"It was about this time that I first became acquainted with an orphan
boy, an inmate of the workhouse, who had been left to the care of the
parish, by the sudden death of his parents, a German clockmaker and his
wife, from a malignant fever which had visited the neighbourhood, and
taken off a considerable portion of the labouring population. I had
been sent on errands from my father to the master of the workhouse, a
severe, sullen man, of whom I had a great dread, and I noticed this
child, in consequence of his pale and melancholy countenance, and
apparently miserable condition. I observed that no one took any notice
of him; and that he was allowed to wander about the great straggling
workhouse, among the insane, the idiotic, and the imbecile, without the
slightest attention being paid to his going and coming; in short, he
lived the wretched life of a workhouse boy.
"I see that you are eager to ask what is a workhouse boy," said my
mother, "so I will anticipate your question. There is, in the various
parishes of the country to which we both belong, a building expressly
set apart for the accommodation and support of the destitute and
disabled poor. It usually contains inmates of all ages, from the infant
just born to the very aged, whose infirmities show them to be on the
verge of the grave. They are all known to be in a state of helpless
poverty, and quite unable to earn a subsistence for themselves. In this
building they are clothed and fed; the younger provided with instruction
necessary to put them in the way of earning a livelihood; the elders of
the community enjoying the consolations of religion, accorded to them by
the regular visits of the chaplain."
"I suppose," I here observed, "that the people who lived there were
deeply impressed with their good fortune in finding such an asylum?"
"As far as I could ever ascertain," Mrs Reichardt replied, "it was
exactly the reverse. It was always thought so degrading to enter a
workhouse, that the industrious labourer would endure any and every
privation rather than live there. An honest hard-working man must be
sorely driven indeed, to seek such a shelter in his distress."
"That seems strange," I observed. "Why should he object to receive what
he so much stands in need of?"
"When he thus comes upon the funds of the parish," answered my mother,
"he becomes what is called a pauper, and among the English peasantry of
the better sort, there is the greatest possible aversion to be ranked
with this degraded class. Consequently, the inmates of the workhouses
are either those whose infirmities prevent their earning a subsistence,
or the idle and the dissolute, who feel none of the honest prejudices of
self-dependence, and care only to live from day to day on the coarse and
meagre fare afforded them by the charity of their wealthier and more
industrious fellow-creatures.
"The case of this poor boy I thought very pitiable. I found out that
his name was Heinrich Reichardt. He could speak no language but his own
and therefore his wants remained unknown, and his feelings unregarded.
He had been brought up with a certain sense of comfort and decency,
which was cruelly outraged by the position in which he found himself
placed by the sudden death of his parents. I observed that he was often
in tears; and his fair features and light hair contrasted remarkably
with the squalid faces and matted locks of his companions. His
wretchedness never failed to make a deep impression on me.
"I brought him little presents, and strove to express my sympathy for
his sufferings. He seemed, at first, more surprised than grateful; but
I shortly discovered that my attentions gave him unusual pleasure, and
he looked upon my visits as his only solace and gratification.
"Even at this period, I exercised considerable influence over my father,
and I managed to interest him in the case of the poor foreign boy to
such an extent, that he was induced to take him out of the workhouse,
and find him a home under his own roof. He was at first reluctant to
burthen himself with the bringing up of a child, who, from his foreign
language and habits, could be of little use to him in his avocations;
but I promised to teach him English, and all other learning of which he
stood most in need, and assured my father, that in a prodigious short
time I would make him a much abler assistant than he was likely to find
among the boys of the town.
"My father's desire to please me, rather than any faith he reposed in my
assertions, led him to allow me to do as I pleased in this affair. I
lost no time, therefore, in beginning my course of instruction, and in a
few weeks ascertained that I had an apt pupil, who was determined to
proceed with his education as fast as circumstances would admit. We
were soon able to express our ideas to each other, and in a few months
read together the book out of which I had received so many invaluable
lessons.
"In a short time I became not less proud of, than partial to, my pupil.
I took him through the same studies which I had pursued under the
auspices of our clergyman, and was secretly pleased to find, not only
that he was singularly quick in imbibing my instructions, but displayed
a strong natural taste for those investigations towards which I had
shown so marked a bias.
"Day after day have we sat together discoursing of the great events
recorded in Holy Writ: going over every chapter of its marvellous
records, page by page, till the whole were so firmly fixed upon our
minds, that we had no necessity during our conversations for referring
to the Sacred Book. We found examples we held up to ourselves for
imitation;--we found incidents we regarded as promises of Divine
Protection; we found consolation and comfort, as well as exhortation and
advice; and, moreover, we found a sort of instruction that led us to
select for ourselves duties that apparently tended to bring us nearer to
the Great Being, whose goodness we had so diligently studied.
"My father seemed as much pleased with my successful teaching, as he had
been with my successful learning; and when young Reichardt turned out a
remarkably handy and intelligent lad, to whose assistance in some of his
avocations he could have recourse with perfect confidence in his
cleverness and discretion, he grew extremely partial to him. Dr
Brightwell also proved his friend, and in a few years, the condition of
the friendless workhouse boy was so changed, he could not have been
taken for the same person.
"He was a boy of a very grateful spirit, and always regarded me with the
devotion of a most thankful heart. Often would he contrast the
wretchedness of his previous condition with the happiness he now
enjoyed, and express in the warmest terms his obligations to me for the
important service I had rendered him in rescuing him from the abject
misery of the workhouse. Under these circumstances, it is not
extraordinary that we should learn to regard each other with the
liveliest feelings of affection, and while we were still children,--
endured all the transports and torments which make up the existence of
more experienced lovers."
"I do not like interrupting you," I here observed, "but I certainly
should like to know what is meant by the word lovers?"
"I can scarcely explain it to you satisfactorily at present," said Mrs
Reichardt, with a smile; "but I have no doubt, before many years have
passed over your head--always provided that you escape from this
island--you will understand it without requiring any explanation. But I
must now leave my story, as many things of much consequence to our
future welfare now demand my careful attention."
I could not then ascertain from her what was meant by the word whose
meaning I had asked. It had very much excited my curiosity; but she
left me to attend to her domestic duties, of which she was extremely
regardful, and I had no opportunity at that time of eliciting from her
the explanation I desired.