Worse than lonely we were left!
All too late, our wretched father
Seemed of every hope bereft.
Sometimes frantic, sometimes sullen,
Weeping like a fretful child,
Oftener to his haunts returning,
Lost and reckless, weak and wild.
Thus he died: we asked not whether
By the public way he fell;
Strangers brought him to our dwelling,
None the dreadful tale would tell.
Thus, kind lady, thus we wander
Over many a weary mile:
I could work—but little Martha,
Who would care for her the while?
Would your daughters, gentle lady,
Hear my little sister sing?
Small the pittance that we ask you,
Hunger is a fearful thing.
May you never know how bitter
Sorrow is, and want, and shame;
Gracious Heaven has made you happy,
May it keep you still the same!
M⸺ E⸺.
ANTICIPATIONS AND REALITIES.
[Illustration]
“A party of pleasure! oh, mamma, let us go,” said Rosamond. “We shall be
so happy, I am sure.”
“What! because it is a party of pleasure, my dear,” said her mother,
smiling.
“Do you know,” continued Rosamond, without listening to what her mother
said—“Do you know, mamma, that they are going in the boat, on the river;
and there are to be streamers flying, and music playing all the time? And
Mrs. Blisset, and Miss Blisset, and the master Blissets, will be here in
a few minutes. Will you go, mamma? may Godfrey and I go with you?”
“Yes, my dears.”
Scarcely had her mother added the word “yes,” than Rosamond uttered
a loud exclamation of joy, and ran to tell her brother Godfrey, and
returned, repeating as she capered about the room—
“Oh! we shall be so happy! so happy!”
“Moderate your transports, my dear Rosamond,” said her mother. “If you
expect so much happiness beforehand you may be disappointed.”
“Disappointed, mamma!—I thought people were always happy on parties of
pleasure; Miss Blisset told me so.”
“My dear, you had better _judge for yourself_, than to trust to what Miss
Blisset tells you, without knowing any thing of the matter yourself.”
“Mamma, if I know nothing of the matter, how can I judge? Why should I
not trust what Miss Blisset says?”
“Wait and you will know, my dear.”
“You said, mamma, do not raise your expectations. Is it not well to
expect to be happy?—to hope to be happy, makes me happy _now_. If I
thought I should be unhappy, it would make me unhappy now.”
“I do not wish you to think you shall be unhappy; I wish you to have
as much pleasure now as you can have, without being made unhappy by
disappointment. I wish you to attend to your own feelings, to find out
what makes you happy, and what makes you unhappy. You are going on a
party of pleasure, I beg you to observe whether you are happy or not;
observe what pleases and entertains you.”
Here the conversation was interrupted. A carriage came to the door, and
Rosamond exclaimed—
“Here they are—Mrs. Blisset, Miss Blisset, and her two brothers. I see
their heads in the coach; I will run and put on my hat.”
“I assure you, mamma,” continued she, as she was tying the string of her
hat, “I will remember to tell you whether I have been happy or not.”
Rosamond went with her mother, and Mrs. Blisset and her children, on this
party. The next morning, when Rosamond went into her mother’s room, her
mother reminded her of her promise.
“You promised to tell, my dear, whether you were as happy as you expected
to be.”
“I did, mamma. You must know, then, I was not happy all day yesterday;
that is to say, I was not nearly so happy as I thought I should have
been. I should have liked going in the boat, and seeing the streamers
flying, and hearing the music, and looking at the prospect, and walking
in the pretty island, and dining out of doors under the large shady
trees, if it had not been for other things, which were so disagreeable
that they spoiled all our pleasure.”
“What were those disagreeable things?”
“Mamma, they were _little_ things. Yet they were very disagreeable.
Little disputes—little quarrels between Miss Blisset and her brothers,
about every thing that was to be done. First, when he got into the boat,
the youngest boy wanted us to sit on one side, and Miss Blisset wanted us
to sit on the other side; now, mamma, you know we could not do both.
“But they went on disputing about this for half an hour; and Godfrey and
I were so ashamed, and so sorry, that we could not have any pleasure in
listening to the music or looking at the prospect. You were at the other
end of the boat, mamma, and you did not see and hear all this. Then we
came to the island, and then I thought we should be happy; but one of the
boys said, ‘Come this way, or you will see nothing.’ The other boy roared
out, ‘No, they must come my way;’ and Miss Blisset insisted on our going
her way.
“All the time we were walking, they went on disputing about which of
their ways was the best. Then they looked so discontented and so angry
with one another. I am sure they were not happy ten minutes together,
all day long; and I said to myself, ‘Is this a party of pleasure? how
much happier Godfrey and I are every day, even without going to this
pretty island, and without hearing this music, or seeing these fine
prospects—much happier, because we do not quarrel with one another about
every trifle.’”
“My dear,” said her mother, “I am glad you have had an opportunity of
seeing all this.”
“Mamma, instead of its being a party of pleasure, it was a party of
_pain_. Oh, mamma, I never wish to go on another party of pleasure. I
have done with parties of pleasure for ever,” concluded Rosamond.
“You know, my dear, I warned you not to raise your expectations too high,
lest you should be disappointed. You have found that unless people are
good-tempered, and obliging, and ready to please each other, they make
pain even of pleasure; therefore avoid quarrelsome people as much as you
can, and never imitate them; but do not declare against _all parties of
pleasure_, and decide against them for ever because _one_ happened not to
be so delightful as you had expected it to be.”
A FOX’S TALE OF HIS ADVENTURES.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF RUDOLPHI.
I was born in a retired spot, along with four brothers and sisters. Our
mother had made a nice soft bed of moss, in a hole which she had scooped
in the side of a steep bank; and a comfortable dwelling it was. As soon
as we were weaned, our parents supplied us with good food,—sometimes
young hares, partridges, and such dainty provisions. Occasionally we
had mice, which we did not relish quite so much; but our mother used to
say, that we must accustom ourselves to every thing, for the time might
perhaps come when we should be glad of even a mouse to make a meal of.
We grew apace, and as the den soon became too small for us, we tried
to escape out of our dwelling. But our parents strictly forbade this;
saying, that nothing but dangers awaited us; but that, as soon as we were
old enough, they would take us to a place of greater security.
[Illustration]
Alas! it happened to us as to many other children, who will not obey
their parents, but think themselves the wiser. Early one May morning,
the sun shone in so brightly at the mouth of our hole, that we longed to
know what it was to be outside; and, as soon as our parents had set out
upon their hunting excursion, to bring provision for us, we slipped out
softly, and jumped and tumbled about on the open sandy space in front of
our cave, enjoying ourselves much, and hastening in as soon as we thought
papa and mamma Fox would be coming back again.
We went on in this way for a long time, without being found out; but one
day, while we were chasing a mouse in front of the den, and tumbling head
over heels in great delight, we observed something looking at us through
the bushes, which we concluded must be the face of a man. We hurried back
into the den immediately, terribly frightened, and were right glad when
we neither saw nor heard any more of the creature; little guessing, that
from that moment our fate was decided. For, the very next morning, when
father and mother were gone out as usual, we heard footsteps and voices;
and, before we were aware, a savage, crooked-legged dog entered the den,
barking very loud. Our agony was extreme. We drew back into the farthest
corner of the den, barking as loud as we could: but this did not in the
least deter our enemy; for, encouraged by the men, he seized hold of the
foremost of us.
Despair will inspire the weakest with courage. We flew at our black foe,
and scratched him so much, that he was obliged to draw back. Now we
thought that the danger was over; but, alas! the greatest was to come,
and from an unexpected quarter. How could we guess that the dog was sent
into the den to find if we were still within, and where the cave ended!
For one of the hunters had laid himself down with his ear to the ground,
and listened as the dog barked; after which they began to dig a hole,
and we listened in deadly fear to the strokes of the spade and pickaxe,
as they came nearer to us. They had soon broken through; and, as all
resistance was vain, we could do nothing better than bury our heads deep
in the sand. Then a man stretched his arm down to us, drew one after
another by the tail, and struck each one upon the back of his head with a
club, so that he died immediately. I was the last, whom he pulled up with
a cruel shout. He had raised his staff for the deadly blow, when a man,
passing by, cried to him, “Hold! friend, just let me look at that little
animal.” He looked in my face, and then added, “I wish you would give me
that little Fox: I could make him useful!” “What!” replied my murderous
captor, “would you bring him up to steal your cocks and hens? He will be
true to his nature.” “No,” said the stranger, “I will make him useful to
me in my trade.” “Well, then, take him;” and the man held me, while the
other opened a great leathern pocket, into which I was popped; and thus
he carried me to his dwelling in the city.
“Look here,” said my new master to his wife, jokingly, “what a pretty,
sharp-nosed little dog I have met with!” as he drew me out of his pocket.
“He shall learn by and by to blow the bellows.” The man was a locksmith,
and had a wheel fixed to his bellows, in which a dog, by running round
set the bellows in motion. But a short time before my capture, the dog
had died; and the man was glad to have me, rather than a dog, for which
he would have to pay an annual tax. I had a small collar put on to which
a chain was fastened, and the other end secured to the dog-kennel. He
brought me food and water: I quenched my thirst, but I was too much
afraid and sorrowful to eat at first, until compelled by hunger. I was
kindly treated: the man would stop as he went to or returned from his
work, and stroke and feed me from his hand. “How goes it, little Foxy?”
he would say: “thou wilt soon be able to help me in my business.” After
a while he showed me the wheel, made me ascend into it, and taught me
how to run. I was glad to be in motion, after so long a confinement. I
soon understood my office, and took pleasure in the work. When he was not
smithying, I was allowed to rest; and then I amused myself by watching
him at his filing and hammering, making large and small locks and keys. I
could not complain of my treatment; for I was well fed, and always had my
plate of meat not far from the wheel. But yet two circumstances troubled
me. Liberty was not mine. Could I ever forget that I had once enjoyed
freedom? I longed for the woods, the mountains, the sunny knolls, where
my race wander so merrily about.
I had also an enemy in the person of a neighbor’s old, grizzly, red
tom-cat, an envious, spiteful, and greedy animal. He would sit for hours
in a gap of the wall, eyeing me with apparent indifference, as I went
round and round at my work; but, if my master turned his back, if but
for a moment, he was instantly down upon the spot, stole the best bits
out of my dish, and was back again as swift as a bird could fly. He also
plundered my master’s kitchen in various ways; and, as I was sometimes
allowed to run about at liberty in the house, I was suspected of the
thievery, and received the beating.
[Illustration]
I was even with my enemy at last, and, moreover, against his will, he
procured me my liberty, though but for a short time.
One day, when the master was absent, I felt very well and lively, and
jumped merrily about in my wheel, and blew the bellows till the sparks
began to fly. Then I sat down to enjoy my dinner. The cat came near, and
contrary to custom, began to converse with me:—“Fox, you are merry; I
wish I was so too: you seem happier in your work, than I in my sleepy
dreaming on the wall.” “Yes,” I replied, “that is quite true. You see
that I earn abundance of food by turning this wheel for my good master;
and I may leap and jump about in it to my heart’s content. Just come up
to me for once,” continued I, “and I will show you how merrily it runs.”
So the cat ascended, and we shook the wheel awhile, which pleased the old
fellow very well; then I invited him to sit down and eat; for I had a
nice leg-bone of mutton left, and he found it quite to his taste.
When he had done, the old cat said, “Fox, that thing pleaseth me. I
should like to learn thy trade, and then I can seek out a master. Wilt
thou teach me?” “With pleasure,” I answered: “only put on my collar, and
run on boldly in the wheel, you will learn quickly.” “Well, I will try,”
said the cat. But first we had to get the collar off my neck, and it cost
us some trouble. “Look!” said I: “this thing which hangs upon the collar
is called a lock, and that thing which hangs upon the nail there, is
called a key. Now, if you put the key into the hole in the lock, and turn
it round, the lock will slip off, and the collar will be unfastened; then
I can draw it off, and put it on you.” The cat fetched the key, and after
many trials, at last managed to put it into the lock properly. “Now,”
said I, “take the key between your teeth, and turn it round.” This he did
easily; and, when he had drawn the padlock out of the ring of the collar,
I trembled for joy. I quickly put the collar upon the cat, however, and
turned the key in the padlock. “There,” said I, “now take care to run
steadily, and you will find what a merry business it is. Good bye! cat;”
and then I sprang through the open window.
“Stop! stop!” cried the cat, terrified; and he tried to spring after
me, but found himself held back by the chain which was fastened to the
collar; and I heard how he tugged in vain, and mewed pitifully.
But whoever diggeth a ditch for another, is pretty certain to fall into
one himself. This proverb was verified in my case; for scarcely had I
gained the street, when I was observed by a dog; which chased me so
quickly, that I had but little hope of saving myself from his teeth. By
chance I took the direction of the market-place, in the middle of which
there was a wooden booth, where there were apes, and parrots swinging on
long sticks, outside, and a great brown bear kept guard at the entrance.
“Brother bear,” I cried, out of breath, “take me under thy protection!”
“Just jump in here,” said the bear kindly, and showed me the opening.
I did so, and was saved from my enemy; but, to my great astonishment
and terror, only to fall into the hands of more dreadful enemies. I
found myself in a large room, surrounded on every side by wild animals,
imprisoned in iron cages. I endeavored to make my escape, but in my
confusion could not find the way out. The master and his men hunted me
from one corner to another, till at last I was caught; and what did they
with me—can you imagine? I was thrown into the den of a mighty lion:
there I lay trembling in deadly fear, when the great king of beasts came
slowly up, smelled at me, and then laid himself down quietly as before.
When I found that he had no intention of taking away my life, I ventured
to approach him very modestly. “I’ll do thee no hurt,” murmured the
lion; “be without fear of me.” Then I took courage, seated myself near
him, licked his paws, and looked up quite fearlessly into his face. When
feeding time came, I had a bone thrown to me also. After our meal, I
entertained the lion with merry feats, leaping over him, laying myself
down before him, and inviting him to play.
Thus we went on from one day to another, and the lion began to take great
pleasure in me. After some time, the dens were placed in great wagons,
and conveyed to another town, where the people came in crowds, curious to
behold the lion and the Fox.
Though we lived in great harmony, yet, before long, my life became
tedious and sorrowful. “Lion,” said I one day, “we must try to obtain our
freedom.”
“Well said!” replied lion: “can I break these iron bars which keep us
within the den?” “That neither of us can do,” I rejoined; “but, where
strength is vain, cunning may succeed. Just let us try; I have a device
in my head.”
Now, the master of the menagerie had a tame peacock, which was allowed
to go about in perfect liberty; and to secure his assistance formed a
part of my plan. The servant whose office it was to feed the animals,
was accustomed to slip the bolt only of our den, without locking it.
This had not escaped my observation; and the knowledge I had picked up
in my servitude with the locksmith, I was able to turn to good account.
I therefore said one evening to the peacock, “Now, good friend, do me a
little favor, and push back the iron thing at the door.” He did so, and
the door opened instantly. “Now for it, lion,” said I, “break out: only
take me with you, and protect me.”
The lion had no sooner left the den, and felt that he had once more the
free use of his limbs, than he darted towards the entrance.
Almost terrified to death, every body fled out of his way, and the lion
and the fox were once more free in open air. But a few leaps, and we were
out of the town, and in the broad meadows. Whoever we met, instantly
betook themselves to flight; and in a short time we reached a dark,
thick forest, in whose shades we rested for the night. The lion wished
to remain here; for he felt quite at home under the deep shadow of the
great oak-trees: but I advised him to continue his flight. So, very early
in the morning, we left the forest, and hastened to a distant woody
mountain, which we reached the same day; and there, after devouring some
hares, reposed in quiet. But alas! our escape could not remain a secret,
nor could we doubt of being actively pursued.
In a few days, a crowd of hunters appeared; we were chased about, and
with difficulty saved ourselves by flight to another forest. There
neither were we suffered to remain in peace; for the number of our
pursuers was constantly increasing, and day and night we were driven
before them, from one place of refuge to another.
On the fifth night of our flight, we had lain down to rest on the
edge of a cliff, which overlooked a deep hollow place, surrounded by
trees; when we saw lights advancing through the wood, and I immediately
advised the lion to fly with all speed. “No,” he replied, “I will be
hunted no longer; if I must die, it shall be here!” We descried armed
men approaching, carrying torches; and in the midst there rode a young
man of beautiful countenance and majestic stature, and, by his side, a
large, noble-looking dog. When the party had reached the hollow; they
stopped, kindled a fire, seated themselves around it and began to eat.
The young man had dismounted, and was standing at a little distance,
leaning against the stem of a tree, when suddenly the dog uttered a sharp
bark; and the men alarmed, rose up hastily, and followed the animal, who
had evidently got scent of our track. With one mighty bound, the lion
sprung from the overhanging rock, alighting on his feet, just opposite
to the young man, who was no other than the son of the king. The king’s
son drew back for a moment, and raised a sharp sword, putting himself
in an attitude of defence. But the lion laid himself down in front of
him, stretched his paws out on the earth, and looked up into the face
of the prince, as much as to say, Let us be friends. At that moment the
attendants returned, and would have attacked the lion with sword and
lance, but the prince forbade, saying, “You shall do him no hurt, he has
placed himself under my protection.” He advanced fearlessly, laying his
hand upon the noble animal’s head. “Let us bind him at least,” cried one.
“It is unnecessary,” replied the prince, as he seated himself on the
ground near the lion: “he will follow me, I am sure, of his own accord.”
And so he did.
The king’s son laid himself down to rest, and slept peacefully; the lion
resting near him, while the attendants passed the night in anxious and
fearful watching around them. As soon as the prince awoke in the morning,
the whole party prepared for their return to the city; the lion following
willingly with Ossian, the faithful dog, side by side.
Then I pressed forth from my hiding-place; and, as I could not bear to be
separated from the lion, I hastened to join him, much to the astonishment
of all present. “Lo! here is another follower,” said the prince; “he also
shall receive protection.”
We traversed the forest, and before noon reached the capital city. News
of the wonderful affair went before us, so that young and old crowded
from all quarters to see the remarkable animals pass. When we arrived at
the palace, the prince commanded comfortable dwellings to be prepared
for us on each side of the principal gate; but every night the lion had
to lie at the door of the royal sleeping chamber, in order to keep guard
there. Besides these favors, we were well supplied with food, and daily
received proofs of our lord’s attachment.
It was not long before we both had an opportunity of rendering him a good
service for all his kindness. Some wicked men had plotted together to
murder the prince, and had hidden themselves in a thicket, intending to
lie in wait for him, when he should pass by on his daily walk. I happened
to spy these wretches in their hiding-place; and, suspecting them of evil
intentions, I told the lion, who agreed with me in opinion; and we both
went and concealed ourselves, very near the spot where I had seen the
villains. As soon as the prince approached, they started out with lifted
daggers; but, just as they thought themselves sure of their victim, out
broke the lion from the bushes, crushing them in his way. With one spring
he seized the foremost by the throat, then tore down the next; and before
the third could recover from his terror, he had caught him by the breast,
and shaken him so violently, that he fell breathless and insensible to
the ground. The guards hastened to the spot and secured the villains, who
received the punishment of their crime that very day. From that time, the
prince regarded us with more favor than ever, and never went out without
us for his attendants.
Thus we led a quiet, honorable life for some years; but at last the
period of our separation arrived. The king engaged in a war, and the
prince commanded his army which we accompanied to the field. When passing
through towns I rode upon the baggage wagons, but when traveling in the
country I scampered along over the fields. Lion fought bravely by the
side of his lord, and I rendered considerable service as a spy. But one
day, when I was out at a distance, the prince and his attendants fell
into an ambuscade of the enemy. He defended himself bravely; and the lion
broke through the opposing ranks, tearing down whoever came in his way.
The enemy were soon overpowered and put to flight, when, from behind a
tree, an arrow, aimed at the lion, pierced his heart: he sunk down at
the feet of his master, giving him a loving look, and died. The prince
was nearly inconsolable for the loss of the noble animal, and had him
interred with honors, and a marble pillar erected to mark his grave.
I also grieved much for my generous companion and protector, and looked
quite forlorn and unhappy. One day, therefore, the kind prince said to
me, “Good Fox, since thou hast lost thy friend, I think thy liberty would
be acceptable to thee.” I made signs that I would prefer to go. “Well,”
said he, “go. I thank thee for thy fidelity, and will command my subjects
to refrain from doing thee any harm.” And, in order to secure my safety,
he had a king’s crown marked upon my haunches, which you may yet see
plainly. Afterwards I departed, and sought out my place of birth, where I
have lived ever since in undisturbed tranquillity.
NEW CHARADES.