One morning in winter, just as the dean, his wife, and darling child, had
finished their breakfast at their house in London, a servant brought in a
letter to his master, and said "the man waited for an answer."
"Who is the man?" cried the dean, with all that terrifying dignity with
which he never failed to address his inferiors, especially such as waited
on his person.
The servant replied with a servility of tone equal to the haughty one of
his master, "he did not know; but that the man looked like a sailor, and
had a boy with him."
"A begging letter, no doubt," cried Lady Clementina.
"Take it back," said the dean, "and bid him send up word who he is, and
what is his errand."
The servant went; and returning said, "He comes from on board a ship; his
captain sent him, and his errand is, he believes, to leave a boy he has
brought with him."
"A boy!" cried the dean: "what have I to do with a boy? I expect no boy.
What boy? What age?"
"He looks about twelve or thirteen," replied the servant.
"He is mistaken in the house," said the dean. "Let me look at the letter
again."
He did look at it, and saw plainly it was directed to himself. Upon a
second glance, he had so perfect a recollection of the hand, as to open
it instantaneously; and, after ordering the servant to withdraw, he read
the following:--
"ZOCOTORA ISLAND, _April_ 6.
"My Dear Brother William,--It is a long time since we have seen one
another; but I hope not so long, that you have quite forgotten the
many happy days we once passed together.
"I did not take my leave of you when I left England, because it would
have been too much for me. I had met with a great many sorrows just
at that time; one of which was, the misfortune of losing the use of my
right hand by a fall from my horse, which accident robbed me of most
of my friends; for I could no longer entertain them with my
performance as I used to do, and so I was ashamed to see them or you;
and that was the reason I came hither to try my fortune with some
other adventurers.
"You have, I suppose, heard that the savages of the island put our
whole party to death. But it was my chance to escape their cruelty. I
was heart-broken for my comrades; yet upon the whole, I do not know
that the savages were much to blame--we had no business to invade
their territories! and if they had invaded England, we should have
done the same by them. My life was spared, because, having gained
some little strength in my hand during the voyage, I pleased their
king when I arrived there with playing on my violin.
"They spared my child too, in pity to my lamentations, when they were
going to put him to death. Now, dear brother, before I say any more
to you concerning my child, I will first ask your pardon for any
offence I may have ever given you in all the time we lived so long
together. I know you have often found fault with me, and I dare say I
have been very often to blame; but I here solemnly declare that I
never did anything purposely to offend you, but mostly, all I could to
oblige you--and I can safely declare that I never bore you above a
quarter of an hour's resentment for anything you might say to me which
I thought harsh.
"Now, dear William, after being in this island eleven years, the
weakness in my hand has unfortunately returned; and yet there being no
appearance of complaint, the uninformed islanders think it is all my
obstinacy, and that I _will not_ entertain them with my music, which
makes me say that I _cannot_; and they have imprisoned me, and
threaten to put my son to death if I persist in my stubbornness any
longer.
"The anguish I feel in my mind takes away all hope of the recovery of
strength in my hand; and I have no doubt but that they intend in a few
days to put their horrid threat into execution.
"Therefore, dear brother William, hearing in my prison of a most
uncommon circumstance, which is, that an English vessel is lying at a
small distance from the island, I have entrusted a faithful negro to
take my child to the ship, and deliver him to the captain, with a
request that he may be sent (with this letter) to you on the ship's
arrival in England.
"Now my dear, dear brother William, in case the poor boy should live
to come to you, I have no doubt but you will receive him; yet excuse a
poor, fond father, if I say a word or two which I hope may prove in
his favour.
"Pray, my dear brother, do not think it the child's fault, but mine,
that you will find him so ignorant--he has always shown a quickness
and a willingness to learn, and would, I dare say, if he had been
brought up under your care, have been by this time a good scholar, but
you know I am no scholar myself. Besides, not having any books here,
I have only been able to teach my child by talking to him, and in all
my conversations with him I have never taken much pains to instruct
him in the manners of my own country; thinking, that if ever he went
over, he would learn them soon enough; and if he never _did_ go over,
that it would be as well he knew nothing about them.
"I have kept him also from the knowledge of everything which I have
thought pernicious in the conduct of the savages, except that I have
now and then pointed out a few of their faults, in order to give him a
true conception and a proper horror of them. At the same time I have
taught him to love, and to do good to his neighbour, whoever that
neighbour may be, and whatever may be his failings. Falsehood of
every kind I included in this precept as forbidden, for no one can
love his neighbour and deceive him.
"I have instructed him too, to hold in contempt all frivolous vanity,
and all those indulgences which he was never likely to obtain. He has
learnt all that I have undertaken to teach him; but I am afraid you
will yet think he has learned too little.
"Your wife, I fear, will be offended at his want of politeness, and
perhaps proper respect for a person of her rank: but indeed he is very
tractable, and can, without severity, be amended of all his faults;
and though you will find he has many, yet, pray, my dear brother
William, call to mind he has been a dutiful and an affectionate child
to me; and that had it pleased Heaven we had lived together for many
years to come, I verily believe I should never have experienced one
mark of his disobedience.
"Farewell for ever, my dear, dear brother William--and if my poor,
kind, affectionate child should live to bring you this letter,
sometimes speak to him of me and let him know, that for twelve years
he was my sole comfort; and that, when I sent him from me, in order to
save his life, I laid down my head upon the floor of the cell in which
I was confined, and prayed that Heaven might end my days before the
morning."
This was the conclusion of the letter, except four or five lines which
(with his name) were so much blotted, apparently with tears, that they
were illegible.