Mrs. Clifford being particularly satisfied with the attention her three
children, Alfred, Robert, and Helen, had for some time past paid to
their lessons, and to the instruction of their masters, told them she
would treat them with a charming walk in the woods on the opposite side
of the river: and that, if they would carry some bread or biscuits with
them, she thought they should have no difficulty in finding a house
where they might procure some milk, and instead of returning home to
drink tea, she would spend the whole afternoon and evening in rambling
about with them.
This was charming news for the young folks, who took care not to give
her the trouble of waiting for them, for they were all three ready at
least half an hour before the time she had appointed for their
departure, which they looked forward to with the utmost impatience; and
the moment Mrs. Clifford joined them in the hall, away they all went,
with joyful hearts and cheerful faces, through the field, and down the
long lane, which led to the ferry.
"This is very pleasant, mamma," said Alfred; "I think I should never be
tired of walking in the fields and woods; yet I must own I do long for
winter, that we may purchase the magic lantern we are to have. I think,
with the guinea grandpapa has given each of us, and what we had before
in our little purses, we shall be able to have a very large one."
"O dear!" exclaimed Helen, "how delightful it will be to be able to see
it as often as we please, and to show it to our friends; and, mamma, do
you know that Robert is to be the person who shews it, for he says he
can talk just like the man who came to our house last year."
"So I can," answered Robert; "and I wish it was bought, that you might
hear what a long story I shall tell you about the sun and the moon, and
the King of Prussia and his hussars, and the cat and the cook! I would
rather have a magic lantern, than any thing in the whole world!"
Chatting in this manner, and amusing themselves by looking at different
objects as they passed along, they found themselves at the ferry before
they expected it; and the boat being just ready to put off, they stepped
into it, and seated themselves with several others, who were going over
to the other side of the river.
Their attention was very soon drawn to a poor woman, who with an infant
on her knee, and a little girl and boy by her side, whom she frequently
kissed and pressed to her bosom, wept as if her heart was breaking. As
soon as they were landed, Mrs. Clifford stopped the woman, kindly
inquired into the cause of her distress, and was immediately informed
by her, that she had lately lost her husband, who, having been long in
an ill state of health, and unable to work, had left her incumbered with
several debts, which she had not the means of paying; and that though
she laboured very hard, and had discharged some of the small ones, a
hard-hearted man, to whom she owed six guineas, declaring he would not
wait a day longer, had that morning seized upon her furniture, and all
her little property, determined, as he said, to have his money before
six o'clock, or to turn her and her children out to sleep in the high
road, or where they thought fit.
She had been, she told Mrs. Clifford, to an uncle of her husband's, who
lived at the market-town, begging him to take pity upon her and her
innocent children: "but, Madam," added she, "he was deaf to my
entreaties, and turned me from his door, and I am now going home to see
all my things taken from me; and what will become of us this night, God
alone can tell!"
Mrs. Clifford was extremely affected by this melancholy tale, and walked
with the poor unhappy woman to her cottage, where they really found two
ill-looking men taking down the bed, and packing up the furniture. The
poor creature began to wring her hands and cry bitterly, and the
children, though they did not understand what the men were going to do,
clung to their mother, and would not move from her side.
Alfred, Robert and Helen were, however, old enough to understand
perfectly well the distress of the poor woman, and the misery and
wretchedness to which she and her helpless children were exposed; and,
fortunately for her, their tender and compassionate hearts immediately
prompted them to endeavour to relieve her. The pleasure they had
promised themselves in purchasing a magic lantern, and in being in
possession of such an amusement for the long evenings of the approaching
winter, appeared to them very trifling in comparison to the delight of
snatching this poor family out of the hands of the unfeeling wretches
they had to deal with; and leading their mamma into the little garden,
earnestly entreated her to take the three guineas their grandpapa had
given them, as well as the contents of their little purses, and employ
the whole to relieve the poor woman, and begged her in the most pressing
manner to make up the deficiency.
Mrs. Clifford pressed them tenderly to her heart, expressing the
greatest satisfaction at the resolution they had taken, and assuring
them she would make up the sum with the greatest pleasure, and that the
proof they now gave of their feeling and humanity made them dearer to
her than ever; adding, that she was certain four-and-twenty hours would
not pass before they would be rewarded for their goodness.
The men were immediately stopped, the debt discharged, and the furniture
replaced in proper order: the poor woman knew not how to express her
joy, and her gratitude; she scarcely knew what she was doing, but at
length recollecting herself, entreated Mrs. Clifford and her children to
be seated, and accept of such refreshment as she had to offer them. Her
little table was soon covered with a cloth as white as snow; and fresh
milk, eggs, butter, and a nice brown loaf were set before them, of which
they partook with great satisfaction.
They did not quit this little family till a late hour, and could talk of
nothing on their way home but the pleasure they felt in the reflection
of having left them so happy; of how they had been delighted when they
saw the two hard-hearted men walk out of the cottage, and how
differently the poor woman and her children would pass the night, to
what they might have expected. Alfred said, the good action they had
done that afternoon would be the pleasantest they could have to talk of
in the winter evenings; and Robert was of opinion that a visit now and
then to the cottage (which their mamma had promised them) would afford
prettier stories for him to repeat, than any thing he could tell of the
King of Prussia or his hussars. As for Helen, she declared that her
heart was so light, and she felt herself so happy and joyful, that she
could almost jump over the moon.
They retired to rest in this pleasant disposition, and told their mamma
the next morning, that they had never been so happy in their lives; that
they went to bed, thinking on the good they had done, and, after
thanking God, who had given them the means of doing it, they had
immediately fallen into a sweet sleep; that the moment they awoke, they
had found themselves in the same happy humour, pleased with themselves,
and with every body they saw; and were very well convinced that the
magic lantern could never have procured them one quarter of the pleasure
which they now felt, and which would be renewed every time they visited
the poor woman at the cottage, and whenever they recollected her story.
"I told you, my children," said Mrs. Clifford, "that four-and-twenty
hours would not pass before you would be rewarded; and you must now, I
am certain, be well convinced, that the heart-felt pleasure arising from
the reflection of such an act of kindness and benevolence to a
fellow-creature in distress, is the greatest and most solid reward that
could possibly have been bestowed upon you, far superior to, and more
lasting than any satisfaction you could have procured by laying out your
money in any other way."