_The Plague_
AS Spring advanced, the Plague came on amain. Houses were shut up, some
empty, some with infected People in them under Guard, ne’er to be let
out, save in perfect Health or to be cast into the Dead-cart. Swarms of
People hurried out of Town, some in Health, some already infected: never
was such a Blockade of Carts, Coaches, and Horsemen on the _Bridge_; and
I was told, on the northern and western Roads ’twas still worse. Every
Horse, good and bad, was in request, at enormous Hire: as soon as they
had done Duty for one Party, they came back for another, so that the
poor Things had an ill Time o’t. The Court set the Example of running
away; the Nobility and Gentry followed it; the Soldiers were all sent to
Country Quarters, the _Tower_ was left under the Guard of a few
Beef-eaters, all the Courts of Law were closed, and even the middle and
lower Ranks that could not well afford to leave their Shops and Houses,
thought it a good Matter to escape for bare Life, and live about the
Country in removed Places, camping in the Fields, and under Hedges.
[Illustration:
Houses were shut up, some empty, some
with infected people in them
]
Thus the City, which had previously been so over-filled as to provoke
the comparing of it with _Jerusalem_ before the last Passover, was in a
Manner so depopulated, that though vast Numbers remained in its
By-streets and Lanes, whole Rows of Houses stood empty. Those that
walked abroad kept the Middle of the Streets for Fear of Infection;
Grass began to grow between the Paving-stones; the Sound of Wheels was
scarce heard, for People were afraid of using the Hackney-coaches;
Beggars, and Street-singers, and Hawkers, had altogether disappeared; so
that there was nothing to break the awful Stillness save the Shrieks of
dying Persons in lone Houses, or the Rumbling of the Dead-cart.
Meanwhile, though the Distemper was raging on both Sides of us and all
about us, it came not on the Bridge. Crowded Assemblages of Buyers and
Sellers at Markets, &c., being much to be avoided, we laid in as much
Stock as our small Premises would hold and our small Family require, of
Soap, Candles, Groceries, Cheese, Bacon, salt Butter, and such-like. And
whereas the Plague raged worse than Anywhere among the Butchers’ Stalls
and low Fishmongers, we made a Merit of Necessity, and fasted from both
Fish and fresh Meat, as well for our Health as our Sins, which, if
sundry others had done in a proper Frame and Temper, ’tis likely they
might have been spared.
Thus we kept close and went Abroad little, except to Public Prayers;
reading and meditating much at Home, and considering, as _Noah_ and his
Family probably did in the Ark, that if our Confinement were irksome,
’twas a cheap Price to pay for Safety. Of the _Blenkinsops_ we saw
nothing after the regular Outburst of the Calamity; but we knew that
Mistress _Blenkinsop_ was not only resolved not to stir, but that she
would not so much as lay in Stores for daily Consumption; perversely and
cruelly persisting in sending her Servants into the Danger, she feared
not for herself to purchase Pennyworths of Things she might have bought
wholesale.
[Illustration:
Keeping the Gates.
]
Meantime, though our _Bridge_, by reason of its being one of the great
Thoroughfares of _London_, could not well be shut up, yet the
Bridgewardens took all the Care of us they could, keeping the Gates with
much Jealousy, and burning large Fires of resinous and strong-smelling
Substances. Early in the Season, there was one Person who took a mighty
Panic at her own Danger, which was Mistress _Armytage_. She had left her
Lodgings, ostensibly to be with _Kitty_ during her Confinement, but in
Reality, as the Event proved, to be out of the Reach of Infection.
However, the News of each Day, which she greedily gathered, becoming
dismaller, and the Crowds of People pouring out of Town exciting her
Desire to be among them, she wearied _Hugh Braidfoot_ with Entreaties
that he would promise to go into the Country as soon as _Kitty_ got
about again; and, one Night, a Coffin leaping into her Lap out of the
Fire, her Fears for herself could no longer be allayed, but she declared
she must go the next Morning, come what would. I heard much sobbing and
loud talking through the Wall overnight; and the next Morning at
Day-break, saw the Widow departing with a small Bundle in her Hand, and
a young Lad carrying her heavy Box. However, the End, which was
impressive, was this. She over-heated herself in her selfish Flight,
slept in a damp Bed the next Night, and took a Hurt which ended her Life
before the Year was out, though not by the Plague.
Soon after, _Kitty_ gave Birth to twin Daughters, the sweetest little
Dears that ever were seen, whom she very prettily insisted on naming
_Violet_ and _Cherry_. But now, the Plague being more and more talked
of, and she being unable to nurse both, it became a momentous Question
with her whether to bring one up by Hand or send it to a Foster-nurse in
the Country. At length, the latter was decided upon; and little _Violet_
was put out to nurse at _Lewisham_.
And now the Judgment of GOD fell very heavy on us; insomuch that amid
the general Visitation and Bereavement, it would have been strange
indeed if even the unafflicted could have been so unfeeling as to hold
back from the general Mourning. The Cry from every Pulpit and every
Altar was, “Spare, O LORD, spare thy People, whom thou hast redeemed
with thy precious Blood;” and the Churches were open all Day long and
crowded with Penitents, till it was found that Contagion was thereby
augmented; whereon all but the bold fell to exchanging public for
private Devotion.
About this Time, poor _Kitty Braidfoot_ fell into much Danger. She was
nursing her little _Cherry_ one Morning, and saying to me how her Heart
yearned for a Sight of its Twin-sister, when, as if in Answer to her
Wish, in comes the Foster-nurse, looking defiant and heated, with the
Infant in her Arms, whom without more Ado she sets upon the Table, and
then retreats to the Door.
“There’s your Babby, Mistress,” says she bluntly, “and you owes me one
and twenty Shillings for the last six Weeks’ nursing, at Three and
Sixpence a Week ... it’s taken the Plague, and I can’t have my own Babby
infected, so I declines the farther Charge of it—’tis a puny little
Thing, and I doesn’t think would anyhow ha’ lived long.”
“Puny!” cries _Kitty_, with Eyes darting Fire; “why, you’ve starved it
for the Sake of your own Baby! ’Twas as fine a Child as this, and now a
downright Skeleton!”
The Woman had an Answer on her Lips, but Something in _Kitty’s_ Eye and
in her own Heart suddenly abashed her; and with a “Marry come up!” she
hastily turned about and quitted the House, without so much as asking
again for her one and twenty Shillings. Poor _Kitty_ exclaimed, “Oh, you
little Starveling!” and bursting into Tears, put _Cherry_ into my Arms,
and began to unfasten her own Dress. I said, “Remember, you cannot nurse
both——” She said, “I must commit the other to you to bring up by Hand
and keep out of the Infection—I cannot let this little Thing perish,”
and showered on it Kisses and Tears, quite thoughtless of her own
Safety.
Just then, _Hugh_ came in, and stood amazed when he saw _Kitty_ fondling
the famished little Infant. She, thoughtful of him also before herself,
cried, “Don’t come near me, _Hugh_! Baby has the Plague. I’m thankful
the Woman brought it Home; GOD forbid a Child of mine should endanger a
Child of hers!” And pressed her little one yet closer to her, and kissed
its little, meagre Hands. Poor _Hugh_ stood aghast at the News,
regarding her from where he first stood with a Mixture of Wonder,
Admiration, and Fear; at length exclaiming, “GOD be your Blessing,
_Kitty_!”—he brushed off a Tear and turned away. Again saw I that the
strongest Heart is not always in the biggest Body. As for _Kitty_, I
thought she had never looked so beautiful as at that Moment. She was now
eagerly seeking for some Token of the Disease about her Child, but could
find none. “What and if ’twere a false alarm?” cries she,—“Heaven grant
it!—But now, dear _Cherry_, take your little Charge out of Harm’s
Reach—and bid _Nell_ tend dear _Hugh_ all she can—I’ve Everything I want
here, and they can set down my Meals at the Door without coming in.”
I looked back at her as I closed the Door, and saw her smiling so over
her Baby that it really seemed as if she felt she had in it Everything
she wanted. And when I lay down by my little _Cherry_ at Night, and felt
its little Mites of Hands straying over my Face, I felt drawn towards it
with a Love I had never experienced for a Child before, and wondered not
how _Kitty_, who might call it Part and Parcel of herself, could so
cheerfully risk her own Life for that of her Child.
Next Morning, both our Heads were thrust simultaneously out of our
Bedroom Windows. “_Violet_ is doing purely,” cries she; “there’s no
Plague-spot—How is _Cherry_?” We exchanged Congratulations and heartfelt
Blessings.
In short, it proved a false Alarm; but as _Cherry_ was so miraculously
contented under my Care, her Mother would not have her back till every
Fear of Danger was over, by which Time the pretty Creature was well
weaned. If _Hugh_ had loved his Wife before this, he now absolutely
adored her: he said he had learned the Value of his Treasures too dearly
to run any farther Risk of losing them, come what might to his Business.
So he shut up Shop, left an old Woman in Charge, bought a Tent, Horse,
and Cart, and Everything else he wanted or could take; and, one fair
Morning, he mounted _Kitty_ all smiling under the Tilt, with a Darling
on each Arm, and Bags, Baskets, and Crockery-ware all about her; and
shouldering his Carter’s Whip, started off with his Family for _Kent_,
like a blythe, honest Patriarch.
[Illustration]
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