HOME AGAIN AT LAST
[Illustration: 221.jpg Exmoor Hills]
It was the beginning of wheat-harvest, when I came to Dunster town,
having walked all the way from London, and being somewhat footsore. For
though five pounds was enough to keep me in food and lodging upon the
road, and leave me many a shilling to give to far poorer travellers, it
would have been nothing for horse-hire, as I knew too well by the prices
Jeremy Stickles had paid upon our way to London. Now I never saw a
prettier town than Dunster looked that evening; for sooth to say, I had
almost lost all hope of reaching it that night, although the castle was
long in view. But being once there, my troubles were gone, at least as
regarded wayfaring; for mother's cousin, the worthy tanner (with whom we
had slept on the way to London), was in such indignation at the plight
in which I came back to him, afoot, and weary, and almost shoeless--not
to speak of upper things--that he swore then, by the mercy of God, that
if the schemes abrewing round him, against those bloody Papists, should
come to any head or shape, and show good chance of succeeding, he would
risk a thousand pounds, as though it were a penny.
[Illustration: 222.jpg The Luttrell Arms]
I told him not to do it, because I had heard otherwise, but was not at
liberty to tell one-tenth of what I knew, and indeed had seen in London
town. But of this he took no heed, because I only nodded at him; and
he could not make it out. For it takes an old man, or at least a
middle-aged one, to nod and wink, with any power on the brains of other
men. However, I think I made him know that the bad state in which I came
to his town, and the great shame I had wrought for him among the folk
round the card-table at the Luttrell Arms, was not to be, even there,
attributed to King Charles the Second, nor even to his counsellors, but
to my own speed of travelling, which had beat post-horses. For being
much distraught in mind, and desperate in body, I had made all the way
from London to Dunster in six days, and no more. It may be one hundred
and seventy miles, I cannot tell to a furlong or two, especially as I
lost my way more than a dozen times; but at any rate there in six days
I was, and most kindly they received me. The tanner had some excellent
daughters, I forget how many; very pretty damsels, and well set up, and
able to make good pastry. But though they asked me many questions, and
made a sort of lord of me, and offered to darn my stockings (which in
truth required it), I fell asleep in the midst of them, although I would
not acknowledge it; and they said, “Poor cousin! he is weary”, and led
me to a blessed bed, and kissed me all round like swan's down.
In the morning all the Exmoor hills, the thought of which had frightened
me at the end of each day's travel, seemed no more than bushels to me,
as I looked forth the bedroom window, and thanked God for the sight of
them. And even so, I had not to climb them, at least by my own labour.
For my most worthy uncle (as we oft call a parent's cousin), finding it
impossible to keep me for the day, and owning indeed that I was right
in hastening to my mother, vowed that walk I should not, even though he
lost his Saturday hides from Minehead and from Watchett. Accordingly he
sent me forth on the very strongest nag he had, and the maidens came
to wish me God-speed, and kissed their hands at the doorway. It made
me proud and glad to think that after seeing so much of the world, and
having held my own with it, I was come once more among my own people,
and found them kinder, and more warm-hearted, ay and better looking too,
than almost any I had happened upon in the mighty city of London.
But how shall I tell you the things I felt, and the swelling of my heart
within me, as I drew nearer, and more near, to the place of all I loved
and owned, to the haunt of every warm remembrance, the nest of all the
fledgling hopes--in a word, to home? The first sheep I beheld on the
moor with a great red J.R. on his side (for mother would have them
marked with my name, instead of her own as they should have been), I do
assure you my spirit leaped, and all my sight came to my eyes. I shouted
out, “Jem, boy!”--for that was his name, and a rare hand he was at
fighting--and he knew me in spite of the stranger horse; and I leaned
over and stroked his head, and swore he should never be mutton. And when
I was passed he set off at full gallop, to call the rest of the J.R.'s
together, and tell them young master was come home at last.
[Illustration: 223.jpg Home at last]
But bless your heart, and my own as well, it would take me all the
afternoon to lay before you one-tenth of the things which came home to
me in that one half-hour, as the sun was sinking, in the real way he
ought to sink. I touched my horse with no spur nor whip, feeling that my
slow wits would go, if the sights came too fast over them. Here was
the pool where we washed the sheep, and there was the hollow that oozed
away, where I had shot three wild ducks. Here was the peat-rick that hid
my dinner, when I could not go home for it, and there was the bush with
the thyme growing round it, where Annie had found a great swarm of our
bees. And now was the corner of the dry stone wall, where the moor gave
over in earnest, and the partridges whisked from it into the corn lands,
and called that their supper was ready, and looked at our house and the
ricks as they ran, and would wait for that comfort till winter.
And there I saw--but let me go--Annie was too much for me. She nearly
pulled me off my horse, and kissed the very mouth of the carbine.
“I knew you would come. Oh John! Oh John! I have waited here every
Saturday night; and I saw you for the last mile or more, but I would not
come round the corner, for fear that I should cry, John, and then not
cry when I got you. Now I may cry as much as I like, and you need
not try to stop me, John, because I am so happy. But you mustn't cry
yourself, John; what will mother think of you? She will be so jealous of
me.”
What mother thought I cannot tell; and indeed I doubt if she thought at
all for more than half an hour, but only managed to hold me tight, and
cry, and thank God now and then, but with some fear of His taking me,
if she should be too grateful. Moreover she thought it was my own
doing, and I ought to have the credit of it, and she even came down very
sharply upon John's wife, Mrs. Fry, for saying that we must not be too
proud, for all of it was the Lord's doing. However, dear mother was
ashamed of that afterwards, and asked Mrs. Fry's humble pardon; and
perhaps I ought not to have mentioned it.
Old Smiler had told them that I was coming--all the rest, I mean, except
Annie--for having escaped from his halter-ring, he was come out to graze
in the lane a bit; when what should he see but a strange horse coming
with young master and mistress upon him, for Annie must needs get up
behind me, there being only sheep to look at her. Then Smiler gave us
a stare and a neigh, with his tail quite stiff with amazement, and then
(whether in joy or through indignation) he flung up his hind feet and
galloped straight home, and set every dog wild with barking.
Now, methinks, quite enough has been said concerning this mighty return
of the young John Ridd (which was known up at Cosgate that evening), and
feeling that I cannot describe it, how can I hope that any one else will
labour to imagine it, even of the few who are able? For very few can
have travelled so far, unless indeed they whose trade it is, or very
unsettled people. And even of those who have done so, not one in a
hundred can have such a home as I had to come home to.
Mother wept again, with grief and some wrath, and so did Annie also, and
even little Eliza, and all were unsettled in loyalty, and talked about
a republic, when I told them how I had been left without money for
travelling homeward, and expected to have to beg my way, which Farmer
Snowe would have heard of. And though I could see they were disappointed
at my failure of any promotion, they all declared how glad they were,
and how much better they liked me to be no more than what they were
accustomed to. At least, my mother and Annie said so, without waiting
to hear any more; but Lizzie did not answer to it, until I had opened my
bag and shown the beautiful present I had for her. And then she kissed
me, almost like Annie, and vowed that she thought very little of
captains.
For Lizzie's present was the best of all, I mean, of course, except
Lorna's (which I carried in my breast all the way, hoping that it might
make her love me, from having lain so long, close to my heart). For I
had brought Lizzie something dear, and a precious heavy book it was,
and much beyond my understanding; whereas I knew well that to both the
others my gifts would be dear, for mine own sake. And happier people
could not be found than the whole of us were that evening.
[Illustration: 225.jpg Tailpiece]