I PREFER A SUIT TO OLD NANNY, AND PROCURE A NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES--THE
ADVANTAGE OF BEING WELL DRESSED--YOU MAY WALK OUT WITH THE LADIES.
The reader must not give me too much credit when I tell him that, ever
since I had been under the tuition of Peter Anderson, I had quite a
craving to go to church. Although what I had gained from his precepts
and explanations had increased my desire, still I must acknowledge that
the strongest reason for my being so anxious was that my mother would
not take me, and did take Virginia. Further, my curiosity was excited
by my absolute ignorance of what the church service consisted; I had
heard the bells toll, and, as I sauntered by, would stop and listen to
the organ and the singing. I would sometimes wait, and see the people
coming out; and then I could not help comparing my ragged dress with
their clean and gay attire.
This wish continually worried me; but the more I reflected, the more
impossible it appeared to be that I should be able to gratify it. How
could I possibly go to church in my tattered and dirty clothes--and what
chance had I of getting others? I certainly gained, at an average,
eighteenpence per week, but I saved nothing. Would my mother give me
clothes? No, that I was sure she would not, for she grudged me even the
little victuals which I did apply for. I thought this matter over and
over as I lay in bed. Ben had no money. Anderson I could not ask for
it. I thought that I would apply to Dr Tadpole, but I was afraid. At
last it came into my head that I had better first ascertain how munch
money I should require before I took further measures. The next morning
I went to a fitting-out shop, and asked the lad who attended how much
money I should have to pay for a pair of blue trousers, waistcoat, and
jacket. The lad told me that I might have a very nice suit for
twenty-two shillings. Twenty-two shillings! What an enormous sum it
appeared to me then; and then there was a straw hat to buy, and a pair
of shoes and stockings. I inquired the price of these last articles,
and found that my dress could not be made complete under thirty-three
shillings. I was quite in despair, for the sum appeared to be a
fortune. I sat down to calculate how long it would take me to save up
so much money, at sixpence a week, which was all that I could afford;
but, at that time, never having learnt anything of figures, all I could
make of it was that it was so long a time as to be beyond my
calculation.
It was Saturday evening,--I sat down on the steps of the landing-place,
very melancholy, thinking that to-morrow was Sunday, and abandoning all
hopes of ever going to church, when a Thames fisherman, of the name of
Freeman, who lived at Greenwich, and with whom I was acquainted--for I
used to assist him on the Saturday night to moor his coble off the
landing-place, and hang up his nets to dry--called out to me to come and
help him. I did so; we furled the sails, hauled on board his little
boat for keeping the fish alive, hoisted the nets up to the mast, and
made all secure; and I was thinking to myself that he would go to church
to-morrow, and I could not, when he asked me why I was so sad. I told
him.
"Why, Jack," said he, "I can't help you, for it is bad times with me
just now; indeed, I could help you but little if times were ever so
good--I've too many children of my own; but look ye, here's a good long
piece of four-inch, which I picked up, and it's well worth a shilling.
I'll give it you (for I do owe you something), and do you take it to old
Nanny. She's a queer body; but suppose you try whether she'll let you
have the money. She can if she chooses, and, as you have dealt with her
so long, perhaps she will, if you promise to lay some by every week, and
repay her."
This idea had never occurred to me, for I knew old Nanny was very close,
and drove very hard bargains with me; however, I thanked Freeman for his
piece of rope and piece of advice, and when, we landed I determined, at
all events, I would try.
I have before mentioned old Nanny, who kept a marine store, and to whom
I used to sell whatever I picked up on the beach. She was a strange old
woman, and appeared to know everything that was going on. How she
gained her information I cannot tell. She was very miserly in general;
but it was said she had done kind things in one or two instances.
Nobody knew her history: all that anybody knew was that she was Old
Nanny. She had no kith or kin that she ever mentioned; some people said
she was rich, if the truth were known; but how are we to get at the
truth in this world?
I was soon at old Nanny's store, with the piece of rope coiled over my
arm.
"Well, Jack, what have you got here? a piece of good junk? no, it is
not, for it is quite rotten. Why do you bring me such things? What can
I do with them?"
"Why, mother," says I, "it's new rope; not been used hardly; it's the
very best of junk."
"Boy, boy! do you pretend to teach me? Well, what do you want for it?"
"I want a shilling," replied I.
"A shilling!" cried she, "where am I to find a shilling? And if I could
find one, why should I throw it away upon a thing not worth twopence,
and which will only lumber my store till I die? The boy's demented!"
"Mother," says I, "it's worth a shilling, and you know it; so give it to
me, or I go elsewhere."
"And where will you go to, good-for-nothing that you are? where will you
go to?"
"Oh! the fishermen will give me more."
"The fishermen will give you a couple of stale flat-fish, to take home
to your mother."
"Well, I'll try that," said I, going.
"Not so fast, Jack, not so fast; if I make a penny by you one day, I
suppose, to keep your custom, I must lose something by you the next.
Now, I'll give you sixpence; and how I'm to get my money back I don't
know."
"No, Nanny," said I, "I must have a shilling."
"A shilling, you little cheat! I can't give it; but what do you want?
don't you want a key to your chest, or something of that sort?"
"I've no chest, mother, and therefore don't want a key."
"But you want something out of all the pretty things in my shop; boys
always fancy something."
I laughed at the idea of "pretty things" in her shop, for it contained
nothing but old iron, empty bottles, dirty rags and phials; so I told
her there was nothing that I wanted.
"Well," says she, "sit down a little, and look about you; there's no
hurry. So Mrs East has got another boy, worse luck for the parish,
with six children already!--Look about you, and take your time.--Did you
hear of Peter James giving his wife a black eye last night because she
wanted to get him out of the alehouse?--I wonder who that letter was
from that Susan Davis had from the post office. I think I could guess;
poor girl! she has looked rather peaking for some weeks.--Don't be in a
hurry, Jack; look about; there's plenty of pretty things in my shop.--So
Davis the butcher has been pulled up for bad meat; I thought it would
come to that, and I'm glad of it.--There's a capital lock and key, Jack,
to put to your chest, when you get one; suppose you take that.--What's
the doctor about? They say he is always sitting with the widow.--Does
your mother make plenty of money by clear-starching? I know your sister
had a spotted muslin frock on last Sunday, and that must have cost
something.--There's a spade, Jack; very useful to dig on the beach; you
may find something--money, perhaps--who knows? Take the spade, Jack,
and then you'll owe me sixpence.--So Bill Freeman pawned his wife's best
gown last Saturday night I thought it would be so. He may say it's
because he's caught no fish this bad weather. But I know more than
people think.--Here's a nice glass bottle, Jack, wouldn't you like to
give it to your mother, to put pickles in? it's white glass, you see.
Look about, Jack; there's plenty of pretty things, you see.--So the
Governor's daughter's going to be married; at least I suppose so, for I
met her riding with a young gentleman; and now-a-days the quality always
make love on horseback.--Well, Jack, have you found anything?"
"No, mother, I haven't; and I must have my shilling or go. Unless,
indeed, you're inclined to help me to what I want, and then I'll give
you the rope for nothing."
"Give me the rope for nothing!" replied old Nanny. "Sit down, Jack, and
let me know what it is you want."
I thought it was of little use to make the application, but I determined
to try; so I explained my wishes.
"Humph!" said she, after a minute's thought, "so you want thirty-three
shillings to buy clothes--to go to church in. Your mother dresses your
sister in spotted muslin, and leaves you in rags; suppose you wait till
your father comes home again?"
"That may not be for years."
"Why, Jack, I don't go to church--I am too old--too poor to dress myself
to go to church, even if I could go so far,--why should you go?"
"Well, mother," said I, rising up, "if you will not do it, I'm very
sorry; I would have paid you honestly, and have given you good bargains,
so good bye."
"Not so fast, Jack,--sit down, sit down, boy,--look about the shop and
see if you can find something that will suit you." Here Nanny communed
with herself aloud:--"Thirty-three shillings! that's a great deal of
money,--pay me honestly,--and good bargains! His mother called me an
old cat the other day;--I think they could be got cheaper, they always
cheat boys;--she'd be vexed to see him dressed clean at church;--honest
boy, I do believe;--a boy that wants to go to church must be a good boy.
Oh, dear me, it is so much money!"
"I'll work day and night to pay you, Nanny."
"And mind, Jack, I'm to have good bargains, and this piece of rope for
nothing; something paid every week."
"If I can earn it, mother, as sure as I sit here."
"Well, the old cat will do more for you, Jack, than your mother would.
You shall have the money; but, Jack, I must bargain for the things."
"Thank you, Nanny, thank you!" replied I, jumping off my seat with
delight.
"Well, we can do nothing to-night, Jack. Come to me on Monday, and if I
don't change my mind--"
"Change your mind!" said I, sorrowfully. "I thought you had promised!"
"Well, so I did--and--and I'll keep my promise, Jack. Come on Monday,
and as you can't go to church to-morrow, see if you can't pick up a
little money."
I did not neglect her injunctions, and was fortunate enough to be able
to bring her sixpence on the Monday morning. Nanny went with me to the
clothing-shop, haggled and fought until she reduced the articles to
twenty-eight shillings, and then they were ordered to be made and sent
to her house. I earned but little money that week, and more than once
Nanny appeared to be very unhappy, and repent of her kind offices; but
when Sunday came she was very cheerful; she washed me herself very
carefully, and then put on my clothes. I cannot express the delight I
felt at that moment; when Nanny said to me, as she placed the hat on my
head:--
"Well, Jack, I wouldn't have thought that you were such a handsome boy
as you are. Why, you may walk with your sister Virginia, and she will
have nothing to be ashamed of, pretty as she is. There, go and show
yourself; and, Jack, don't forget your promise to pay me back soon, and
give me good bargains!"
I repeated my promise, and hastened to the hospital to find Peter
Anderson. He did not know me when I came up to him. I told him how and
why I had got the clothes; he patted my head, said I was a good lad, and
that he would take me to the chapel at the hospital, where I could sit
with the school-children; he could manage that. Then I met Ben and
others, and they were all so surprised. I went to the chapel, and
although I could not hear well what was said, for I was a long way off
from the parson, and the old pensioners coughed so much, I was very much
pleased, although a little tired before it was over. When the service
was finished, I was proceeding to my mother's, when I met her and little
Virginia coming home from the town church.
"There's a nice little boy, Virginia," said my mother; "wouldn't you
like to walk with him?"
My mother did not know me, but Virginia did immediately; she burst away
from her mother and ran into my arms, laughing and crying as she clung
to me, and then she cried out, "Mother, yes, mother, I will walk with
him!" and she hastened me away with her, much to my mother's annoyance,
who would have run after us to stop her, but she didn't think it genteel
to go so fast; so Virginia and I went off together, leaving my mother
very angry indeed. We walked along towards the hospital, Virginia
crying out to every one she knew, her large hazel eyes beaming with
delight, "Look, this is brother Jack!" and I went with her to Peter
Anderson and old Ben. I was so proud to have my sister with me; and
Peter Anderson said:--
"This is as it should have been a long while ago." And then he
continued, "Jack, you may happen not to earn any money in the week, and
if so, come to me, for old Nanny must not be disappointed; but,
recollect, you must pay for your own clothes out of your own earnings."
When it was dinner-time Virginia and I went home together. As we came
to Fisher's Alley I said to her, "Mother will be angry with you."
"I can't help it, Jack," replied she; "you are my own brother, and we
are not doing wrong."
When we went in my mother looked hard at me, but, to my surprise, said
nothing: she was sulky, but whether it was with Virginia or with me, or
with my new clothes, or whether her conscience smote her for her neglect
of me, I do not know. She put the dinner on the table in silence, and
after it was over she went upstairs. Virginia and I did not neglect
this opportunity;--she put on her bonnet, we slipped out, and walked
about together till tea-time. When we came back my mother seized my
sister by the arm and carried her up to bed. Little Virginia made no
resistance, but turned her head and smiled at me as she was led away. I
never felt so happy in my life as I did when I went to bed, and thought
over the events of the day.