“----is thy sad heart thrill’d with filial pain
To see thy wretched mother’s shortened chain?
And truly, very piteous is her lot!
Chained to a log, within a narrow spot,
Where the close-eaten grass is scarcely seen,
While sweet around her waves the tempting green.”
“Very natural,” sighed I, “yes, yes, I can feel the full force of this
description, ‘the tempting green,’ beyond the reach of a hungry Donkey,
must be a most fascinating prospect.”
“Poor Balaam,” retorted Bobby in an impressive tone, “how does he fare
to-night? Possessing this coveted liberty, he perhaps wants strength to
seek the requisite nourishment.”
I felt myself blush, from the tip of my ears to the point of my chin,
which is giving an uncommon latitude to this most becoming of all
beauties.
“Say no more,” said I with emotion, “you shall be spared the trouble of
reproving me on this subject again; have you heard of dear Balaam? Is
he better?”
“I did not see him,” replied Bobby, “but his fellow-labourer Mr. Juba,
overtook me this morning in Oxford Street, and tells me our friend was
too ill to come to town to-day.”
In spite of my promise to bear my present inthralment patiently, this
intimation threw me into an agony not to be described.
“Help me to break these ignoble fetters,” said I, “that I may flee to
my suffering friend!”
“I am afraid Juba knew you better than I thought he did,” retorted
Bobby,--“I have been your defender Jemmy; but he is right, your heart
may be, I believe it is good, your judgment is very defective.”
“Juba was always my enemy,” I replied; “he, is a Donkey of the meanest
capacity, grovelling in his ideas, and can never hope to rise in the
world;--I confess, I should not have expected you to listen to such an
Ass.”
“I did not give entire credit to his assertions,” continued Bobby, “not
for the reasons you assign, for though Juba is an unpolished Donkey, he
possesses that most essential of all qualifications, useful or common
sense, and will succeed, where hundreds would starve--but he was angry,
and I never rely too implicitly on the depositions of angry Donkeys.”
“I shall never be wise,” said I. “O! most excellent pupil of my
respected old friend, bear with my follies,--and tell me, if it is
utterly impossible for me to reach the residence of Balaam!”
Bobby could not encourage me to hope such a scheme was practicable;
but his natural goodness of heart led him to applaud my zeal in this
particular, and ere I closed my eyes to dream the usual dream of a
prisoner, namely, of liberty, he quieted my scruples respecting himself.
“You are not singular,” said he, “it may require some courage to
speak simple truths; but the listener who is to profit by advice
must possess a species of courage seldom to be met with at your
time of life:--nothing but a perfect knowledge of self, can render
us patient of reproof; and I am afraid this is an acquaintance
we rarely make until the benefits to be derived from it become
inconsequential--because we adopt the means when the end must be too
transient to do us credit.”
This home appeal produced the most unqualified candour on my part.--I
am not conscious that I concealed the most trivial failing in my temper
or dispositions. Bob applauded my ingenuousness, and thus ended our
conference.
Well, next morning while we were at breakfast, Mrs. Dawes brought a man
into the field who, approaching me, began to examine my knees.
“I’ll warrant I deliver him up as sound as I found him,” said he, “so
then the bargain’s struck, missus.”
“Why as for that, if you’ve a mind to have him for good and all, I
don’t care; I can always hire a horse when I want one,” replied my
mistress.
“Why that wouldn’t suit me ye see; I’ve no pasturage, and as I say,
it’s a mortal sin to keep a dumb beast and not give it enough to eat.”
Mrs. Dawes was silent--and the man proceeded--“No! for three days, I
should like to have him, the fair only lasts three days.”
I felt a cold shiver at the bare mention of a fair. “Oh!” thinks I, “if
there are Races at this place as at Tunbridge, what shall I do?--And
again, if it really was the _penny trumpet_, that caused my failure,
what may I not expect to meet in the environs of London, where, of
course, every species toy is on a more grand scale!”
“His knees are terribly broken to be sure,” resumed the man, as he
released me from the rope.
My vanity instantly fled--who would think of proposing a broken-kneed
Donkey as a Racer?
I wonder whether rational beings make mistakes of this nature, and
reckon upon their beauties and attractive qualities, when they
no longer exist:--if so, they, and they only will understand the
awkwardness of my feelings at this moment. Bobby smiled significantly.
“You are vastly clever indeed, Mr. Bob,” thought I, “if you can guess
my secret thoughts;”--and I raised my head in the expectation of being
reproved, when the kind creature in a half whisper informed me--that
if my destination was West-end Fair, it was in the neighbourhood of
Hampstead, and I might probably meet Juba, and gain some intelligence
respecting Balaam.--Again I blushed, and it was a blush of shame,
to think I had judged this amiable Donkey’s feelings by my own
disappointed, or rather humbled vanity. We parted,--and I had soon the
pleasure to hear, West-end was to be the theatre of my actions. Mr.
Ford my temporary master, soon harnessed me to a miserably shattered
looking vehicle; but though I doubted its security, there were four
full-grown persons who held a contrary opinion, they ascended the cart
by a ladder--to use the language of Gilpin,
“Four precious souls, and all agog
To dash through thick and thin.”
Dashing, however, was out of the question with me. Fortunately my
driver was humane; and as he walked by my side, my incapacity was not
suspected for some time. At length a lady exclaimed, “you had better
come in, we can make room for you, Mr. Ford, and then we can whip up
the Donkey.”
Ford declined the offer, perhaps conscious that I should disappoint
their expectation if he complied, though his answer carried a better
interpretation. “No! no!” said he. “We must think of the Donkey too,
four to one, is enough in all conscience, besides, _I_ shall want him
when I get there.”
The party were very impatient, continually inquiring how far we had
to go, &c. &c. Ford was civil in his replies, and by hinting, that it
was better to go at an equal pace, than to hurry and perhaps have me
founder on the road, reconciled them to my certainly tedious pace.
A case in point soon presented itself,--we had past through Kilborn
Turnpike, when a crowd of people in the road obstructed our progress.
I heard a whip used with great vehemence,--Ford stepped forward, the
crowd made way for him,--when I saw a wretched Donkey writhing beneath
the hand of its cruel owner. A party of men, women and children stood
around, who it appeared had been the load with which this creature’s
strength could not contend; and for this, his master chose to wound
him, almost to flaying, in order of course, to increase his capability.
I admit, that there was a great degree of obstinacy in this animal, at
least, what you would call stubbornness. For, so every opposition of an
irrational animal is termed by your genus; with us, it has a different
meaning,--we call it self-defence: and though greatly varying from your
acceptation of this natural right, we think obstinacy at times stands
us in good need. The master, who finds blows do not answer his purpose,
will adopt another line of conduct. Granting that we suffer in these
amiable indulgences of our owners, I speak from conviction,--it is
better to get one or two sound drubbings in the way of experiment, than
to erect our masters as licensed savages by patiently bearing every
blow, that temper or malice can inflict. The poor Ass in question, was
quite a Spartan in his way, he stood immoveable, neither heeding the
taunts of his master, nor the impatient complaints of the party whose
pleasure he retarded.
“Why master Dawson,” said Ford--“is this the way to get any service of
this poor beast? Lend me the reins; I’ll warrant he’ll go quiet enough
with kind usage.”
“You don’t know him,” replied Dawson, “but come let’s see what you
can do with him:” and he resigned the bridle with a sneer. Ford began
by patting the Ass on the head, coaxing him, and then with a gentle
flap of the whip, ran by his side. The Donkey instantly accommodated
himself to this pace, to the no small surprise of the by-standers.
Dawson was vexed; he had been proved incompetent to manage an Ass--and
no doubt the poor fellow paid for it when we left them, which we soon
did, I, mentally eulogizing the judicious and humane Mr. Ford, with
whom I should have thought myself happy to pass the remainder of my
days. That was not to be.
But to proceed--we reached the fair, Ford during the remainder of our
journey, enforcing the policy as well as the justice of treating dumb
beasts with kindness.
“I always find my account in it,” said he, “slow and sure is my way,
and if the beast wont work with good words, why I am sure he wont with
bad.” And unloosing my harness, he gave me an excellent feed of Hay,
which tended greatly to raise my spirits and renew my strength.
The fair was excessively amusing, and might have captivated any Donkey
whose thoughts were given to the scene,--mine were intent on Balaam,
or in the event of his inability to appear in public, on Juba, whom I
resolved to meet with all possible cordiality. But a rustic Donkey is
quite a novice in a certain sphere. It is only in London, we acquire
a knowledge of life. I had never heard of penny rides in a donkey
cart,--nor knew that a dozen children might be crammed into a carriage
scarcely large enough to hold half the number conveniently. It was at
West-end fair I was feelingly taught to understand this item.
Though my master superintended these gambols, and was really very
considerate, he could not shield me from the fatigue and lassitude
attendant on such constant exertion. And as each new load I took up,
brought fresh spirits, and expected proportioned enjoyment, I dreaded,
least my failure should injure Mr. Ford. While I was anticipating
disgrace, a friendly shower of rain compelled every body to seek
shelter; and I was unloosed from the cart and placed under a canvass
shed. Here I found Juba, who like myself, looked fagged to death. I
soon discovered I was indebted to Bobby’s good offices, by the graceful
manner in which Juba met my advances--Yes, I say graceful manner, for
never surely was Ass so much improved as Juba since I saw him last. We
talked of Balaam, and I heard with delight, he was rather better that
morning. Juba described his residence, and when I found it was not much
above a mile from West-end my active mind was planning how to catch a
glimpse of my respected old friend.
Great therefore was my delight, when upon the re-appearance of
the sun, and my resumption of my toil, I heard Ford tell a friend,
he should remain at West-end till the fair was over. I weighed my
projected elopement by every bearing of gratitude, and could find none
sufficiently powerful to deter me from its prosecution. Mr. Ford was a
good man, but he was a new friend. Balaam claimed my utmost deference
and esteem; I owed him obligations innumerable; and as I fully proposed
returning to my new master, felt I was acting no dishonourable part.
Ah! how I longed for the shadows of evening to fall; when, left to
myself, I might put my design into execution! It was late ere this
happy moment arrived--and when it came, I found I should have many
difficulties to encounter. In the first place, the fair continued
to be illuminated till nearly midnight,--secondly, I was in a field
surrounded by a high bank and a well-secured gate,--and thirdly,
there were other animals besides myself within this enclosure. I
imagine that I took a short nap, for on a sudden I was startled by
some noise, and on looking around found the fair was in darkness, and
the sky spangled with stars. “This, then, is the moment,” thought I;
and creeping towards the bank, I placed my fore-feet in the earth
and peeped over. The regular snoring of a pig (as I imagined,) met
my ear,--“then I am safe,” I continued, “for dirty as these animals
are, they do not absolutely _sleep_ in ditches;” and with an agility
quite extraordinary considering the fatigue I had undergone, I reached
the summit, descended a few paces on the other side, still encouraged
by the somnific harmony of the pig, when, finding the earth moist
towards the bottom, I hesitated,--it began to give way, my feet were
sliding, and the smell of stagnant water offended my nose. Retreat
was impracticable. I recollected that the she Ass would encounter
any difficulty in behalf of her young ones, and even from attachment
to her master; and making a plunge, gained Terra Firma. Scarcely had
I time to congratulate myself on this exploit, ere I stumbled over
something soft--the snoring instantly ceased, and the voice of a man
vociferated, “Murder! thieves! help!” I took to my heels, not stopping
to take breath until out of hearing of these appalling sounds. It was
impossible to refrain from smiling at my mistake. There could be no
doubt I had taken this gentleman for a pig! But time was precious, and
I dared not indulge the mirth to which this circumstance gave rise.
Hampstead church steeple was to be my guide, the night was yet too
dark to direct me accurately; so turning to a small common in my way,
I endeavoured to cleanse myself from the contamination of the odious
ditch.
At that moment the church clock struck four,--I pricked up my ears and
followed the sound. The grey light of morn was beginning to unveil the
hill--the prospect refreshed my spirits--and as I trotted on, I could
not help rejoicing, that so pleasant a spot was the residence of the
invalid Balaam. “How surprised he will be!” would I say to myself.
“Yes, I know he will be delighted to see me, when I convince him I have
no intention to desert my present employer.” He was surprised! but I
must reserve that and another adventure for a new chapter.