Twm returns to his mother’s at Tregaron. His reception there, and
amongst his old friends and cronies. Enters the service of Squire
Graspacre, and lives in clover. Becomes a great reader, hates servitude,
and grows melancholy and romantic.
AFTER setting out early in the morning, and walking hard all day over a
rugged mountain road, the heart of Twm Shôn Catti thrilled with delight,
and the tears filled in his eyes when, late in the evening, his own
native place, the humble town of Tregaron appeared before him; and
although his feet were so blistered that he could scarcely move, he
attempted to make his limbs partake of the new vigour which sprung up in
his heart, and essayed to run, but failing in his aim, fell down
completely mastered by exhaustion and fatigue. Whether, like Brutus, he
was re-nerved by breathing awhile on the bosom of his mother earth, or
that the thoughts within, of home and its associations, gave him
strength, he rose much refreshed, but with considerable pain continued
the short untraced portion of his journey.
Entering the town, at length, just as the darkness began to veil every
object, he came to his mother’s door, which was open, and cast an
enquiring look before he entered. Catti had long dismissed her scholars,
and sat in the chimney corner with her back towards the door, while her
husband occupied the other side, and sat silently busy in scooping out
the bowl of a new ladle. Twm’s merry, trick-loving soul was not to be
subdued by his troubles; having drawn his flat-rimmed old hat over his
eyes, he leaned over his mother’s hatch, and in a feigned voice begged
for a piece of bread and cheese, saying that he was a poor boy, very
hungry and tired, who was making his way home to Lampeter. “We are poor
folk ourselves, and have nothing to give,” said Carmarthen Jack, rather
gruffly. “Stop!” cried Catti, “he’s a poor child Jack, a bit of bread
and cheese is not much, and somebody might take pity on my poor Twm, and
give as much, if he should ever need it.” The affectionate heart of Twm
could no longer contain itself, but opening the hatch he burst forward,
dashing his hat on the ground, and falling on her neck, giving ardent
utterance to merely the word “mother;” and after the tender pause of
nature’s own embrace, he cried, with streaming eyes, “My good kind
charitable mother! you shall never want bread and cheese, while your poor
Twm has health and strength to earn it.” Warmly returning his embrace
and kisses, Catti long clasped her boy, and was quite terrified to see
his pale lean cheek, and altered look. Ashamed of the exposure of his
pitiless nature, Jack now came up, shook hands and condoled with him, but
Twm _had seen the man_, _and loved him not_. After being refreshed,
Catti eagerly enquired of all that happened to him since he left home,
and wept much as he detailed his narrow escape from starvation and the
small pox. By twelve o’clock next day, his tale was known to every body
at Tregaron.
The catastrophe at Morris Grump’s, of course, was considered as a
judgement from heaven for his miserly propensities; and Ianto Gwyn wrote
a pathetic ballad, to the great edification of the old women and
tender-hearted damsels, giving _a true and particular_ account of the
whole affair; to which was attached a moral, on the cruelty of
mal-treating parish apprentices, and stuffing them with mouldy bread and
sour flummery. This interesting ballad was daily sung by Wat the
mole-catcher, to the English tune of Chevy Chase, which gained him the
good will of all those old crones, who had taken deep offence at his
numerous tricks.
Carmarthen Jack, although so careful of his bread and cheese, was
determined not to be outdone on this occasion, but brought the graphic
art to perpetuate his stepson’s tale; that is to say, he carved on a
wooden bowl the figures of four beings, well attended, in bed, with the
scythe of Death across their throats, while in the distance a meagre boy
was snatching a joint of meat from the fire; the idea, it is true, was
better than the execution; but altogether it gained Jack very great
applause.
Right glad were all Twm’s cronies to see him again at Tregaron; but
dearer than all to him was the welcome of the curate Rhys, with whose
books he was again permitted to make free, while he profited by his
instructions and conversation. He had now been at home about three
months, and recovered his health, strength, and spirits to perfection,
when his mother fancied he had become an eye-sore to her husband, who she
thought looked at him with the scowling brow of a step-father, which
Twm’s conduct, he might imagine, justified, as his behaviour towards Jack
had been very unconciliating, ever since the bread and cheese adventure.
With this impression, Catti once more waited on Squire Graspacre to
solicit that some place or employment should be found for her boy, as she
could not afford to keep him in idleness. The tale of his sufferings at
_Cwm du_, interested the squire in his favor; and he felt some reluctance
to send him as a parish apprentice; particularly as Catti declared he
would rather die than be such again. The worthy curate, Rhys, had also
spoken a kind word in his pupil’s favor; and Carmarthen Jack, gaping hand
in hand, looked as if he would say much to get rid of his stepson, could
he hit on words to his purpose. Amused by his simplicity and awkward
gestures, the squire asked him, “Well Jack, what would you advise me to
do with Catti’s boy?” This plain question met as blunt an answer, “Make
him your servant boy sir, if you please.” “And so I will old hedgehog,”
cried the squire, slapping him on the shoulder, “Your oratory has settled
the matter.” Accordingly, our hero next appears as the squire’s man at
Graspacre Hall; this was an agreeable change in life to him, where he
lived, as they say, in clover; and by his good temper and turn for mirth,
he gained the good will and admiration of his fellow servants,
particularly the girls, with whom he became an especial favorite. Behold
him now then, in the seventeenth year of his age, with the looks and
habits of twenty, gay, happy, and as mischievous as an ape; kissing and
romping with the girls, caring for none of them but shewing attentions to
all, while he jeered and mocked the cross-grained and disagreeable, and
whenever he could, raised a laugh at their peculiarities. His
employments at the squire’s were various, among which, waiting at table
every day, neatly dressed, and carrying his master’s gun and attending
him during his shooting excursions, formed the principal. To these,
Squire Graspacre, who since the death of his wife was ever wench-hunting,
aimed to add the office of pimp. Twm, however, had been swayed too long
by the counsels of Rhys the curate, to lend himself to any such unworthy
services; and having by his conversations with him, and by the tenor of
his readings, imbibed a taste for romantic honor, he was not without a
secret hope, if not presentiment, that his great father might some day
own him, and destine him to a very different sphere in life. These ideas
were no sooner born than they daily expanded in his breast, and filled
his imagination so far as to induce him to seize every opportunity to
improve his mind, and qualify himself for the best chances of Fortune.
With the growth of these notions, rose in his mind a distaste for
servitude, and an ardent longing to shine in a sphere allied to
literature and respectability.
By the time he had been a twelvemonth in his situation, from a merry
happy youth he became pensive, and sometimes deeply melancholy. His
bed-room was over the lawndry, a building detached from the house; in
which he had shelves put up to hold his books, a small stock, but which
he continually increased by laying out every farthing which he received
from visitors, or saved from his wages, in the purchase of more. On
retiring at night, his habits were to cover closely his window, to
conceal the light of his candle, while he generally sat up more than half
the night luxuriating over his darling volumes; and as he was directed in
his choice of them by Rhys, who made him presents of many, he soon
acquired no inconsiderable share of information: this blessing, however,
became partially a curse to him, for, as he could not be persuaded to
give his attention to books of a religious tendency, the light that
gleamed upon his mind had the effect of shewing him his destitution, and
making him discontented with his lot in life. Sometimes, he talked to
his late school-master on the subject of travelling to England to seek
his fortune, which wandering predilections that worthy man always
discouraged, but events soon occurred to shew our hero in a new
character, in which most men appear at some period of their lives—that of
a lover.