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
apartment; 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 neat 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.