Great Scenes from Great Novels
Great Scenes from Great Novels -The Family Migrates (Abridged and Simplified)
Great Scenes from Great Novels -The Family Migrates
(Abridged and Simplified)
The only hope of our family now was that the report of our misfortune might be malicious or premature. But a letter from my agent in town soon confirmed the ill news that I had lost my fortune.
I accepted a small cure of fifteen pounds per annum in a distant village. I had determined to supplement my income by managing a little farm.
Having taken this resolution, my next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune, and after all debts collected and paid, out of fourteen thousands we had four hundred remaining.
My chief attention there was now to bring down the pride of my family to their circumstances, for I knew that aspiring beggary was wretchedness itself.
"You cannot be ignorant, my children", cried” I that no prudence of ours could have prevented our late misfortune, but prudence may do much in dis appointing its effects.
We are now poor, my fondlings, and wisdom bids us conform to our humble situation. Let us then, without repining give up those splendours with which numbers are wretched, and seek in humbler circumstances that peace with which all may be happy.
The poor live pleasantly without help; why then, should we not learn to live without theirs? No, my children, let us from this moment give up all pretensions to gentility; we have still enough left for happiness if we are wise and let us draw upon content for the deficiencies of fortune".
As my eldest son, George was a bred scholar, I determined to send him to London to earn his livelihood. The day soon arrived on which we were to disperse for the first time. My son took leave of his mother and the rest.
They mingled their tears with kisses. Then they came to ask a blessing from me. This I gave him from my heart, and which added to five guineas was all the patrimony I had to bestow. "You are going, my boy”, cried I, "to London on foot, in the manner Hooker your great ancestor, travelled there before you.
Take from me the same horse that was given to him by good bishop Jewel, this staff; and take this book too. It will be your comfort on the way these two lines in it are worth a million.
I have been young, and now am old; yet never saw I the righteous man forsaken, or his seed begging their bread. Let this be your consolation as you travel on. Go, my boy; whatever be thy fortune, let me see thee once a year; still keep a good heart, and farewell”.
As he was possessed of integrity and honour, I felt sure that he would act a noble part.
His departure only prepared the way for our own, which arrived a few days afterwards. Leaving a neighbourhood in which we had enjoyed so many years of tranquility was not without tears.
Besides, a journey of seventy miles, to a family that had hitherto never been above ten miles from home, filled us with apprehension; and the cries of the poor, who followed us for some miles, contributed to increase it. We journeyed about fourty miles on the first day.
At the end of the first day's journey, we put up in an obscure inn in a village by the way. As I was generous, I invited the innkeeper for a drink and a supper.
The latter accepted the invitation. In the course of the conversation that followed, the host gave some information about Squire Thornhill who was shortly to be my land lord.
The squire, he said, was pleasure loving and was known especially for his love of women, who found it difficult to resist his advances. The pity was that he proved finally quite faithless to them after lavishing his love on them for some time.
This account of Thornhill was very displeasing to me. But it was received with delight and expectation by my wife and daughters. My daughters, Olivia and Sophia were confident that the squire would fall in love with them at first sight.
While the conversation was going on, the hostess brought the news that one of the gentlemen who had been staying in the inn for some days had spent all his money and was unable to pay his bill.
"Want money", replied the host, "that must be impossible; for it was no later than yesterday he paid three guineas to our beadle to spare an old broken soldier that was to be whipped through the town for dog-stealing".
This moved me and I wanted to meet the gentleman who had been sympathetic and generous. The inn-keeper brought him into the room. He had a good personality and was dressed in clothes that once were laced. He was aged about thirty, and his behaviour was a little strange.
I received him kindly, expressed my admiration for his generosity, and in sympathy for his lack of funds to meet his bill offered him my purse. “I take it with all my heart, sir”, he said. He requested me to tell him who I was.
I satisfied him fully, not only mentioning my name and late misfortunes, but the place to which I was going. He told me that he too had to travel the same way and offered to keep us company. He supped with us, and we found his conversation pleasing and instructive.
The next morning we all set out together; my family on horseback, while Mr. Burchell our new companion, walked along the footpath by the roadside. As the floods were not yet subsided, we were obliged to hire a guide, who trotted on before Mr. Burchell and I bringing up the rear.
We did not feel fatigue on the journey, as we were absorbed in the philosophical discussions. I noted with astonishment that, Burchell opposed my views and stuck to his own with utmost obstinacy.
He now and then also informed me to whom the different sites belonged that lay in our view as we travelled the road. “That", cried he, pointing to a very magnificent house, which stood at some distance, “belongs to Mr. Thornhill, a young gentleman, who enjoys a large fortune, though entirely dependent on the will of his uncle, Sir William Thornhill, a gentleman who content with little himself permits his nephew to enjoy the rest, and chiefly resides in town".
"What!' cried I, is my young landlord the nephew of a one who enjoyed a reputation for being virtuous and whimsical?".
I have heard Sir William Thornhill represented as one of the most generous, yet whimsical man in the kingdom; a man of consummate benevolence".
Upon this Mr. Buchell gave me an account of that gentleman. Early in life Sir William had distinguished himself as a soldier and as a man of letters. The cunning among his friends gathered around him and flattered him profusely.
He took them all to be sincere and developed great affection and sympathy for them. They repeatedly asked him for financial help, and he always complied with their requests. As a result of such indiscriminate charity, he soon lost his large wealth; but even in his poverty he would not bring himself to give a negative reply for requests, when he could not fulfil his promises, the disappointed flatterers abandoned him with expressions of anger and contempt.
He too began to think low of himself as he had always believed his erstwhile flatterers. After having been unhappy for some time, he realised that he must not dispise himself. He also carried out a plan for regaining.
In his own whimsical manner, he travelled through Europe on foot, and now though he has scarcely attained the age of thirty, his circumstances are more affluent than ever. But he continued to be eccentric, while retaining his general virtues.
As Mr. Buchell was nearing the end of the tale, the travelling party was crossing a river which was in flood. I was lost in listening when suddenly the cries of my wife and children drew my attention.
On looking about, I found that my daughter Sophia had fallen down from her horse and was struggling with the torrent. I had no presence of mind to do anything to save her, but Burchell immediately 'swam towards the struggling maiden, grasped her and carried her to the opposite shore.
Had it not been for this courageous person, Sophia would have found a watery grave. By taking the current a little farther up, the rest of the family got safely over, where we had an opportunity of joining our acknowledgements to hers. Her gratitude may be more readily imagined than described; she thanked her deliverer more with looks than words.
My wife also hoped one day to have the pleasure of returning his kindness at her own house. After dinner at an inn, Mr. Burchell took leave of them as he was going to a different part of the country, and we pursued our journey.
I accepted a small cure of fifteen pounds per annum in a distant village. I had determined to supplement my income by managing a little farm.
Having taken this resolution, my next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune, and after all debts collected and paid, out of fourteen thousands we had four hundred remaining.
My chief attention there was now to bring down the pride of my family to their circumstances, for I knew that aspiring beggary was wretchedness itself.
"You cannot be ignorant, my children", cried” I that no prudence of ours could have prevented our late misfortune, but prudence may do much in dis appointing its effects.
We are now poor, my fondlings, and wisdom bids us conform to our humble situation. Let us then, without repining give up those splendours with which numbers are wretched, and seek in humbler circumstances that peace with which all may be happy.
The poor live pleasantly without help; why then, should we not learn to live without theirs? No, my children, let us from this moment give up all pretensions to gentility; we have still enough left for happiness if we are wise and let us draw upon content for the deficiencies of fortune".
As my eldest son, George was a bred scholar, I determined to send him to London to earn his livelihood. The day soon arrived on which we were to disperse for the first time. My son took leave of his mother and the rest.
They mingled their tears with kisses. Then they came to ask a blessing from me. This I gave him from my heart, and which added to five guineas was all the patrimony I had to bestow. "You are going, my boy”, cried I, "to London on foot, in the manner Hooker your great ancestor, travelled there before you.
Take from me the same horse that was given to him by good bishop Jewel, this staff; and take this book too. It will be your comfort on the way these two lines in it are worth a million.
I have been young, and now am old; yet never saw I the righteous man forsaken, or his seed begging their bread. Let this be your consolation as you travel on. Go, my boy; whatever be thy fortune, let me see thee once a year; still keep a good heart, and farewell”.
As he was possessed of integrity and honour, I felt sure that he would act a noble part.
His departure only prepared the way for our own, which arrived a few days afterwards. Leaving a neighbourhood in which we had enjoyed so many years of tranquility was not without tears.
Besides, a journey of seventy miles, to a family that had hitherto never been above ten miles from home, filled us with apprehension; and the cries of the poor, who followed us for some miles, contributed to increase it. We journeyed about fourty miles on the first day.
At the end of the first day's journey, we put up in an obscure inn in a village by the way. As I was generous, I invited the innkeeper for a drink and a supper.
The latter accepted the invitation. In the course of the conversation that followed, the host gave some information about Squire Thornhill who was shortly to be my land lord.
The squire, he said, was pleasure loving and was known especially for his love of women, who found it difficult to resist his advances. The pity was that he proved finally quite faithless to them after lavishing his love on them for some time.
This account of Thornhill was very displeasing to me. But it was received with delight and expectation by my wife and daughters. My daughters, Olivia and Sophia were confident that the squire would fall in love with them at first sight.
While the conversation was going on, the hostess brought the news that one of the gentlemen who had been staying in the inn for some days had spent all his money and was unable to pay his bill.
"Want money", replied the host, "that must be impossible; for it was no later than yesterday he paid three guineas to our beadle to spare an old broken soldier that was to be whipped through the town for dog-stealing".
This moved me and I wanted to meet the gentleman who had been sympathetic and generous. The inn-keeper brought him into the room. He had a good personality and was dressed in clothes that once were laced. He was aged about thirty, and his behaviour was a little strange.
I received him kindly, expressed my admiration for his generosity, and in sympathy for his lack of funds to meet his bill offered him my purse. “I take it with all my heart, sir”, he said. He requested me to tell him who I was.
I satisfied him fully, not only mentioning my name and late misfortunes, but the place to which I was going. He told me that he too had to travel the same way and offered to keep us company. He supped with us, and we found his conversation pleasing and instructive.
The next morning we all set out together; my family on horseback, while Mr. Burchell our new companion, walked along the footpath by the roadside. As the floods were not yet subsided, we were obliged to hire a guide, who trotted on before Mr. Burchell and I bringing up the rear.
We did not feel fatigue on the journey, as we were absorbed in the philosophical discussions. I noted with astonishment that, Burchell opposed my views and stuck to his own with utmost obstinacy.
He now and then also informed me to whom the different sites belonged that lay in our view as we travelled the road. “That", cried he, pointing to a very magnificent house, which stood at some distance, “belongs to Mr. Thornhill, a young gentleman, who enjoys a large fortune, though entirely dependent on the will of his uncle, Sir William Thornhill, a gentleman who content with little himself permits his nephew to enjoy the rest, and chiefly resides in town".
"What!' cried I, is my young landlord the nephew of a one who enjoyed a reputation for being virtuous and whimsical?".
I have heard Sir William Thornhill represented as one of the most generous, yet whimsical man in the kingdom; a man of consummate benevolence".
Upon this Mr. Buchell gave me an account of that gentleman. Early in life Sir William had distinguished himself as a soldier and as a man of letters. The cunning among his friends gathered around him and flattered him profusely.
He took them all to be sincere and developed great affection and sympathy for them. They repeatedly asked him for financial help, and he always complied with their requests. As a result of such indiscriminate charity, he soon lost his large wealth; but even in his poverty he would not bring himself to give a negative reply for requests, when he could not fulfil his promises, the disappointed flatterers abandoned him with expressions of anger and contempt.
He too began to think low of himself as he had always believed his erstwhile flatterers. After having been unhappy for some time, he realised that he must not dispise himself. He also carried out a plan for regaining.
In his own whimsical manner, he travelled through Europe on foot, and now though he has scarcely attained the age of thirty, his circumstances are more affluent than ever. But he continued to be eccentric, while retaining his general virtues.
As Mr. Buchell was nearing the end of the tale, the travelling party was crossing a river which was in flood. I was lost in listening when suddenly the cries of my wife and children drew my attention.
On looking about, I found that my daughter Sophia had fallen down from her horse and was struggling with the torrent. I had no presence of mind to do anything to save her, but Burchell immediately 'swam towards the struggling maiden, grasped her and carried her to the opposite shore.
Had it not been for this courageous person, Sophia would have found a watery grave. By taking the current a little farther up, the rest of the family got safely over, where we had an opportunity of joining our acknowledgements to hers. Her gratitude may be more readily imagined than described; she thanked her deliverer more with looks than words.
My wife also hoped one day to have the pleasure of returning his kindness at her own house. After dinner at an inn, Mr. Burchell took leave of them as he was going to a different part of the country, and we pursued our journey.
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