasis;

said he deserved to be hanged more than a highwayman, and wished he had

the scourging him. The mother took her child, lamenting and carrying the

dead favourite in her arms, out of the room, when the gentleman said

this was the second time this squire had endeavoured to kill the little

wretch, and had wounded him smartly once before; adding, he could have

no motive but ill-nature, for the little thing, which was not near as

big as one's fist, had never been twenty yards from the house in the six

years his daughter had had it. He said he had done nothing to deserve

this usage, but his father had too great a fortune to contend with: that

he was as absolute as any tyrant in the universe, and had killed all the

dogs and taken away all the guns in the neighbourhood; and not only

that, but he trampled down hedges and rode over corn and gardens, with

no more regard than if they were the highway. "I wish I could catch him

in my garden," said Adams, "though I would rather forgive him riding

through my house than such an ill-natured act as this."

The cheerfulness of their conversation being interrupted by this

accident, in which the guests could be of no service to their kind

entertainer; and as the mother was taken up in administering consolation

to the poor girl, whose disposition was too good hastily to forget the

sudden loss of her little favourite, which had been fondling with her

a few minutes before; and as Joseph and Fanny were impatient to get home

and begin those previous ceremonies to their happiness which Adams had

insisted on, they now offered to take their leave. The gentleman

importuned them much to stay dinner; but when he found their eagerness

to depart he summoned his wife; and accordingly, having performed all

the usual ceremonies of bows and curtsies more pleasant to be seen than

to be related, they took their leave, the gentleman and his wife

heartily wishing them a good journey, and they as heartily thanking them

for their kind entertainment. They then departed, Adams declaring that

this was the manner in which the people had lived in the golden age.

[A] Whoever the reader pleases.