presented to
TTbc mntrersits of Toronto Xtbrarp
bB
t)ume ftlahe, Esq.
from tbe boohg of
ttbe late "fconourable ]£^war^ JBlafte
Chancellor of tbe 'Univcryttp of Toronto
(1876*1900)
i A- a
CHERRY & VIOLET,
A TALE of the GREAT PLAGUE.
BY
THE AUTHOR OF 'MARY POWELL.'
SECOND SDITTOJf.
As I sat by my f elf, I talked to my f elf,
And thus to my f elf said I.
LONDON :
Printed for ARTHUR HALL, VIRTUE, & Co.
at 2$, Paternofter Row.
PR
CHAP. I.
The Reminifcences of Miflrefs Cherry.
— The Fire, & Double Tide.—
Mai- converfation .
I WONDER whether many People,
on reviewing their paft Lives, feel
as I do on looking back on mine ;
that, had they had the ordering the
outward Circumftances connected
with them beforehand, fuch as
Time, Place, Health, Sicknefs,
Friends, Acquaintances, and fuch-
like Conditions, they could not
have arranged them half fo well as
they have been difpofed for them.
When I fall into a Mufe on the
Paft, the Moments fly fo fwiftly
B that
1632.
Cherry & Violet.
that I am loft in Amazement when
I find how the Time has flipped by
while thus pleafantly employed.
And yet many of the Arrangements
which were made for me by a
greater Wifdom than mine, were
fuch as at the Time were far from
agreeable to me ; nay, were fome-
times fo repugnant to Flefh and
Blood as to nourifh rebellious
Thoughts, and call forth Showers
of Tears. And ftill the Procefs
went on ; as I now fee, all for my
Good.
My Father married my Mother
in the Spring of the Year 1632:
being then in the Prime of Life, a
perfonable, charming-looking Man,
though fmall of Stature, and with
a Nofe fomewhat awry. In his
Conditions he was ever moft lovely;
of a fweet Temper, mrewd Obfer-
vance, ftout Heart, and lively Wit.
Many,
Cherry & Violet.
Many, no Doubt, had read more,
by reafon of their Opportunities;
but what few Books he knew, he
turned to Profit, and perhaps no
Man conco&ed his Reading into
Judgment better than he; by which
he became fo judicious and oracular,
as that though he could not indeed
prophefy, he could prefage ; and
fome of his Prefages came true and
others not, but might have done fo,
had Events taken but in a very
flight Degree a different Courfe.
He knew how to found his Cuf-
tomers, and fuck the Marrow of
their Knowledge, while keeping
his own Counfel : but this was his
Prudence, not Pufillanimity, for I
have heard it remarked by one who
knew him well, that the Trojan
Horfe was not more full of Valour
than he, for fo fmall a Man. Being
a Hair-drefler, this was not fo
evident
Cherry & Violet.
evident in him as if he had been
a Soldier; but yet every Man's Life
affords Occafions, as my Father's
certainly did, of mowing what is in
him and what is not.
In Drefs, his Tafte was exceflive
neat, and yet gaudy ; fo that on
Sundays, when he appeared in what
he called his Marigold-and-Poppy,
with his Hair, which Men then
wore very long, combed down in
large fmooth Curls, his laced Collar
nicely ironed, his Beaver well
brumed, and his Shoes mining like
Coals ... it would have been diffi-
cult to find a Grain of Fault with
him, fave that, as my Coufin Mark
was wont to fay, the Colours of his
Suit did too much swear at one
another. For my own Part, I
always had an Impremon that he
was an excemve well-looking Man,
not out of any Prejudice, but down-
right
Cherry & Violet.
right PrepofTeffion ; and yet my
dear Mother, who I am fure loved
him truly, always faid to me when
I alluded to the Subject, " My Dear,
" the Qualities of his Perfon were
" always far exceeded by thofe of
" his Mind."
Of my Couiin Mark, who was
my Father's Apprentice, there could
not be two Opinions. He was
winfome, lightfome, debonair ; of
moft comely Person and Afpect :
we were all very proud of him, and
he of himfelf. If he had a Fault,
it was thinking too much of himfelf
and too little of others ; but this is
fo common that I do not know I
am juftified in particularizing it.
Alfo he was fomewhat of a Coward,
not in refpect of perfonal, animal
Courage, of which I fuppofe he
had as much as the aforefaid Trojan
Horfe, whatever that might be ;
but
Cherry & Violet.
but morally cowardly, as to what
would be thought of him by others,
and dreading the Evil of the prefent
Moment, and fo forth ; which Men
don't think fo bad a kind of Cow-
ardice as the other, but I do.
But his Temper was moil fweet :
his Manners moft engaging. Oh !
how much he came to be thought
of, at length, all along the Bridge !
I have no other Fault to find in
him befides thofe already reckoned ;
unlefs it were a general Want of
Principle, which was lefs apparent
than it would have been, had it not
been covered rather than fupplied by
good Feeling. But 'tis ill reckoning
the Faults of one's Friends.
Of my Mother, how mall I say
enough ? She was tall, flender, and
comely to look upon, with fweet
and quick grey Eyes. She was
naturally of a high Spirit, which
had
Cherry & Violet.
had been brought under a Curb by
Divine Grace. She was kind and
obliging to all, ftirring and thrifty,
yet not niggardly ; foft-hearted to
the Poor, of wonderful Propriety
without the leaft Priggifhness, loved
by her Friends, and efpecially in
her own Family. Now I have
counted up the whole Houfe except
our Lodger, Mailer Blower, and
Dolly 9 the Cook.
My Father's Shop was on the
eaft Side of London Bridge. Over
his Door hung his Sign of " The
" Lock of Hair;" and over the Shop-
front was painted in yellow Letters
the following Infcription, —
" PETER CURLING sells all Sorts of Hair,
" Curled or Uncurled, Roses, Braids, Cauls,
" Ribbons, Weaving, Sewing-silk, Cards,
" and Blocks. Together with Combs, Crisp-
" ing-pins, Perfumery, and all other Goods
" made use of by Tonsors and Hairdressers,
" at the Lowest Prices"
On
Cherry & Violet.
On the oppofite Side of the Way,
was a Vintner's, by the Name of
Abel, who had humouroufly fet up
a Bell for his Sign, and painted
beneath it, " Quoth the Wag, I am
" Abel."
Next Door to us on one Side,
lived a Bookfeller and Stationer
named Ben/kin, whose Sign was
the Bible and Star ; and next Door
to us on the other Side was a Glover
named Hugh Braidfoot, a jolly, good-
tempered Bachelor, black-haired,
frefh-coloured, and fix Feet high,
whofe Sign was the Roebuck.
1633. A few Weeks after my Birth,
which was in February, 1633, in
the Midft of a notable hard Froft,
there broke out a moft dreadful
Fire at the north End of the Bridge,
which confumed all the Houfes on
both Sides, from St. Magnus' Church
to the firft open Space on the
Bridge.
Cherry Gf Violet.
Bridge. There was, I have heard
tell, much bodily Hurt as well as
Deftruction of Property ; many
Perfons in precipitating themfelves
from upper Stories, getting their
Limbs broken. " Water ! Water ! "
was the Cry, and all in vain, for
though the Thames lay right under
the Houfes, 'twas one great Cake of
Ice, and the only Refource was to
break the Conduit Pipes that ran
through the Streets leading to the
Bridge, and fweep the Water down
with Brooms, to fupply the three
Engines that every one had thought
would be fuch Helps in Time of
Need, but which proved very forry
Helps indeed. In the Midft of the
Tumult and Danger, fome Neigh-
bours of ours that were burned out
of Houfe and Home, took Refuge
with us ; to wit, the Wife and
infant Daughter of Mailer Samuel
Armytage,
10
Cherry & Violet.
Armytage, Haberdamer of fmall
Wares ; the Infant being, like my-
felf, a Nursling of only a few Weeks
old. Thefe homelefs Strangers did
my Mother hofpitably and Chriftianly
entertain, beftirring herfelf more in
her Care for them than in her
tender Cafe it was fit me mould
have done, and putting us two
Infants into one and the fame Cradle.
With our little Arms locked about
one another, in an Atmofphere of
Chriflian Love, 'twas no Wonder
that little Violet and I conceived a
Tendernefs for each other, e'en
while Sucklings, that grew with
our Growth, and ftrengthened with
our Strength. As for the elder
Parties, Hofpitality on the one Side
and Thankfulnefs on the other
caufed a more than common Friend-
linefs to fpring up between them
from that Time forth. And when
the
Cherry & Violet.
the Fugitives were re-eftablifhed in
their re-built Houfes, they long had
an impreffive and folemnifying Re-
membrance of their narrow Efcape
from an awful and terrible Death.
Now, though I cannot, of courfe,
remember Anything of the Fire,
I have a perfect Recollection of the
next notable Occurrence among us,
of the Double Tide, which happened
in my eighth Year ; and how the
River, after lying as ftill as a Stone
for more than an Hour, fuddenly
came foaming up from Greenwich,
roaring, boiling, and fplafhing to
that Degree that it was Horror to
look upon. And my Father, after
contemplating the Prodigy along
with all the reft, exclaimed, " Well,
" Friends ! you may fay what you
"will; but I, though not a fuper-
"ftitious Man, think Something
" will come of it." And did not
Something
12
1640.
Cherry & Violet.
Something come of it . . or, at any
Rate, after it ? and were not we,
that had previoufly been fleeping
on the ftill Waters of a fettled
Government, horribly overwhelmed
with a Tide of Rebellion, Anarchy,
and Republicanifm ?
The Year before the Double Tide,
there had been much Talk in my
Father's Shop, about the Earl of
Strajford being given over to the
Black Rod, which I, being of fuch
tender Years, could not well make
out, but it feemed to carry an ill
Sound with it. After that, he was
taken to his Trial ; and paiTed from
his Prifon in the Tower to Weft-
minjler, under our Bridge. We
looked forth of our Windows, and
difcerned him plainly in one of the
Barges, guarded by Soldiers with
Partizans; and there was much
Yelling and Hooting as he went
through
Cherry & Violet. 1 3
through the Arch, which I for my
Part was forry for, he was fo hand-
fome and perfonable a Gentleman.
The People, however, were much
incenfed againft him ; and, about
three Months after the Double Tide,
there was what 1 may call a Double
Tide of 'Prentices and tumultuous
Citizens, to the Number of about
fix Thoufand, (my Coufin, Mark
Blenkinsop, being among them,) who
aflembled themfelves in an intimi-
dating Manner at Wejlminjler, many
of them armed with Swords and
Staves, anddemandedLord Strafford's
Death of the Peers as they went to
the Houfe.
I remember my Father, for as
fmall a Man as he was, collaring
Mark when he came back, and
dealing him one or two Blows,
which made me begin to cry, and
run in between them. And Mark,
though
1641.
Cherry & Violet.
though a great, tall Lad of his
Years, began to whimper too, which
reminds me again of the Trojan
Horfe, and the Valour that may
dwell in a little Body, and the
Pufillanimity that may be in a large
one. And, " fure, Uncle," fays
Marky " the Earl deferves to die,
" for his " . . Malconverfation, or
Malminiftration, I forget which.
And my Father replied, " Never
" trouble your Head with that.
" Leave the Powers that be to fettle
" their own Affairs. Fine Times,
" indeed, when Barbers' 'Prentices
" mufl be meddling in State-politics!
" To his own Mafter, the Earl
" flandeth or falleth."
Had i^I Men been of my Father's
equable and temperate Mind, we
mould not have fallen into the
Diforders we prefently did; wherein,
no Doubt, there was much Wrong
on
Cherry & Violet.
on both Sides. One Night we
were roufed from Sleep by Cries
in the Street that " the King and
his Papifls were coming to fire
the City and cut our Throats in
" our Beds ; " but my Father, after
putting his Head forth to learn
the Nature of the Tumult, drew it
in again and clofed the Window,
allaying our fomewhat ungoverned
Fears with that Compofure which
it behoves every Mailer of a Family
to afTume when he can, in Seafons
of Danger or the Appreheniion
of it.
Soon there was open War be-
tween King and Parliament, which
went on increafing till the whole
Country was filled with Bloodmed
and Confufion, and only ended in
a total Change of Government.
We were now in a State of
Fortification ; for the Lords and
Commons
i6
Cherry & Violet.
Commons had directed that the
whole City mould be put in a
State of Defence, and that the
Lord Mayor and Citizens fhould
trench, flop, and fortify all High-
ways leading thereunto. Where-
fore, all Entrances into London
except five, were ftoned and
bricked up altogether ; and thofe
five were made as ftrong as
could be, with Breaft-works and
Turnpikes, Mufket-proof. And
all Sheds and Out-buildings out-
fide London Wall, that were near
enough to be advantageous to an
Enemy, were taken down ; and
this gave a great deal of Work
to do that behoved to be done
quickly: wherefore even Women
and Children helped the Men in
carrying Earth, Stones, &c., for,
by this Time, there was in the
City a pretty general Difarrection
towards
Cherry & Violet.
towards the King ; and thofe that
wiihed him well and could not
get to him, found it beft to hold
their Peace.
CHAP.
i8
Cherry 6? Violet.
CHAP. II.
Cherry endeavours to remember if Jhe
were pretty. — A Water-party.
AND now my Memory flies
on to the Time when, I fuppofe,
I was as happy a Girl as any on
the Bridge. I know not whether
I were pretty or not, — I rather
fuppofe I was, but my Father
praifed me too much, and my dear
Mother never prailed me at all, fo
that I have no Clue to what was
really thought of me. There's an
old Saying, " Even a little Beetle
" is a Beauty in the Eyes of its
" Mother," — I am bold to think
that
Cherry & Violet.
that if I had been a little Black-
beetle, I mould ftill have been a
Beauty in the Eyes of my Father.
My Mother ufed to tell him " all
" his Geefe were Swans," which
was as much as to fay that hers
were not : be that as it may, if me
praifed me lefs, I always felt me
loved me as much as he did ; and
I loved her to the full as much as
I loved him.
I remember coming down Stairs
one Sunday Morning, drefled for
Church, — (we had no Liturgy, nor
Church of England Clergymen then,
fuch was the Will of Parliament^] —
drefled in a primrofe Petticoat and
grafs-green Mantua neatly bundled
up behind ; black Mits without a
Creafe in them for Tightnefs, white
Pinners ftarched and crimped, and
a fmall fteeple-crowned Hat, —
when Mark, meeting me at the
Stair-foot,
20
Cherry & Violet.
Stair-foot, ftepped out of my Way
with a Hiding Bow, faid, " Blefs me,
how pretty we are ! " and looked
attentively after me. I felt afhamed
and yet elated ; and thought fome-
what more of myfelf and of him
after that ; yet I am not quite fure,
now, that his Speech was not
ironical, after all.
Of my Friend and Schoolfellow,
Violet Armytage, there could not be
two Opinions. She was exceffively
pretty, and knew it too well : which
was partly the Fault of her Father,
who was always calling her his
" fweet Wi-let;" and yet, even if he
had not, I think me would have
found it out, for all that. My
Father called me his roiy Cherry,
but I knew it for his Manner of
Speaking. But Violet always be-
lieved Everything that was faid in
her Praife. She was fond of me
by
Cherry G? Violet.
by Fits and Starts; and when the
affectionate Fit was on, me would
bring her Work and lit with me
in the Arbour at the Top of our
Houfe, by the Hour together.
Sometimes my Father and Mother
would join us there, in the long
Summer Evenings, and we would
fup in the open Air ; no one object-
ing to it but Dolly t who had to
carry the Things up so many Pair
of Stairs.
At other Times, when my Father
and Mother were otherwife en-
gaged, Mark would come up to us ;
and lit upon the Roller or Watering-
pot, and fay ever fo many funny
Things to us both ; which we
thought very pleafant. Sometimes
Violet would let her Ball of Thread
roll through the Rails and drop
down into the Street, and fend him
to fetch it ; and when he had
brought
21
22
Cherry & Violet.
brought it me would do the fame
Thing again ; which he faid wa
too bad, but I don't think he
minded it. I never played him
fuch Tricks myfelf ; for, what was
fingular, though we lived in the
fame Houfe together, I was fhyer
of him than fhe was.
Our firft floor was let to a very
learned and excellent Man, though
a very fingular one, the Reverend
Nathanael Blower, who had been
Curate of St. Magnus till the Form
of Religion changed. Then he was
hard put to it, where to lay his
Head without fleeing the Country
or getting into Trouble; for the
Independents were mighty intole-
rant ; and he whom we ufed to
think it a great Honour to get a
pafling Word and a Smile from,
was now thankful to take up his
Reft among us. Holy Writ tells
us
Cherry & Violet.
us that fome have entertained
Angels unawares : if we entertained
an Angel, it was not unawares,
though he was a very eccentric and
untidy one. He faid he would
have called my Mother the good
Shunammite if it had not been a
Shame to provoke Comparifon be-
tween himfelf and the Prophet
Elijah. Indeed his was fomewhat
like the " Chamber on the Wall,"
for the Back-room in which he
flept was a Lean-to that ftuck
againft the main Wall like a
Swallow's Neft, and hung periloufly
over the foaming River, trembling
at every half-ebb Tide ; but Ufe
inures us to Everything, and he
faid he flept as well in his Neft
as a Sailor in his Hammock. As
to his Sitting-chamber, it was foon
a perfect Pig-fty (if Pigs ever had
Books) of Papers, Parchments,
Books,
Cherry & Violet.
Books, Pamphlets, old Shoes, Hats
and Coats, Medicines, Cordials,
Snuff-boxes, Pipes, Walking-flicks,
and Everything that is untidy.
After a Time he began to think
whether he might not, by a
confcientious Conformity, be a
Working-bee rather than a Drone
in the Hive; and, having fome
Acquaintance with Mafler John
Howe, the Whitehall Preacher, who
was known to be forward in aflifling
the Royalifts and Epifcopalians in
Diflrefs, if they were but Men of
Merit, he went and took his Advice
on the Subject before he prefented
himfelf before the Triers, that is to
fay, thofe who tried the ejected
Miniflers whether they might .be
allowed to officiate again in Public
or not. Along with him went
Doctor Fuller, fo well known by
his wife and witty Books ; who was
generally
Cherry & Violet.
generally upon the merry Pin, for
as pious a Man as he was. He,
pre fenting himself before Mailer
Howe, faid,
" Sir, you may obferve I am a
" pretty corpulent Man, and I am
" to go through a PaiTage that is
" very ilrait. I beg you would be
" fo kind as to give me a Shove,
"and help me through!"
Mailer Howe fmiled, and frankly
debated the Subject with him and
Mailer Blower ; and the End of it
was, that when the Triers put it to
Mailer Fuller whether he had ever
had any experience of a Work of
Grace upon his Heart, he made
Anfwer, that he could appeal to the
Searcher of Hearts, that he made
Confcience of his very Thoughts ;
and Mailer Blower faid in other
Words what amounted to the fame
Thing ; howbeit, like Pharaoh's
Butler
25
26
Cherry & Violet.
Butler and Baker, one was accepted
— the other not.
And the Reafon was, that they
got upon the Queftion of particular
Faith, which was very prevalent in
Oliver Cromwell's Court, and put it
to him whether he did not believe
that all who afked for Anything in
Faith would have it granted them,
as well as have an Aflurance on the
Spot that it would be fo. Which
he faid, in that large, unqualified
Senfe, he did not, for that he
believed many timid Believers had
the Faith of Adherence who had
not the Faith of Aflurance ; and
that if Prayer were made for fome
unreafonable Thing, however fer-
vently, he did not think it would
be granted. That would not ftand
Mafter Blower ; fo he had to come
back to his Swallow's Neft.
" But is it not an extraordinary
" Thing,
Cherry & Violet.
" Thing, now," faith he to my
Mother, " that they mould, except
" for the Sake of catching a Man
" in his Talk, fo hardly infift on
" the literal Acceptance of a Dogma
" which they themfelves muft know
" they overftrain ? For would one
" of them dare to pray that his
" Father or Mother might come to
" Life again in this prefent World,
" however much he might long to
" fee them in the Body ? Or that
" all Jews, Infidels, and Heretics,
" might be converted this very
" Moment, however defirable a
" Thing it might be ? We do the
" Word of GOD Difhonour and
" make it of none Effect when we
" interpret by the Letter inftead of
" the Spirit."
In this Fafhion would the ex-
cellent Mafter Blower vouchfafe to
converfe with my Mother in my
Hearing,
27
28
Cherry & Violet.
Hearing, much to her Edification
and mine. Meantime Violet Army-
tage was much more given to
Flirting than Preaching; and had
more Admirers than any Girl on
the Bridge; but the Man whom
me and her Mother were chiefly
defirous me mould captivate was
no Admirer of hers at all. This
was Hugh Braidfoot, the Glover,
who lived next Door to us ; and
who talked the Matter over with
my Father very freely when they
had the Shop to themfelves ; I
fewing in the Parlour behind.
" I can fee quite plainly through
" the old Lady," quoth he, as he
fate on his favourite Seat, the
Counter, with his Feet eafily
reaching the Floor, " I can fee
"what fhe's driving at, and don't
refpeft her for it a bit. Why
' mould me always be buying
" Gloves
Cherry & Violet.
" Gloves three or four Sizes too
" fmall for her broad red Hand,
" and then be fending Violet over
" to change them again and again
" till they fit? I've a dozen Pair
" wafted that me has flretched.
" And where is the other Daughter,
" and why is fhe always in the
"Background?"
" Kitty is fickly and a little lame,"
fays my Father, " and has her
" Health better in the Country."
" I don't believe fhe's either
" fickly or lame," fays Hugh Braid-
foot, " only the Mother wants to
" get this Daughter off first — and
" flands in her own Light by her
" Manoeuvres, I can tell her.
" Defend me from a managing
"Mother!"
About this Time, my Father's
Trade had a fhort but furprifing
Impetus, which, as he faid to my
Mother,
29
3°
Cherry & Violet.
Mother, " was but the Flaring up
" of a Candle in the Socket, juft
" before it goes out." Cropped
Heads and long Curls being now
the Signs of different Parties, and
the Round-heads having the upper-
moft, numerous Perfons that had
hitherto been vain enough of their
long and graceful TrefTes, which
brought no fmall Gain to the Hair-
dreffers, were now anxious to be
fhorn as clofe as French Poodles, for
Fear of getting into Scrapes with
the reigning Power. And as, like
the Sheep after Shearing, they left
their Fleeces behind them, which
were in many Cafes exceeding
valuable, my Father and Mark were
bufied from Morning to Night,
in warning, baking, and weaving
beautiful Sets of Hair, which were
carefully referved for future Occa-
fion.
"For
Cherry c? Violet.
" For you will fee," quoth my
Father, " there will fooner or later
" be a Re-adtion ; / may not live
" to fee it, but you Youngfters will;
" People will be tired of Puri-
" tanifm and Rebellion fome of
" thefe Days, and then the old
" State of Things will come back ;
" and the Croppies will be as
" afhamed of their Stubble Heads
" as the Cavaliers are of their Love-
" locks now ; and, as Hair won't
" grow as faft as green Peas, they
" will then be conftrained to wear
" Wigs, and then will come a rare
" Time for the Barbers !" Every
Word of which, like fo many other
of his Prophefyings and Prefages,
in due Seafon proved ftrictly true !
Meantime, though this Fury for
cropping filled the Till as long as
there was any long Hair to cut
off, yet, this being prefently done,
a great
31
Cherry & Violet.
great Stagnation of Bufmefs
enfued ; for, whereas the curled
Locks had required conftant curl-
ing, brufhing, and trimming, the
round Heads were eafily kept mort,
and brought only Pence where the
others had brought Shillings. My
Father kept his Hair long to the
laft ; and, to exprefs his Opinion of
the Times, fo as e'en they who ran
might read, he fet up two waxen
Effigies in his Window, not merely
Heads, but half Lengths; the one
reprefenting an exceeding comely
and handfome young Man, (very
much like my Coufin Mark,} with
long, fair TrefTes moft beautifully
crimped, falling over his Vandyke
Collar and black Velvet Coat : the
other, with as red a Nofe as old
Nolly clofe cropped, fo as to mow
his large Ears flicking out on each
Side. And to make the Satire
more
Cherry & Violet.
more pungent, the Roundhead made
as though pointing to the Cavalier,
with a fmall Label fuperfcribed,
"See what I was!" — and the
Cavalier, with a Look of filent
Difguft, was figning at the Round-
head and faying, " See what I mail
" be ! "
This Comicality, which had coft
my Father and Mark fundry Hours
of evening Labour, — ( I had made
the DrerTes,) drew Crowds of People
to the Window, fo as even to
obftrucl: the Palfage along the
Bridge ; and excited Peals of
ironical Laughter ; till, at length,
Mirth proceeding to Mifchief,
Blows began to enfue among thofe
who favoured oppolite Sides. Then
the Bridgewardens came with Con-
fables and Weapons to quell the
Difturbance, and an idle Fellow
was fet in the Cage, and another
D with
33
34
Cherry & Violet.
with long Hair put in the Stocks ;
and one or two of our Panes of
Glafs were broken ; fo that what
began in Sport ended much too
ferioufly ; and my Father, rinding
he muft yield to the Times, changed
the Cavalier's Placard into " See
what you had better be," and
finally removed it altogether, faying
he was naufeated with time-ferving.
But he perfifted in wearing his own
long Hair, come what would ;
which drew from the Reverend
Matter Blower that Similitude about
the Trojan Horfe, who, I fuppofe,
perfifted in wearing his Mane and
long Tail after they had become
Types of a Party. And when my
Father was called in queftion for
it by one of the Bridgewardens,
and afked why he perfevered in
troubling Ifrael, he with his ufual
Spirit retorted upon him with,
"How
Cherry & Violet.
" How can a Tonfor be expected
" to hold with a Party that puts
" Pence into his Till inftead of Shil-
" lings?" Whereupon the Bridge-
warden called him a felf-interefted
Demas, and faid no more to him.
Hugh Eraidfoot upheld him
through thick and thin, laughing
all the while ; though he kept his
own bufhy Head as mort as a
Blacking-brum. Indeed, this Man,
though the EfTence of Mirth and
Good-humour, ftrongly built, and
fix Foot high, had not a Quarter of
my Father's Valour.
As for Mafter Blower, he made
a wry Face on it, faying that Mag-
nameh Mikfheh (which I after-
wards heard was Hebrew for well-
fet Hair) was now of no Account.
— One Evening, — I have good
Reafon to remember it, — the Days
being fultry and at their longer!, —
we
Cherry & Violet.
we made a Pleafure-party to Green-
wich, and took Water below the
Bridge. Coming back juft as the
Moon was rifing, a Boat-full of
uproarious and half - intoxicated
young Men fell foul of us and
upfet us. I mail never forget my
Senfations as I went into the Water!
— The next Minute, I was half 'out
of it again, and found Mark's, Arm
clofe round me, while with the
other he ftruck out, and prefently
brought me Afhore. My dear
Father alfo refcued my Mother;
and Hugh Braidfoofs long Legs
helped him more in wading out
like a Heron, I think, than his
Arms in fwimming, for he, too,
prefently came aland, covered with
Mud. My Mother and I cried,
and felt very grateful to Mark, who
ftood panting and colouring, and
looking very much pleafed with
himfelf ;
Cherry & Violet.
himfelf ; and prefently we were all
in another Boat on our Way to the
Bridge Stairs, drenched, quiet, and
thankful for our providential Efcape.
. . I, efpecially, feeling, oh ! how
happy ! — Yet, in after Days, there
was a Time when I was ready to
wim Mark had left me in the
River — .
CHAP.
37
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. III.
Refult of the Water-Party.
— THE only Perfon in the Boat,
who was left for the Boatman to
fave, was Miftrefs GIoffopy the Widow
of a Cheapjide Hairdrefler in a much
larger Way of Bufinefs than my
Father, with whom we were on
very intimate Terms. She was a
Woman of about forty-five, tall,
bulky, and with a very heated
Face, which was the Refult of
Intemperance, not in drinking, but
eating, as I have often heard her
acknowledge. She was fond of
Everything nice, and had a Habit
of
Cherry & Violet.
of faying, " Oh, I can't refift this !"
" I never can refift that ! " which
ufed to difgust me with her; and
make me ready to fay, " More mame
for you if you cannot." She and
her Hufband had always been well
to do ; and now me was Miftrefs
of a large Bufinefs, with Court-
patronage, fuch as it was, and a
Foreman and three 'Prentices under
her ; befides keeping a profefTed
Cook, Houfemaid, and Scullion.
And whereas me and Matter Gloffbp
had always been Companions and
Goffips of my Father and Mother,
whofe Ages were fuitable to them,
yet, now me had catt off her Weeds,
me went mighty fine ; and Mark,
who thought her fufficiently un-
agreeable, though he often went on
Errands to her, faid he was fure me
was catting aK^ut for a fecond. To
a Worn0., of her Habit, the Ducking
me
Cherry & Violet.
me got was unlikely to be of much
Good; and as for her flame-coloured
Mantua, and pea-green Mantle, they
were ruined outright : however, me
was very merry about it, and as we
were all engaged to fup with her,
would hear of no excufe. Howbeit,
my Mother was too wet for doing
Anything but going Home and to
Bed : my Father would not leave
her ; Hugh Eraidfoot faid he would
join us, but did not ; and the End
was that Mark and I, when we had
drefled ourfelves afrefh and kept
j our Engagement, found Nobody to
; meet us but fome Cheapjide Shop-
; keepers who had not been on the
I Water. And though they made
very merry, and though there were
Lobfters, and Pound-cake, and
Ducks, and gre^n Peas, and fried
Plum-pudding, and Gcofeberry Pie,
and other Delicacies too numerous
to
Cherry & Violet.
to mention, I had no Mind to eat,
but fat mivering, and fcorching, and
thinking of the Water doling over
me ; and at length, before any one
elfe was ready to leave, begged
Miftrefs Glqffbp to let me wifh her
Good-night.
Marky though he was in high
Spirits, came away with me, and
very kindly faid he feared I was
the worfe for the Accident. And
though he had been very talkative
at the Supper-table, yet as foon as
we got into the open Air we
became as quiet as two Judges, and
walked Home fcarcely fpeaking a
Word, till we came to that laft one,
" Good-night."
I had taken Cold, which, with
a good deal of Fever attending
it, made me very poorly for fome
Days ; and my dear Mother, who
did not fliew it fo much at firfl,
had
Cherry & Violet.
had in fact taken her Death-chill,
though we knew it not till long
afterwards. Meantime, fhe kept
about ; I feeming at firft the worft
of the two, and fitting by the Fire
in a Cloke, very chilly, though
'twas clofe upon the Dog-days.
Violet Armytage came over the Way
to fee me ; and faith me, " Dear
" Cherry y how well Mark behaved !
" I mall think the better of him for
" it as long as I live!"
I felt I mould do fo too, but had
no Mind to fpeak much about it;
and, my Cold being heavy, and
making me indifpofed to talk, me
foon went away. Almoft daily,
however, fhe came acrofs ; and,
when me did not, Mark went at
her Defire to tell her how I was.
And fo I got well; and jufl as
I was fit for going out again, my
dear Mother's Illnefs became fo
apparent
Cherry Gf Violet.
apparent that I kept wholly to the
Houfe. At firfl we thought it
troublefome rather than dangerous,
and were not frightened ; and,
though I fat by her Bed almoft all
Day long, fhe would fometimes
fend me down to work below and
keep an Eye to the Houfe. Her
Illnefs fubdued me a good deal ;
and Mark was become unwontedly
gentle and filent ; fo that, though
we fcarce faw each other fave at
Meals, we faid little; and yet I never
felt him to be better Company.
Violet fent me Word that unufual
Prefs of Bufinefs in the Shop kept
her from coming over, but begged
I would never let a Day pafs
without fending her Word how my
Mother was; which I did, though
thinking, now and then, fhe might
have juft run over, if but for a
Minute.
One
43
44
Cherry & Violet.
One fultry Evening, my Mother
being ready to compofe herfelf to
Sleep, bade me fit below till me
rang for me, as me was fure the
Room muft be warm and clofe. It
was fo, in fad:, and I was feeling
a little faint, therefore was glad to
fit at the open Cafement of our
Parlour behind the Shop. The
Bufinefs of the Day was done ; my
Father was goffiping with Hugh
Eraidfoot next Door ; there was a
pleafing Confufion of diftant Sounds
from the City and along the Water ;
Boatmen calling " Yo, heave ho,"
and finging Snatches of Boat-
fongs; the Water trembling and
murmuring among the Arches, and
the Evening Air feeling foft and
reviving.
While I was thus fitting, all
alone fave for Dolly in the Kitchen,
and Mafter Blower on the firft
Story,
Cherry & Violet.
Story, Mark comes in and gives me
a Pofy, faying, " Violet fends you
" thefe Flowers:" and then re-
mained, with his Hand refting on
the Back of my Chair.
I know not how long we thus
remained, quite filent, and I con-
fcious of great Pleafure in his
Prefence ; till at lafl, for want of
Anything more important to fay, I
obferved/'Howpleafantthe Evening
" Air is coming over the Water!"
"Very," faid he, without feeming
to be thinking much about it : and
again we were both quiet.
" Coulin," faid he at length, in
a very gentle Voice, — which was
not his ufual Way of addreffing
me, for in common, he called me
Cherry. —
— "Dear Coufin, I have fome-
" thing to fay to you" — and
flopped.
" What
45
Cherry & Violet.
"What is it, Mark?" faid I,
foftly.
" We have lived long together,"
began he again, faintly laughing,
" and I never felt afraid of fpeaking
" to you, before — How odd it is
" that I fhould feel fo, now !"
" What have you to be afraid
"about?" faid I, looking up at
him : on which he coloured and
looked away ; and I did the fame,
without knowing why.
" You have always been my
" Friend," refumed he, taking
Courage, " you will not be angry
" with me?"
"Why fhould I?" faid I. "Is
" there Anything to be angry
"about?"
" Perhaps you may think fo,"
faid he, " when you come to know
" all. Dear Cherry, I'm in Love !"
And laughed, and then was filent.
I never
Cherry & Violet.
I never felt fo perplexed what to
fay next. " I don't fee that is any
" Matter of mine," faid I at length.
" Don't you, though ? But that
" depends upon whom I'm in Love
" with !" faid he, fmiling. " If it
" were with Anybody a hundred
" Miles oiF, that you had never feen
" or heard of, you might fay it was
" no Matter of yours ; but, Cherry,
" fhe's not one Mile off! She's the
" prettieft Girl on the Bridge !"
" Then/' faid I, turning fcarlet
as I fpoke, " it muft certainly be
" Violet Armytage!"
"It is!" cried he rapturoufly,
" What a GuefTer you are ! — Dear
"Cherry /"
Oh ! what a Bound my Heart
gave ; and then feemed to flop !
For, — I'm only fpeaking to myfelf;
to myfelf I may own the Truth — I
had not thought he meant Violet !
" Ah,"
Cherry & Violet.
" Ah," faid he, after a long
Silence, which I was as unable as
he was difinclined to break, "I dare
" fay you've feen it all along — I
" may have told you no News — you
" are fuch a good Secret-keeper,
" Cherry!"
I could not yet fay a Word — He
had taken my Hand and wrung it ;
and I gently prefled his in Sign of
Sympathy ; it was all I could do,
but it was quite enough.
"How kind you are!" faid he.
" What do you think my Uncle
"will fay?"
" What do you think her Father
"will fay?" faid I faintly.
" We are not going to tell him
"juft yet," returned he, "nor yet
" her Mother."
" That founds bad, Mark—"
" Nay, Cherry , you know how
" crazy the old Lady is to have
" Eraidfoot
Cherry & Violet.
" Braidfoot for her Son-in-law ;
" fhe'll find in Time he won't
" come forward, and Violet will
" take care he mall not, for
" me will give him no Encourage-
" ment ; but, till her Mother finds
" it won't do, there's no Ufe in
" my fpeaking, for you know
" I have nothing to marry upon,
" yet."
" When fhall you have ?" faid I.
" When?" repeated he, looking a
little annoyed, " why, fome of thefe
" Days, as the Saying is. You
" know I am thorough Mailer of
" my Bufinefs now, have ferved my
" Time, receive good Wages, and am
" very ufeful to your Father. Who
" knows but that, as Time goes on,
" he'll take me for a Partner, and
" finally retire from Bufinefs ? "
" Ah, Mark, fo little comes in now,
" that he will have nothing to retire
E " upon.
49
5°
Cherry G? Violet.
" upon. We can but juft go on as
" we do."
"Well," faid he laughing, with
a little Embarraflment, " perhaps
" Miftrefs Gloffbp will take me into
" Partnerfhip. I'm a Favourite in
" that Quarter."
" Miftrefs Gloffbp! Oh, Mark!"
" Nay, Cherry, don't you fee, if
" old Mafter Armytage takes a
" Fancy to me, he may make it
" worth her while to do fo, for the
" Sake of his < fweet Wi-le? ?"
" Ah, Mark, Mafter Armytage is
" himfelf in a very fmall Way of
" Bufinefs — nothing at all to com-
" pare with Miftrefs Gloffbp' s. We
" love and efteem them for old
" Acquaintance fake, but me looks
" quite down upon them. There
" are fo many fmall Haberdafhers
"on the Bridge!"
" Well, the fmaller he is, the lefs
" Reafon
Cherry & Violet.
" Reafon he will have to look down
" upon me. I fuppofe you don't
" mean to fay, Cherry, that no
" young Man thinks of Marriage
" unlefs he is better off than I
" am ? "
" So far from it, Mark, that I
" cannot fee what Right the Army-
" tages have to expecl: a better
" Match for their Daughter ; and
" therefore I think it a Pity there
" mould be any Concealment."
" Marry come up !" cries he, " I
" would rather draw a Double- tooth
"for a fiery Dragon than tell
" Mafter Army t age I was Suitor for
"his fweet Wi-let ! "
" Why, you will have to tell him
" fooner or later," faid I.
" Not . . not if we wait till he
" dies," faid Mark.
"Dies! oh, Mark!"—
" It's ill, reckoning on dead
" Men's
51
5 2 Cherry & Violet.
" Men's Shoes, I own," faid he,
looking rather afhamed.
" It's unfeeling and indelicate in
the highefl Degree," faid I. "Why
" fhould not Violet te\\ her Father?"
" Ah, Cherry , fhe will not ; and
" what's more, fhe has made me
" folemnly promife that / will not,
" at prefent ; fo you fee there's no
" more to be faid. We muft juft
" go on, hoping and waiting, as
" many young Couples have done
" before us ; knowing that we love
" one another — and is not that, for
" a While at leaft, enough ? "
I faintly faid, " Yes."
" You don't fpeak fo heartily,
though, as I thought you would,"
faid he. "Don't you fympathize
" with us, Cherry Ty
I looked up at him with a Smile,
though my Lip quivered, and faid
fervently, " Oh, yes ! "
" That's
Cherry Gf Violet.
" That's right ! " faid he gladly.
" Now I fhall feel that whether
" Things go rough or fmooth with
" me, you take cordial Part in them.
" GOD blefs you, Cherry ! And if
" ever I'm in any little Difficulty
" with Violet y I mall come to you
" for Advice and Help, rely upon
" it ! — Hark, there is your Mother's
" Bell." /
I ran off, glad to leave him ; and
found my Mother coughing, and in
want of fome Water. When fhe
had recovered herfelf, and compofed
herfelf again to Sleep, I fat by her
Cafement, looking out on the fame
Scene I had been gazing on an
Hour before ; but oh ! with what
different Feelings !
The Trouble of my Soul taught
me how much I had cared for him,
what Expectations I had nourifhed
of him, what Disappointment I felt
in
53
54
Cherry & Violet.
in him. All was changed, all was
fhivered: never to be built up again !
And yet no one knew what Hopes
were wrecked within me. — The
World was going on juft the fame!
I thought how kind my Father
and Mother had been to him, and
how likely it was they had hoped
he would marry me, and how
certainly, in that cafe, my Father
would have shared his Bufinefs with
him.
I thought how dull and forlorn a
Place the World would now feem
to me, but refolved they mould
never know it. I would go on, in
all Refpeds, juft the fame.
Large Tears were flowing un-
reftrained down my Cheeks, when
Matter Blower's Bell, having been
once rung already, was now pulled
again with fome Impatience ; and
as Dolly had ftepped out, I anfwered
it
Cherry & Violet.
it my f elf, and found he wanted his
Supper, which he took at no par-
ticular Time, but juft whenever he
was inclined to lay afide his Reading
or Writing. I might have fpread
the Table for him nineteen Times
out of twenty, without his ever
looking at me ; however, on this
Occafion he happened to have
nothing better to do, and obferved
I was in Trouble.
" Child,'' faid he, " is thy Mother
worfe?"
" No, Sir, I humbly thank you."
" Then," fays he, " Something \
" else has happened to grieve thee,
" for thine Eyes are red with
" weeping. What is it ? "
But I could not tell him.
" Well," faid he, after a Paufe,
" young Girls may have their Griefs
" that they don't care to tell about.
" — Man is born to Trouble, as the
" Sparks
Cherry & Violet.
" Sparks fly upward. And fome-
" times thofe Griefs we mow leaft,
" we feel moft. But remember,
" my good Girl, (for a good Girl,
" Cherry y thou art!) that there is
" One to whom we may always
" carry our Burthens ; One who
" can eafe them, too, either by
" giving us Strength to bear them,
" or by removing them altogether
" — Go pray, my Child, go
"pray!"
And I did as he bade me, and
found Balm for a bleeding Heart.
He was a good and wife Man, was
Matter Blower.
When my Mother awoke, me
said, " Cherry, I don't know what
" has come over me, but I feel a
" Peace and a Quiet pafl expremng
" . . I mould not wonder if you
" have been praying for me, my
" Child."
I preffed
Cherry & Violet.
I prefTed her Hand and faid,
" Yes, Mother, I have . . . and for
" myfelf too."
" This Illnefs of mine may be
" a Blemng in Difguife to us
"both," faid me after a Paufe—
" it has taught me your Value,
" Cherry ."
" What a funny Story," refumed
me prefently, quietly fmiling,
" might be written by a clever
" Hand about a Perfon who always
" fancied herfelf undervalued ! * The
" Undervalued Woman /' — There are
" a good many fuch in the World,
" I fancy ; poor Things, it feems
" no Joke to them. People who
" have that Impreffion of themfelves
" generally take fuch lilly Methods
" to prevent their being over-
" looked ! They had better make
" themfelves of real Importance,
" by being ufeful and thoughtful
"for
57
58 Cherry & Violet.
" for others. They had better take
" Pattern by you. Cherry ! "
How dear, a Mother's Praife !
Efpecially when fo feldom be-
ftowed !
CHAP,
Cherry £? Violet.
CHAP. IV.
Chelfea Buns.
VIOLET feemed afraid (and yet
why fhould me be ?) to come near
me, after Mark's Communication ;
and, as my dear Mother could ill
fpare me, I kept clofe Houfe. We
now felt the Bleffing of having a
difcreet and godly Minifler for our
Inmate ; for Mailer Blower read and
prayed much with my Mother, and
comforted her greatly by his Dif-
courfings. I likewife derived Benefit
from the good Seed he fcattered,
which fell, as it were, into Ground
much foftened by heavy Rain.
When
6o
Cherry & Violet.
When I was able and inclined to
ftep acrofs to Violet, I found only
Mailer Armytage in the Shop ; who
faid to me with fome fhortnefs,
You will find my Daughters
" within, — I wim your Father
" would . find Something more
" profitable for your Coufin to do
" than to be always in our Parlour,
" a hindering of Bufinefs."
I knew Mark was not there juft
then, at any Rate, having left him
at Home ; and, ftepping into Matter
Armytage* s Back-room, I only found
there a pale, gentle-looking Girl,
with large, brown Eyes, diligently
putting Shop-marks to a Box of
new Ribbons. I knew her for
Kitty, though her return Home
was News to me; and, having not
much to fay to a Stranger, I aiked
her how (he liked the Bridge. She
faid, " Not at all; I have been ufed
"to
Cherry & Violet.
" to look upon Trees and Fields,
" and I mifs the Green ; the Noifes
" make my Head ache, and my
" Mother keeps me fo clofe to my
" Work, that I pine for frefh Air."
I faid, " Sure there is enough of
" it blowing through that open
" Window from the River !<"
" Do you call it frefh ?" faid me,
rather contemptuoufly, " I do not,
" I can tell you ! Inftead of being
" fcented with Cows' Breath and
" new-mown Hay, it comes from
" Tan-yards and Butchers' Shops."
When Violet came in, me blufhed
very red, but we only fpoke of
indifferent Subjects : and, ftrange as
it was of two fuch clofe Intimates,
we never, from that Time forward,
had any clofer Communication.
Perhaps it was her Fault, perhaps
it was mine : or perhaps, no Fault
of either, but a juft and becoming
Senfe
61
62
Cherry & Violet.
Senfe of what was beft for two
modeft Girls in our new Relation.
For, though it needed not to be
fuppofed that fhe knew Anything
of what was pafling in my Mind,
I am perfuaded that fhe did.
And thus the Families fell apart ;
and Mark never renewed his Con-
fidences to me after that firft
Evening ; and, if he had Moments
of keen Pleafure now and then, I
am perfuaded he had Hours of Pain
he had never known before. For
Violet was capricious and coquettifh,
and fometimes would vex him by
being unreafonable and hard to
pleafe : at other Times, by laying
herfelf out to pleafe others, as
Mafter Braidfoot, and their Lodger
Mafter Clarke. And though fhe
gave out to Mark that this was only
for a Feint, to draw off the Atten-
tion of her Father and Mother from
himfelf,
Cherry & Violet.
himfelf, yet fometimes it was cer-
tainly with no other Purpofe than
to plague him, and at other Times,
I fear, with no better Purpofe than
to pleafe herfelf ; and I know it coft
him many a Tear.
Poor Mark ! how my Heart
ached for him, and fwelled againft
her, when I found him one Evening
with his Arms on the Table, and
his Head on his Arms, and faw,
when he looked up, that he had
been crying. He rofe, and looked
out of Window, and faid, " Has it
" done raining yet ? I think I have
" been afleep ! " But I knew he
had not.
All his Money now went in fine
Clothes for himfelf, and Prefents
for her ; fo that if he needed a little
Purfe againft his Marriage Day,
he was not going the Way to fill
it.
There
Cherry & Violet.
There was great Talk among the
young People, about this Time, of
an Excurfion up the River, to eat
Buns and drink Whey at Chelfea.
I was invited to join them, but
declined, on account of my Mother :
but Mark was to go, and could
think of Nothing elfe. I warned
and ftarched his Collar and Bands
myfelf, and fewed a new Lace on
his Hat. He wore a plain filver-
grey Cloth Suit, which was fober,
but very becoming, for he never
affected flrong Contrails, like my
Father. Knowing he was fond of
a Flower in his Button-hole, but
was preffed for Time to get one,
I gave a little Girl a Penny to run
down to the Market for the beft
Mofs-rofe fhe could buy, and gave
it him myfelf. He thanked me
moft pleafantly for it, and looked fo
comely and cheerful, that when he
went
Cherry Gf Violet. 65
went forth, I could not help {landing
jufl behind the Window-blind, to
look after him, and to fee the gay
Party fet out from Mailer Armytages.
Firfl, a Boy was fent forward, with
a great Baiket full of Veal-pies and
other Dainties ; then came out
Mafler Armytage, with Miflrefs
Gloffbp, who had condefcended to
join the Party, and wore a peach-
blofTom Silk, with pea - green
Ribbons. Then, Miflrefs Armytage,
with a little Bafket covered up, no
Doubt containing Something very
precious ; and Hugh Eraidfoot by
himfelf, with his Hands in his
Pockets, as if he expected to be
afked to carry it, and did not mean
to offer, walking a little in Advance
of her ; then Violet :, looking fweet !
between Mark and Mafler Clarke —
(I know fhe liked having two better
than one, whatever might be her
F Value
66
Cherry & Violet.
Value for either,) and then Kitty,
who by Rights fhould have had one
or other of them, flowly following
with Mafter and Miftrefs Ben/kin.
I obferved her to be a very little
lame, but Nothing to fpeak of.
Well ! the Day was fine, the
Water looked lovely, there was
Nothing to prevent their having a
moft charming Party of Pleafure,
unlefs it were their own Fault. I
thought of them many Times, as
I fat quietly weaving Hair at my
Mother's Bedfide ; and fancied them
floating on the River, landing
under tall Trees, rambling among
Meadows, fitting on the Grafs,
eating and drinking in the Shade,
and fcattering in fmall Parties. I
fancied what I fhould do and feel if
I were Violet, and how Mark would
comport himfelf, and what he would
fay : *but, when I looked on my
Mother's
Cherry & Violet.
Mother's pain-worn Face, I did not
wifh to change Places.
They did not come Home till
very late ; much too late. I had
perfuaded my Father to go to Bed,
and let me fit up for Mark, for
Fear of difturbing my Mother. He
faid Dolly might as well fit up too ;
however, me proved heavy to fleep,
fo I fent her to Bed.
Then I fat at my Window, which
was over Mafter Blower's Sitting-
room, and looked out on the Bridge.
The Harveft-moon, brightly mining,
made our Side of the Way as light
as Day, but Mafter Armytage's Side
was in deep Shade. I heard St.
Magnus s Clock, and St. Paul's, and
St. Mary Overy's, ftrike Eleven.
Then I faw fome dark Figures
coming along in the Shade, and
flop at Mafter Armytage's Door,
and knock up the Maid, who, after
long
67
68
Cherry & Violet.
long Delay, came fleepily to the
Door with a Candle. Then the
others, who had been talking, but
not much, like People who were
very tired after too long a Day's
Pleafure, faid " Good-night ; " and
I faw Hugh Eraidfoot make Hands
with the Girl on his Arm, and flep
acrofs to his own Door in the broad
Moonmine. Matter and Miftrefs
Ben/kin had gone Home before, and
let themfelves in with the Houfe-
key. I counted thofe that entered
Matter Armytage's, and only made
out his own Family. Mark had
doubtlefs feen Miftrefs Gloffbp to her
own Door, as was right and fitting.
For him, then, I muft expect to
wait a good While longer : and I
did wait a good While ; till all the
Clocks {truck Twelve. Juft as they
had done ftriking, I heard and knew
his Step, and opened the Door
without
Cherry & Violet.
without his knocking. " Have you
" had a pleafant Day?" faid I.
I looked at him as I fpoke, and
(hall never forget his Face !
-" Good Night," faid he fliortly,
" we'll talk it over to-morrow."
And impatiently took from my
Hands his Candle, which I was
trying to light for him at mine.
But it had been fnuffed too fhort,
and would not light as readily as he
wifhed ; which made him curfe it
in a low, deep Voice. I had never
heard him fwear before.
" Mark,' faid I, looking anxioufly
at him, " you are ill."
" No, I'm not," faid he abruptly,
" good Night. Thank you for
" fitting up for me."
" I'm not at all tired," faid I,
" and there's fome Supper for you
" in the Kitchen. Let us go there,
" and have a little Chat over the
" Pleafures
7°
Cherry & Violet.
" Pleafures of the Day — you don't
" look fleepy."
From white he turned to deep
red.
" The Day has not been fo
" pleafant as you fuppofe," faid he
hufkily ; " you have been better and
" happier at your Mother's Bedfide.
" I wifh there were more fuch as
" you in the World. Good Night,
" dear, good Cherry!"
— And fprang Up-ftairs without
another Word, taking two Steps at
a Time. I went to Bed, but not to
fleep ; I could not get his ftrange
Look and Manner out of my Head.
The next Morning, at Breakfaft-
time, Mark did not appear. Dolly
faid he had gone out early. My
Father was angry, and fent acrofs
the Way for him, knowing he was
but too often at Mafler Armytage's.
But Dolly brought back Word they
had
Cherry & Violet.
had feen Nothing of him. Then
we concluded he had gone for an
early Walk, as was often his Cuftom,
and had outftayed his Time. How-
ever, we breakfafted without him
at length, and ftill he did not come
back.
" Confound that Boy," faid my
patient Father at laft — (thus, the
Fault of one Party provoked the
Sin of another,) — " it's plaguy tire-
" fome of him to be playing Truant
" this Morning, of all Days in the
" Year, for I have preffing Bulinefs
" in Eaftcheap"
" Leave me in Charge of the
" Shop, Father" faid I, — " my
" Mother's Cough is quiet, now me
" is dozing ; and I mall hear her
" Bell."
" Well, I fuppofe I muft," faid
he very reluctantly ; " but I mall
" trounce Mafter Mark well for
" his
Cherry & Violet.
" his Conduct when I fee him next
" he may rely upon it !"
So he left me in Charge ; anc
my loved Mother being in a Kinc
of lethargic Slumber, which often
lafted many Hours, I left the Doors
open between us, and fat in the
Shop. As Fate would have it, not
a fingle Cuflomer looked in the
whole Time my Father was away ;
which was lucky, though we did
not feel very thankful, in ufual, for
this Falling-off in Bulinefs. Before
he returned, Mark came in, and
beckoned me into the Parlour.
"What is the Matter?" faid I,
with a violently beating Heart.
"I've done it!"faid he breath-
leffly.
"Done what?" faid I.
" Married !" faid he : and hid his
Face in his Hands.
" Dear Mark, how imprudent !"
I exclaimed
Cherry & Violet.
I exclaimed affectionately, " what
" will the Army t ages fay ? "
" What will they, indeed ! " re-
peated he, " Violet efpecially ! She
" drove me to it ! "
" Violet ? Drove you to marry
" her ? " I cried. — It founded fo
ftrange !
"Oh, Cherry ! what will you
" fay ? It makes me fhudder to tell
" you ! " he rapidly faid ; "Nothing
" but that Girl'sincorrigible Coquetry
" could have made me break with
her as I did; and then Reproaches
" led to Taunts, and Taunts to
Threatenings, till bad led to
" worfe, and me twitted me with
' my Poverty, and I told her I
" could be a richer Man in twenty-
" four Hours than her Father, and
' look down upon them all ; and
" me dared me to it, and faid a
better Man than me was waiting
"for
73
74
Cherry & Violet.
" for her, and fo — Temptation to
" be revenged on her came in my
" Way, and — I've married Miftrefs
" Oh, Mark ! "
— " Nay, Cherry, don't give way
" fo," : faid he, beginning to med
Tears himfelf when he faw me
weeping bitterly, — " Love is not a
" Man's whole Life, and what I've
" tafted of it hasn't made me very
" happy — I've ftepped into a famous
" Bufinefs, and I fhall have a quiet
" Fire-fide, and a capital Table, and
" kind Looks if not pretty ones, and
" — a done Thing can't be undone :
" fo there's an End on't ! "
Then, fancying he heard my
Father's Step, though 'twas only
Mafler Blower's, he haftily ex-
claimed, " You muft tell my Uncle
" — Good-bye, Cherry!" and hurried
out of the Houfe.
When
Cherry Gf Violet.
When he was gone, I fat in a
Kind of Stupor . . Married? and to
fuch a Wife ! — How could he ? —
how could jhe ? . . and this increafed
my Amazement, for he had been
befide himfelf with Anger and
Jealoufy, and hardly knew what he
was doing, — but that me, cool,
collected, and at her Time of Life,
could have clofed with his Propofals
without the Delay of a fingle Day !
—how difgufting ! — Ah, fhe was
afraid of lofing him !
— Immerfed in thefe fad Thoughts,
with my Hands clafped on my Lap,
I was unaware of my Father's
Return till he flood before me. I
flarted.
" Has Mark returned?" cried he.
" He came back, and is again
" gone," faid I.
" The young Rafcal!" exclaimed
my Father very paffionately, "what
" does
75
76
Cherry & Violet.
" does he mean by this outrageous
" Conduct ? I've a great Mind to
" lock the Door againft him when
" he comes back ! "
" Father, he will never come
" back! — He is married! . . married
" to Miftrefs GIo/op"
And, trying to fpeak compofedly,
all would not do ; the Tears rained
from my Eyes.
My Father remained perfectly
mute. I could underftand his
Amazement, his Vexation, by my
own ; accompanied, as I knew it
muft be in his Cafe, by great
Anger. I expected every Moment
to hear fome violent Expremon of
Indignation : he had been fo un-
ufually difpleafed with him already
for what was comparatively a
Trifle.
All at once, I found myfelf folded
in his Arms. He did not fay a
Word;
Cherry & Violet.
77
Word ; but the longer he held me,
the more and more I felt that his
Hopes for me had been ruined as
well as mine, that his Schemes and
Vifions of the Future were all dif-
perfed and overclouded, that he
knew Something of what was
paffing within me, and felt Sympathy
without having the Power of ex-
preffing it.
" Well, — " faid he, relealing me
at laft, — and I faw that his Eyes
were wet, " Man propofes, but GOD
" difpofes. We've had an Efcape
" from this young Man. Un-
" grateful young Fellow ! And
" blind to his own Intereft, too,
" for I could have done better for
" him, Cherry , than he knows of.
" But — he deferves his Fate. A
" miferable one it will be ! He'll
" never profper ! "
" Oh, Father ! don't prophefy
" againft
Cherry & Violet.
" againfl him ! We need not wifh
" him ill."
" I don't wifh him ill," returned
he, "but he'll come to no Good.
" He has done for himfelf in this
" Marriage. And fo, Cherry , you'll
" fee ! "
CHAP.
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. V.
A Shadow on the Houfe.
OH ! how dreary now feemed
the Houfe ! Its Light and its Life
were gone. The unfeen Prefence
of Love no longer gladdened it,
and the Shadow of Death was ilowly
creeping on.
Violet came to pour out her
Wretchednefs and her Self-re-
proaches to me -as foon as me heard
what had happened. She declared
(he could never be happy again —
me could never ceafe thinking of
him. I told her it would be very
wicked of her now, to think of him
in
79
8o
Cherry & Violet.
in the Way fhe meant, any more.
For faying which, I fuppofe fhe
was offended at me ; for me did not
come near me again for a good
While.
I don't fuppofe Tears are often
fhed over thick Slices of Bride-
cake, with Sugar and Almonds an
Inch deep, fuch as Violet and I
received (tied up with fuch vulgar
white Satin Knots !) from Miflrefs
Glojfip, now, alas! Miflrefs Elenk-
infop. When I took it up to my
Mother, fhe turned away her Head,
and faid with her gentle Smile,
" You may give my Share to Dolly,
" — perhaps fhe will like it to dream
" upon."
I faid, "I don't believe Dolly
" will touch it ; " however, there I
was miflaken. She faid, " Law,
" Miflrefs Cherry, I'm fure Miflrefs
" is very good. . . I grudge the
" eating
Cherry & Violet.
" eating of it, too ; for 'tis an un-
" feemly Match, I calls it ; but,
" there, — one don't get fuch Cake
" as this every Day ! "
When I repeated this Saying to
my Mother, fhe faid, " She belongs
" to the Gloffbp School, Cherry, that
" never can forbear."
Miftrefs Elenkinfop would have
been glad, I fancy, to fhew ofF her
young Hufband on the Bridge ; but
fhe received no Encouragement;
and as for Mark, who had certainly
intended to pique Violet, he was
now as wretched as herfelf, to judge
from his Looks, as reported to us
by one or two who had feen Some-
thing of what was going on. Happy
or unhappy, he never came near us,
on Bufmefs or Pleafure ; and as my
Father dropped the Connexion,
which was more to his Lofs than
Miftrefs Elenkinfop 's ; we now faw
G Nothing
81
82
Cherry Gf Violet.
Nothing of one another. For I
Icarce went out at all ; but now
and then Miflrefs Ben/kin would let
fall how fhe had met the Elenkinfops
going to fuch and fuch a Place of
Public Refort ; he looking afhamed
and tired of his Companion ; and
fhe as fine as the Rainbow. For fhe
would not only fee Funamble Turk,
and pay her Shilling to ride round
Hyde Park, but intrude herfelf among
the Quality in Mulberry Garden^ I
warrant her !
About this Time Matter Armytage
died. Thereby his Family fuflained
great Lofs, not only of a kind
Hufband and Father, but of worldly
Goods ; for the Widow only got a
Third of the Worth of the Bufmefs,
and the Son, who was married and
not very friendly with her, choofing
to live on the Premifes and carry
on the Concern, fhe and her
Daughters
Cherry of Violet.
Daughters prefently went into an
exceeding fmall Houfe in the
Borough, where they opened a little
Shop that did not anfwer very well.
After a While, Violet, unufed to
fuch fcant Living, was glad to come
back as Shop woman to her Brother,
whofe Wife had no Turn for
Bufmefs ; but it went fore againft
her to be Second in the Houfe
where she had hitherto been always
treated like Firft ; and alfo it was a
Grievance to her to live among a
Family of young Children. Thefe
Trials fretted her till they impaired
her Beauty, making her grow
peevifh and thin.
Meantime, her younger Sifter
took Plain-work when me could
get it ; and the Ben/kins and Hugh
Braidfoot fupplied her with what
they could, which me accepted
gratefully ; though, in her Father's
Life-time,
84 Cherry & Violet.
Life-time, it would have quite
affronted Miftrefs Armytage that her
Girls fhould fet a Stitch for either
of them. But Times were altered
now ; me was unable even to keep
a Servant; and, one Day, when I
looked in upon her, I noticed fo
many little Symptoms of Poverty,
that, on repeating them to my
Mother, me made me put up a
Variety of little Prefents for her,
and take them to her with her old
Neighbour's Love.
When I reached her Houfe, I
found her on her Knees, fcouring the
Door-ftep with fuch Zeal and Noife,
that I could not at firft make her hear
my Voice, or become fenfible of my
Prefence. When me did, me did
not appear particularly glad to fee
me, but pulled her Pail out of my
Way, and faid, « Oh!— You'll find
" Kitty within — Kitty ! Kitty ! "
And
Cherry & Violet.
And juft within the Door, fure
enough, was Kitty {landing with
her Back to me, before Mafter
Braidfooty who was feated, with a
fringed Glove in his Hand, and
holding forth to her very earneftly.
He had fent her a Box of Gloves to
fringe, and I fuppofe fhe had not
trimmed them to his Mind, for fhe
was hanging her Head, and looking
very uncomfortable. As foon as he
faw me, he brought his Difcourfe
to a Finifh by faying, "Of which,
" more anon;" and nodding a Good-
bye to me, flepped over Miftrefs
Armytages Pail, and walked off.
Miftrefs Armytage now came in,
taking off her Apron in a great
Buttle ; and feemingly much more
glad to fee me than fhe had been
jufl before. And fhe received my
Mother's Prefents in Mighty good
Part, efpecially the Brandy-cherries,
which
86
Cherry G? Violet.
which had been put in quite as an
After-thought, faying they would
make a pretty little Difh for Supper.
I thought (he and A7//yhad been more
in the Way of Bread-and-Cheefe
Suppers now, but madeno Comment.
Some People would as foon die as
not try to be thought genteel.
When I had nearly reached
Home, I faw Mark coming along
the Bridge, in a hefitating, reluctant
Sort of Way. When he faw me,
he ftepped out more brifkly, and
came up, holding out his Hand.
" Cherry ," faid he, lowering his
Voice, " my old Lady and I had
"almoft a Tiff this Morning,
" becaufe me wanted you and my
" Uncle to come and eat fome of
" the firft green Peas of the Seafon
" with us, and I told her I did not
" think you would. But, will you ?"
" Thank you kindly," faid I, " but
" my
Cherry & Violet.
" my Mother is fo ill, we have no
" Heart to go anywhere now."
" I knew it was fo," faid he,
looking relieved, " but you will not
" think me unfeeling, I hope, for
" putting the Queftion ? "
" Oh no, I think it very kind of
" you," faid I, " I take it as I know
" it was meant. Won't you come
" in ? We have feen nothing of
" you for a long Time.
" Thank you, not juft now,"
faid he, " good-bye." And walked
off as if he were in a great Hurry.
When I returned to my dear
Mother, {he faid, " Cherry, I'm fure
" you will be amufed when I tell
" you what I have been dreaming
" about, — I dreamed you were
" married ! "
I faid, " Dear Mother, if you
" take to dreaming, and my
" Father to prefaging, there'll
"be
Cherry & Violet.
" be Nothing left to be furprifed
"about!"
"Ah, well," faid fhe, gently
fmiling, " but this was a very
" pretty, pleafant Dream — You were
" married to a Perfon a good Deal
" older than yourfelf, but very much
" to your own Mind, notwith-
" ftanding, and were living like a
" Lady, with Every-thing genteel
" and comfortable about you."
I fmiled to cover a Sigh ; and
kiffing her thin Hand, faid, " May
" you live, dear Mother, to fee
"it."
" No," faid fhe, " I know I mail
" not do that — my Time is growing
" very fhort now ; but yet I mail
" leave you in Peace, Cherry, — I
" am fo certain of your doing well.
" I don't mean becaufe of this foolifh
" Dream."
"As for doing well," faid I,
" GOD'S
Cherry & Violet.
" GOD'S Bleffing generally refts on
" the Child of many Prayers, . .
" but if by doing well, you mean
" marrying well, do you think that
" is the only Way I can be
" happy?''
"No," faid me after a Paufe,
" I do not. I think there is no
" other Happinefs equal to it, where
" the Parties are well aflbrted, and
" are good to the Core ; but much
" depends upon each other, and
" much upon themfelves ; fo much,
" that it had often been better for
" them they had never met."
" And as fo few are good to the
" Core," faid I, << perhaps the
" Balance of Happinefs may not lie
" on the Side you think."
" Perhaps not," faid me, " but
" every one hopes to be the Excep-
" tion. — However," me added, after
another Paufe, " thefe Things- are
" not
9o
Cherry & Violet.
" not of our ordering ; and what-
" ever be the happier Lot, it is
" certain we cannot fecure it unlefs
" it be appointed us, whether for
" ourfelves or for thofe we dearly
" love. It may be GOD'S Will that
" you fhall be Cherry Curling all
" your Days, in Spite of my Dream,
" and in Spite of your being fitted
" for Happinefs in another State ;
" but that it is his Purpofe to make
" you happy in yourfelf, whatever
" you are, I feel as fure of as that
" I fee you now."
When I told her what Satif-
faction the Brandy -cherries had
given, fhe fmiled quietly, and faid,
" The fame Woman, ftill ! — You
" fhall take her fome potted Salmon
" to-morrow."
I did fo; but did not, this Time,
find the Widow cleaning her Door-
ftep. She had gone to Market;
the
Cherry & Violet.
the Shop was empty, and I walked
through it into the little Parlour
beyond. Here I again came upon
Kitty and Hugh Eraidfoot : me was
fitting this Time, and he flanding,
and, the Moment me faw me, me
fnatched away her Hand from him,
which he was holding, and ran up
Stairs. I felt very awkward, and
was retreating without a Word ; but
he, turning about upon me with a
Sort of homely, manly Dignity, a
Mixture of Placid and Refolute in
his Manner that I never faw before,
and which became him very well,
held out his Hand to me, and faid,
" You fee, Cherry, how it is to be.
" There'll foon be a Wedding in
" this Houfe. The old Lady has
" meant there mould be, all along ;
" but what though ? Shall a Man
" that knows his own Mind be
" flayed from it for Fear of playing
"into
92
Cherry & Violet.
" into a managing Woman's Hands?
u Had the Widow been lefs eager,
" the Thing might have been fooner
" brought about; however, you and
" I have known her longer than
" Yefterday — fhe's Kitty's Mother ;
" and enough's faid ! "
I wimed him Joy, and faid I
thought he and Kitty would be very
happy together. Then, fetting down
my Mother's little Gift on the
Table, I turned to go away.
" What's that ?" faid he. " Only a
"little potted Salmon for Miftrefs
" Army t age" faid I. "I'll call
" Kitty down," faid he ; and going
to the Stair-foot, he called " Kitty !
"Kitty/" but me did not anfwer ;
and giving me a knowing Smile, he
faid, " I don't think fhe'll come
" down while we are both here " —
" I'm going," faid I, " but here
" comes Miftrefs Armytage from
" Market."
Cherry & Violet.
" Market." " Oh, then, I'm going
"too!" cried he, laughing and
catching up his Hat, " I've no Mind
" to break the News to the Widow,
" fo come your Ways, Cherry ', we'll
" walk to the Bridge together; don't
" look behind you." . . " 'Tis Pity
" o' my Life," continued he fmiling,
when we had walked a little Way
together, " that refpecl: her I cannot;
" for you fee, Cherry , a Man can
" never refpedt a Woman whom he
" fees trying to draw him in ! He
" may walk into her Trap with his
" Eyes open, and let her fave him
" fome Trouble, but refpedl her or
" truft her, is out of his Power.
" Firft, me wanted to have me for
" Violet : that would not do — then,
" Kitty was kept out of Sight till
" me found I would not have the
" other ; but as foon as me found
" I liked the youngeft Sifter beft,
" poor
93
94
Cherry & Violet.
" poor Violet was put in the Shade,
" and Kitty's Turn came. 'Tis ill
" to fpeak this Way of one's Mother-
" in-Law elecl: ; I hope fhe'll breed
" no Trouble between us when
" fhe's Mother-in-Law in earneft ; I
" mould like to penfion the old
" Gentlewoman off, but that can't
" well be ; fo we muft let her have
" the Run of the Houfe, and try to
" make her comfortable as long as
" fhe lets us be fo."
Then, turning to a more agree-
able Subject, he fang AV/Yy'j Praifes;
and, reaching his own Door, hoped
me and I mould be good Neigh-
bours. " Your Father and you
" muft come to the Wedding-
" Dinner," faid he, " we may not
" have as many good Things as the
" Blenkinfops had, but I fancy 'twill
" be a cheerfuller Dinner."
When I told my Mother the
News,
Cherry & Violet.
News, me took it very compofedly,
but I obferved her Eyelids give
one little, involuntary Movement,
that betrayed more Surprife than
me was willing to mew. " Ah,
"my dear Mother," thought I,
" another of your little Caftles in
" the Air for me has been thrown
" down, I fear. This was, no
" Doubt, the Hero of the Dream,
" who was to make me fo comfort-
" able ! What a lucky Thing that
" I care not a Rum for him!"
However, we never faid a Word to
one another on the Subject.
So the Wedding took place, and
my Father and I were at the Dinner,
which confifted of every Nicety that
Money could procure ; for Miftrefs
Armytage faid that Hugh Eraidfoot
mould have all his favourite Dimes,
and me took Care to have her own,
whether they correfponded or not.
So
Cherry Gf Violet.
So there was roafl Pig, and pickled
Salmon, Calf's Head and green
Goofe, Lobfter Salad and Marrow-
bones, and more Sweets than I ever
faw out of a Paftry-cook's Shop.
As fome Things were in Seafon and
others were not, the latter, though
fweet in the Mouth, were bitter
in Digeftion ; I mean, to Mafter
Braidfoot when he came to pay the
Bills. And then Miflrefs Armytage,
amamed of having exceeded be-
coming Limits, went about to
feveral of the Tradefmen, who were
Hugh Braidfoot's perfonal Friends,
and who already were difpleafed
enough at not having been invited
to the Feaft; and fhe i nee nfed them
the more by trying to get them to
lower their Bills, which they
thought and called exceffive mean.
Thereby, Miflrefs Armytage got
into bad Odour, and Kitty came in
for
Cherry & Violet.
for her Share, and fhed her firft
Tears after Marriage upon it, which
I wifh had been her laft. However,
Mailer Eraidfoot laughed the Matter
off, in a jovial, carelefs Sort of a
Way ; and went round himfelf and
paid every one in full, and made
Friends with them with a few
merry Sayings ; fo Peace was re-
ftored, that Time.
CHAP
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. VI.
Metanoia.
WHEN I fee what a little Way
the Solemnization of Matrimony in
the Common Prayer Book lies from
the Burial -fervice for the Dead,
(only feparated by the Order for the
Vifitation of the Sick,) it makes me
think how fometimes in actual Life
Marriages and Funerals feem to
tread upon the Heels of one another.
Scarce were the Bills for Mailer
Eraidfoofs Wedding - dinner paid,
when my dear Mother, who had
been faft but gently finking, de-
parted this Life without a Sigh. I
had
Cherry & Violet.
had left her much as ufual the
Night before ; but in the Morning
was aware of a grey Shadow over
her Face, unlike Anything I had
yet feen, and impoffible to defcribe,
that made me fenfible of the Prefence
of Death. My Father fupported
her in his Arms, Mafter Blower
prayed aloud befide her, I bathed
her Face with Vinegar, and Dolly
ran for the Doctor, but juft as he
crofled our Thremold, me gently
breathed her laft.
How empty the Houfe feemed !
For, though a Perfon may take no
active Part in its Bufinefs, yet a
Senfe of their Nearnefs is accom-
panied by a conftant Feeling of
Companionmip, fuch as I think
we might feel with regard to our
HEAVENLY FATHER if we would
look into the Fact of His being
conftantly about us a little more
narrowly.
1OO
Cherry & Violet.
narrowly. Excellent Mailer Blower
was a Tower of Strength to us under
this Bereavement; knowing how to
comfort a Man better than I could,
and poflefTed of more Calmnefs and
Compofednefs than I could be ex-
pected to have, though he faid his
Heart bled for us all the while.
But he fet before us the BlelTednefs
of my Mother in her glorified State
fo ftrongly, that it was impoffible
not to feel that our Lofs was her
Gain.
While the Houfe was yet dark-
ened, I heard a hufhed Voice that
had become ftrange to my Ears of
late, faying to my Father in the
next Room, " I am fure, Uncle, if
" you would look upon it as a Mark
" of RefpecV . . and my Father,
in Tears, made Anfwer to him, " I
" fhould, Mark, I mould ! 1 fliall
" be glad for you to accompany us
"to
Cherry £f Violet.
" to the Grave ; for, indeed, my
"Boy, me was very kindly affec-
" tioned towards you."
And then cried again ; and, I
think, Mark cried too. It was
Balm to my Heart to think he was
going to the Funeral. An ill-
advifed Deed had in the firfl
Inftance banifhed him from us, and,
in Time, he had not only become
reconciled to his Banimment, but,
from what I made out of the Report
of others, had learnt to rejoice in it.
The firft Signal of a better Frame
was his returning to us, which coft
him an Effort, and then repaid itfelf.
Mailer Blower called it Mftanoia,
whatever that meant.
Violet was very kind to me. All
her old Affection for me now re-
turned ; and (he would bring her
Work and lit with me for Hours.
Alfo the Ben/kins and Eraidfoots
were
101
102
Cherry G? Violet.
were kind in their Way, though
after a homely Fafhion. But one
that better underftood comforting
was nearer at Hand. One Evening,
I heard Mafter Blower, as he met
my Father on the Stairs, fay,
" Why, old Friend, we have lived
" many a Year under the fame Roof,
" and have never broken Bread
" together yet ! Bring Cherry with
" you, and fup with me to-night!"
My difconfolate Father, being
taken by Surprife, had no Power
to refufe the Honour; Dolly was
fent for a Crab, and we fpent a
very peaceful and pleafant Evening
together, not ended without Prayer.
As we left, the kind Man faid,
" Well, Friend, lince you won't
" afk me, I'll afk myfelf to fup to-
" morrow Night with you" And
fo he did ; and many a rich and
learned Man might have envied us
the
Cherry & Violet.
the difcreet and pleafant Gueft that
honoured our poor Table. From
that Time, we thus fpent two
Evenings together every Week.
By this Time my Friend Kitty
had taken upon her all the Import-
ance of a well-to-do Tradefman's
Wife, which fitted her as well as
one of her Hufband's beft Pair of
Gloves. Inftead of Stuffand Dimity,
flowered Chintz and even Silk was
now the Wear! looped well up, too,
to mew the grafs- green quilted
Petticoat and clocked Stockings.
Nothing, Mafter Eraidfoot thought,
was too good for her. And inftead
of its being " good Hufband,"
" honoured Mafter Braidfoot" fo
bamfully fpoken, as at firft, now it
was, " dear Hugh" " fweet Hugh"
or "Hugh" by itfelf alone. And
happy, without Cloud, would the
Lives of this worthy Couple have
been
JO4 Cherry & Violet.
been but for the Hinderances of
Miftrefs Armytage. Now it was
her Parfimony in Something her
Son-in-Law could well afford and
defired to have ; now her Expen-
fivenefs in Something for which me
dared not give him the Bill ; and
then he would find it out, and rate
her, half in Sport, and then me
would take Offence in right Earneft.
Then Kitty would cry, and then
her Mother would fay me knew
me was only in the Way, and would
go off for a While to her old
Quarters. When me got there, her
Tongue lay not flill, like a good
Houfe-dog in its Kennel, but muft
needs yap, yap, like a little Terrier,
that flies at every Comer; and, to
every Neighbour along the Borough
it was, " Oh, you know not what a
" Turk . . !" — "My poor, poor
" Daughter!" — " Temper of an
"Angel!"
Cherry & Violet.
" Angel ! " — " Will wear her out at
"laft!" — "Never know a Man
" before he's married ! " — " Peace
" and Poverty for my Money " . . .
and fuch-like.
Meanwhile, Hugh and Kitty were
as merry as Crickets in their own
Chimney-corner, little gueffing or
caring what an ill Report of their
Firefide was fpreading all along
Southwark : and if Hugh met e'er
a Neighbour's Wife that gave him
a dark Look, as much as to fay,
" Ah ! for all your blythe Face, I
" know what I know !" — all he did
was to cry, " Neighbour, how do
" you do ? " in a jovial Voice that
rang along the Street. Thus the
Hufband and Wife would go on,
mighty comfortable by themfelves,
till fome favourite Dim, perhaps,
of Miftrefs Ar my t age's would be fet
on Table, and Kitty, with a Tear
in
105
io6
Cherry & Violet.
in her Eye, would fay, " Poor, dear
" Mother is fo fond of a roaft
" Pig." " Set it down before the
" Fire again, then," fays Hugh,
" while I run and fetch the old
" Gentlewoman. . I'll be back in
" five Minutes." — And, in about
a Quarter of an Hour, fure enough,
he would return with the Widow
on his Arm, and there would be a
little killing and crying, and then
all would lit down in high Good-
humour with one another, and
Things would go on quietly till
Hugh and his Mother-in-Law quar-
relled again.
About this Time, dear, good
Mailer Blower, who had hitherto
led a removed Life among us,
hidden and yet known, miniftering
and being miniftered unto by many
of his old Flock on the Sly, did by
fome Indifcretion or Mifadventure
provoke
Cherry & Violet.
107
provoke the Notice of the Powers
then riding paramount, and, coming
Home to us in great Perturbation
one Day, told us he mufl at once
take Ship to Holland in a VeiTel
going down the River the next
Morning. This was greatly to the
Sorrow of my Father and myfelf ;
and fome Tears of mine fell on his
little Packet of clean Linen as I
made it up for him ; and I thought
it no Wrong to flip into the eafy
Slippers I knew he would not fail
to take out at the Journey's End, a
little Purfe with feven Gold Carolufes
in it, that I had long been hoarding
for fome good Ufe. The Wind
was light, but yet fair : there was
a Remedy againft Sea-ficknefs in
my Father's Shop-window that I
had not much Faith in, it had lain
fo long in the Sun, even fuppofing
there ever were any Virtue in it ;
however,
io8
Cherry Gf Violet.
however, I thought there could be
no Harm in juft fewing it in the
Lining of his Coat, according to the
Directions printed . . at leaft, fo I
thought at the Time, but afterwards
I obferved I had made a Miftake,
but it did no Harm, if no Good.
And Father gave him a Bottle of
Cognac Brandy, which really had
fome Virtue in it, fo we did for
him what we could, one Way or
another. And he packed up what
fe'w Papers he could carry, and
burned others, and locked up the
reft, leaving them and his Books in
my Charge, with his Bleffing. And
fo the good Man went.
Often afterwards, when I was
fetting his Rooms in Order, and
dufting his Books, I would ftand
with my Dufter in my Hand,
looking at the Table at which he
ufed to write, aricl the old Arm-
chair
Cherry & Violet. 109
chair in which he ufed to fit, and
fall into a kind of Mufe, till I
almofl feemed to fee his large,
quiet, brown Eyes, that were fet fo
far under the Shadow of his Brows,
and feemed lighted up, fomehow,
from within, looking up at me, and
his pleafant Face fmiling at me, (he
had a very fweet Smile, had Mailer
Blower,) and his pleafant Voice
faying, " Well, Cherry, is it Eating-
" time again, already ? "
Now and then I would open one
or other of his Books, and, if I
chanced upon Anything I under-
ftood and that interefted me, would
ftand reading on and on, till I was
ftartled by hearing my Father call
for me. At length, he knew where
to look for me ; and took to laughing
at me for taking fuch a Turn for
Study; but one Day he fell to
reading one of Mailer Blower's Books
himfelf,
I 10
Cherry Gf Violet.
himfelf, and liked it fo well, that,
we being but quiet Companions for
one another, now there was fo little
to fay, we fpent many an Hour,
fitting over-againfl each other, each
with our Book.
One Day, as I fat fewing in the
Parlour, and my Father was cutting
a Man's Hair, I heard his Cuftomer
fay, " My Lord Protettor 's very ill,
" and like to die."
" Don't believe it," faid my
Father, "he'll never die in his Bed."
Which, for once, was a Prefage
that did not come true.
" Well, he feems to think fo
" too," faid the other ; " at all
" Events he's having Thanks put
" up for his Recovery, while yet
" he's as bad as can be ; which
" looks premature."
" That's the Faith of Affurance,
" I call it," faid my Father dryly.
" Well,
Cherry & Violet.
" Well, now, what may be the
" Matter with his Grace ? — a Pain
" in his Heart, or his Head, or
" what ? "
" A tertian Fever, they fay," re-
turned his Companion ; " you know
" his favourite Daughter died fcarce
" a Month back, and, in her laft
" Moments, me told him many a
" Thing that no one had had
" Courage to tell him before, and
" expoftulated with him on his
" Ways, and charged him with
" flaying the LORD'S Anointed ;
" which, 'tis thought, he took fo
" much to Heart as that his troubled
" Mind invited if it did not occafion
" this Illnefs."
« Well," faid my Father, " I'd
" rather be the dead King than the
" dying Protector. What has be-
" come now of all his Trufl in the
*' LORD, and inward AiTurance ?
" Does
1 1 1
I 12
Cherry & Violet.
" Does the Grandeur he has earned
" with fo much Guilt, fmooth his
" fick Pillow ? Is the Death he fo
" boldly confronted on the Battle-
" field quite fo eafy to face, now he
" lies quiet and watchful all Night,
" with his Silk Curtains drawn
" about him ? Does he feel as
" fecure of being one of the Elect,
" unable to fall into final Reproba-
" tion, as when he was fighting his
" Way up to a dead Man's Chair ?
" Ah, Sir, we may afk one another
" thefe Queftions, but our own
" Hearts muft give their only
" Anfwer."
In Facl, Oliver Cromwell prefently
breathed his laft, amidft a Tempefl
of Wind and Rain, that feemed
a Type of his own tempeftuous
Character. And in his Place was
fet up one that did not fill it : his
quiet and peaceable Son, Richard,
who
Cherry Gf Violet.
who had gone on his Knees to his
Father to pray that the King's Head
might not be cut off. He was
gentle, generous, and humane ; but
thofe were no Recommendations in
the Eyes of the Army or Parlia-
ment, fo he was prefently fet afide.
Whereon enfued fuch Squabblings
and Heart-burnings, I was glad I
was not a Man.
One Day, Mark came in, all
flumed and eager, looking like his
oldfelf; and "Uncle!" fays he,
" there's a brave Time coming again
" for Hairdreflers ! It's my Fancy,
" Wigs will prefently be in, (for
" Cavalier Curls won't grow in a
" Night !) and then you'll have a
" Market for that Lot of Hair that
" you and I put fo carefully afide."
" How fo9Mark?" fays my Father.
" Why, "fays Mark,<( honeji George
" Monk, as the Soldiers call him, is
T " marching
Cherry & Violet.
" marching up to London, and you
" have always faid he was a Royalift
" in his Heart."
" Heaven defend us from Siege
" and civil War," fays Father,
" we've had too much of them
" already. Better one Mailer than
" many, even fuch a Mailer as old
" Noll; and if General Monk is
" coming up to feat himfelf in his
" Place, 'twill be better for us than
" thefe City Tumults, wherein a
" Parcel of young 'Prentices that
" deferve a good Threfhing, get
" together and clamour for Things
" they know not, till grown Men
" are forced to put them down with
" a ilrong Hand. Where there's
" Order, there's Liberty ; and No-
" where elfe."
Mark's News proved true ; the
difaffected Regiments were fent out
of London, and General Monk with
his
Cherry & Violet.
his Army entered Wejiminfter . He
was a right-judging as well as right-
meaning Man on the whole, to my
Mind, prudent and moderate, though
he fided firft with one Party, then
with the other, then back to the
firfl again. One of the evil Con-
fequences of our evil Times was,
fo many confcientious Men were fet
down for obftinate and pig-headed,
or elfe Turncoats. My Father, to
reprefent the Humour of the Time,
had removed the obnoxious Cavalier
and Puritan from his Window, and
fet up in their ftead a Head that
united half of both, which, re-
volving flowly when he pulled a
String, mewed now one Side, now
the other, and, as he obferved, never
looked fo bad as when you faw a
little of both. But as foon as Monk,
throwing off his late Shew of
Moderation, marched into the City,
removed
n6
Cherry & Violet.
removed the Pofts and Chains acrofs
the Streets, feized on obnoxious
Perfons, and broke down our Gates
and Portcullifes, my Father became
fure that a great Change was at
Hand, and the King would enjoy
his own again. Whereon, he com-
menced beautifying and renewing
the waxen Cavalier, which had got
a little fly-fpitten, and privately
fmuggled into the Houfe a moft
beautiful female Counterpart for
it, extremely like Queen Henrietta
Maria, whom I immediately fet
about dreffing in the favourite Style
of her Majefty, that is to fay, in a
rich velvet Boddice, with a falling
Collar of Cut-work, Vandyked at
the Edge, relieved by a blue Breaft-
knot. My Father dreffed her Hair
in long, drooping, dark Curls, with
a few pearl Pins ; and, abiding the
right Time with Caimnefs and
Confidence,
Cherry & Violet.
Confidence, fhut up the cornel)
Pair in a dark Clofet till the
happy Moment for their burfting
upon the World fhould arrive.
CHAT
n8
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. VII.
Signs in the Air.
AND now the glorious Reftoration
at length arrived, and 'tis incredible
what a Spur it was to Trade, and I
how the Mercers and Drapers could
hardly fupply their Cuftomers faft
enough with expenfive Goods ; and !
how the Tailors and Sempftrefles i
worked all Night, and HairdrefTers
fold their Ell-wigs, and Hatters their
Hats, and Horfe-dealers their Horfes
good and bad. For every one was
for pouring out of London , acrofs
our Bridge, at leaft as far as Black-
heath. Oh ! what a bufy, what a
joyous
Cherry & Violet.
joyous Sight it was ! All the Streets
from the Bridge to Whitehall were
hung with Tapeftry, and the
Windows filled with Ladies. The
Lord Mayor's Cooks fet up a gay
Tent in St. George's Fields, to
prepare a Refection for his Majefty.
The Livery Companies in their
various rich DrefTes of Crimfon,
Violet, Purple, and Scarlet, lined
the Streets on one Side, and the
Trained Bands on the other: Burfts
of gay Mufic were intermingled
with Cheers and Laughter ; Every-
body feemed in tip-top Spirits that
the King was coming. We let our
Windows for a good Premium to
i fome of the Grandees ; but had a
good View ourfelves of what was
going on, from the Leads — now
there would come along a Troop of
two or three Hundred or more, in
Cloth of Silver Doublets ; then four
or
120
Cherry & Violet.
or five Times as many in Velvet
Coats, with Attendants in Purple;
then another Party in Buff Coats
with Cloth of Silver Sleeves and
green Scarfs, others in pale Blue
and Silver, others in Scarlet : by
and by, fix Hundred of the Livery
on Horfeback, in black Velvet with
Gold Chains, then the Trumpeters,
Waits, City Officers, Sheriffs, and
Lord Mayor . . in fhort, there was
no End to the Splendour and Glory
of that Day ; for we had hardly
refted ourfelves after feeing them
all go forth, when they began to
come back, with the King in the
midft. Oh ! what Shouts ! what
Cheers ! what Burfts of Mufic !
And he, bowing this Side and that,
fo fmiling and gracious ! " It
" feemed," he faid, " as if it muft
" have been his own Fault he
" came not fooner back, Every-
" one
Cherry & Violet.
121
" one appeared fo glad to fee
"him!"
But the Ladies' DrelTes ! — Oh,
how grieved I was ! — Sure, they
were refolved to make up for the
Dulnefs and Decorum they had
been reftricted to during the Pro-
tectorate ; for indeed, they feemed
to think Decorum and Dulnefs
went together, and mould now be
thrown overboard in Company.
The Henrietta Maria Drefs I had
fo complacently made up for our
Wax Doll, was now twenty Years
behind the Famion ! fit only to
laugh at! — and what had taken its
Place, I thought fit only to blufh
at.
For a Moment, when the Party
that had hired our firft- floor
Window had thrown ofF their
Clokes, I felt a dreadful Prefenti-
ment that their Characters could
not
122
Cherry & Violet.
not be over-good ; or elfe, thought
I, they never could drefs in fuch a
Manner. Only, knowing who they
were, I thought again, that can
never be — dear Heart ! what can
they be thinking of? we mall
have Stones and Mud thrown up at
the Window. " Sure, Madam,"
faid I to the youngeft and prettieft,
" you will catch Cold at the open
" Window . . the Wind blows in
" very frefh from the River — will
" you juft have this Scarf a little
" over your Shoulders ? " " No,
" thank you," fays me, making
back quite a Bum of fair Hair, and
looking up at me with her Eyes
half fhut, as if (he were fleepy
already. " Forfooth," thought I,
" thofe Curls are equal to a Fur
"Tippet" — And, looking acrofs at
our Neighbours' Windows, I faw
we need not fear pelting, for that
all
Cherry & Violet.
all the other Ladies were dreffed
juft the fame. Then thought I,
Oh, this is the Rejioration, is it ?
If you, fair Ladies, provoke ill
Thoughts of you, you muft not feel
aggrieved if People think not of
you very well.
I difliked this Symptom of the
Restoration from the very firft —
not that it had, naturally, any Con-
nexion with it. — The King had
lived long. abroad, had become fond
of foreign Famions ; but were the
modeSt Ladies of England, therefore,
to give in to them ? Then, what
the upper ClafTes affect, the lower
Claffes foon ape : I knew we mould
prefently have Miftrefs Blenkinfop
and Violet trying which could wear
the longeft Curls and ShorteSt Petti-
coats, and look the moSt languishing.
The only Difference would be, that
the one would become the FaShion,
and
124
Cherry & Violet.
and the other make it ridiculous.
Perhaps, thought I, I am growing
prudim and old-maidim, I am
Eight and Twenty ; but fo is
Violet.
I have often thought, that if the
Ladies of England had at this Time
been what they ought, a good Deal
of Folly and Sin that prefently
ftained this Reign would never have
happened. What! could the merry
Glance and free Word of a light
young Monarch break down Barriers
that were not tottering already ?
What had Mothers and Teachers
been about ? Where were the Lady
Fanfliawes and Lucy Hutchinfons ?
There muft have been Something
wrong in the Bringing-up — I can
never believe all thefe fair young
Ladies were fo good one Day and
fo bad the next.
But the joyfulleft Event, to our-
felves,
Cherry & Violet.
felves, on that glorious Twenty-
ninth of May, was the Reftoration
to his Country and Home of our
excellent Friend and Lodger, Mafter
Blower. He feemed to be rejuve-
nized by the general Spirit of
Hilarioufnefs; for I proteft it feemed
as though ten Years were taken off
his Shoulders. And he talked of
being foon replaced in his Curacy ;
but, inftead of that, his Friends
prefently got him a Living in the
City, which took him away from
us, as there was a Parfonage Houfe.
But we went to his Church on
Sundays ; and, as he was not one of
thofe who forget old Friends or
humble ones, he would make my
Father and me fup with him about
once a Quarter, and come to us of
his own Accord about as often, and
talk over the Times, which in fome
Refpects, as far as Sabbath-keeping
and
125
126 Cherry & Violet.
and general Morality went, we
could not fay were bettered.
And now a mocking Sight was
to be feen at the Bridge Gate, —
the Heads, namely, of thofe Traitors
who brought about the Death of
the late King, and who richly de-
ferved their bad End. There they
have remained for many a Year, a
Terror to all Evil-doers.
It was in the Spring following
the Reiteration, in the Month of
March, that we and the Braidfoots
were taking our Supper together on
the Leads, the Weather being very
warm for the Seafon, when our
Attention was attracted by the un-
common Appearance of the Clouds,
which, as will often be the Cafe
after much Rain, were exceeding
gorgeous and grotefque. Matter
Braidfoot was the firft of us who
noticed them, and cried, " See, fee,
" Neighbours !
Cherry G? Violet.
" Neighbours ! Cannot you now
" credit how Lovers of the Marvel-
" lous have oft-times fet Tales afloat
" of Armies feen fighting in the
" Air ? Do not thofe two Battalions
" of Clouds, impelled by oppofite
" Currents, look like two great
" Armies with Spears and Banners,
" about to encounter each other ?
" Now they meet, now they fall
" together, now one vanifhes away !
" Now, they both are gone !"
" And fee, dear Hugh," cries
Kitty, " there's another that looks
" like a Cathedral ; and another
" like an exceeding big Mountain,
" with a Rent in its Side ; and out
" of the Rent comes Something
" that looks like a Crocodile, with
" its Jaws wide open ; no ! now it
" is liker to a Bull, or rather to a
" Lion."
"Very like a Whale!" faid a
Man,
127
128
Cherry & Violet.
Man, as if to himfelf, on the Top
of the next Houfe. It was Matter
Ben/kin's Lodger, who wrote for the
Bookfellers.
Kitty ftarted, and lowered her
Voice ; for we were not on fpeaking
Terms with him ; however, me
fqueezed my Arm and faid foftly,
" It really is becoming Something
" like a Whale now, though !" On
which, Matter Eraidfoot burft into
one of his ringing Laughs, and cried,
" Why, Kitty y you give it as many
" Faces as the Moon ! What will
" you fancy it next ? "
" I wonder what it means," fays
me, very gravely.
" Means ? " faid her Hufband, ftill
laughing, " why, it means we mall
" have fome more wet Weather. So
" we'll put off our Pleafure Party.
" See what a red Flame the fetting
" Sun cafts all along the City !"
About
Cherry & Violet.
About a Week after this, our
Neighbour, Matter Eenfkint gave
my Father a little Pamphlet of four
Leaves, writ by his Lodger; the
Title of which was truly tremen-
dous. It was this, —
" Strange News from the West ! being a true
" and perfect Account of several Miracu-
" lous Sights seen in the Air westward,
"on Thursday last, by divers Persons of
" Credit, standing on London Bridge be-
" tween Seven and Eight of the Clock.
" Two great Armies marching forth of two
" Clouds, and encountering each other ; but,
"after a sharp Dispute, they suddenly
" vanished. Also, some remarkable Sights
" that were seen to issue forth of a Cloud
" that seemed like a Mountain, in the
" Shapes of a Bull, a Bear, a Lyon, and
" an Elephant with a Castle on his Back;
" and the Manner how they all van-
" ished."
"Well," faid my Father, turn-
ing the Leaf, " is it dedicated to
" Miftrefs Eraidfoot ? Here feems
"to
129
130
Cherry & Violet.
" to be much Ado about Nothing,
" I think."
" Nothing or Something/' faid
Mafter Ben/kin laughing, and jing-
ling ,his Pockets, " it has enabled
" my Lodger to pay up feven
" Weeks' Arrears ; fo it's an ill
" Wind that blows Nobody any
" Good. The Trifle has had a
"Run, Sir!"
" So this is the Way Books are
" made, and Stories are vamped
" up," faid my Father. " Truly, it
" makes one ferious."
But a little Time after, a Ru-
mour was repeated in the Shop
that did indeed make one ferious,
to wit, that the Plague was in
Holland, and would very likely come
acrofs to us. However, though the
following Year it did indeed rage
very badly in Amfterdam and Rot-
terdam, yet it crofled not the Water
for
Cherry & Violet.
for another twelve Months or more;
and as we had no fuch Things as
printed Newfpapers in thole Days,
fuch as I have lived to fee fince,
Reports did not inftantly fpread
over the whole Nation as they do
now.
Howbeit, at the latter End of
November, 1664, there really were
two Cafes of Plague in Long Acre,
which frightened People a good
deal. A third Man afterwards died
of the fame Diftemper in the fame
Houfe, which kept alive our Un-
eafinefs ; but after that, nothing
was heard of it for fix Weeks or
more, when it broke out beyond
Concealment.
At this Time, Matter Ben/kin's
Shop-window was full of fmall
Books with awakening Titles, fuch
as " Britain's Remembrancer," —
" Come out of her, my People," —
" Give
132
Cherry & Violet.
" Give Ear, ye carelefs Daughters,'
and fuch-like, many of them ema-
nating from the Pen of his Lodger
in the Attick ; and with thefe and
Lt/fy's Almanacks, he drove a
thriving Trade.
Violet was fitting with me one
Morning, when Mark fuddenly
entered, and feeing her with me,
loft his Prefence of Mind directly,
and forgot what he had to fay. She
on her Part, being juft then in
Mourning for one of her Brother's
Children, for whom I am bold to
fay (he had fcarce fhed a Tear, (he
being a humourfome Child, par-
ticularly difagreeable to her,) fetches
a deep Sigh, and with a pretty,
penfive Air takes up her Work,
rifes, mutely curtfies to him, and
retires. On which he, after a
Minute's Silence, fays fadly, " Violet
" is as beautiful, I fee, as ever,"-
and
Cherry & Violet.
and I was grieved to find he ftill
thought fo much about her.
Juft then, my Father enters; and
Mark of a fudden recollecting his
Bufinefs, exclaimed, "Oh, Uncle,
" here is a capital Opening for you.
" 'Tis an ill Wind, fure enough,
" that blows nobody any Good, — I
" don't know why you mould not
" do a good Turn of Bufinefs as
" well as ourfelves by being Agent
" for the Sale of thefe patent
" Noftrums "... and thereon
pulled out a Parcel of Bills, headed
" Infallible Preventive-pills againft
" the Plague." . . " Never-failing
" Prefervatives againft Infection." . .
" Sovereign Cordials againft the
" Corruption of the Air." . . " The
" Royal Antidote — " and fo forth.
— " No, Boy, no," faid my Father,
putting them by, one after another,
as he looked over them, " Time
" was
'34
Cherry & Violet.
" was when I mould have thought
" it as innocent to laugh in my
" Sleeve at other People's Credulity
" and turn a Penny by their Delu-
" lions as yourfelf, and many others
" that are counted honeft Men; but
" I'm older and fadder now. To
" the beft of my Belief, every and
" all of thefe Remedies are Counter-
" feits, that will not only rob People
" of their Money, but peradventure
" of their Lives by inducing them
" to truft in what they have bought
" inflead of going to the Expenfe
" of proper Medicines. A folemn
" Time is coming ; my own Time
" may be fhort ; and whether I be
" taken or whether I be left, GOD
" forbid I mould carry a Lie in my
" right Hand, or fet it in my Shop-
" window."
A Cuftomer here fummoned him
away ; and Mark, inftead of de-
parting,
Cherry & Violet.
parting, fat down befide me and
faid, " What think you, Cherry, of
this approaching Vifitation ? Are
you very much affrighted ? "
" Awe-ftricken, rather," I made
Anfwer, " I only fear for myfelf
" along with the reft, and I fear
" moft for my Father, who will be
" more expofed to it than I mail ;
" but I feel I can leave the Matter
" in GOD'S Hand."
" I wifh I could," faid poor Mark,
fighing. " I own to you, Cherry,
" I am horribly difmayed. I have
" a Prefentiment that I mall not
" efcape. My Wife, " continued he,
with great Bitternefs in his Tone . .
he commonly fpoke of her with
aflumed Reckleffnefs as " his old
" Lady " . . . " my Wife has no
" Senfe of the Danger — mocks at
" it, defies it ; refufes to leave her
" Houfe and her Bufinefs, come
" what
136
Cherry & Violet.
" what may, and tells me with a
" Scoff I mall frighten myfelf to
" Death, and that Ralph Denzel
"mall be her Third.— Don't you
" hate, Cherry, to hear Hufbands
" and Wives, even in Sport, making
" light of each other's Deaths ? "
Her Groflhefs was offenlive to
me, and I faid in a low Voice,
"I do."
" And if I die, as die I very
" likely mall," purfued he, hur-
riedly, "you may. do me a Kind-
" nefs, Cherry, by telling Violet that
" I never—"
This was infupportable to me.
" Dear Mark,' I cried, " why yield
" to this Notion of Evil which may
"be its own Fulfilment? GOD
" watches over all. With proper
Precaution, and with his Bleffing,
" we may efcape. No one knows
" his Hour : the brittle Cup oft
^ " lafts
Cherry & Violet.
" lafts the longeft. — Many a Cafu-
" alty may cut us off before the
" Day of general Vifitation."
" Aye," he replied, with a fick-
ened Look, " but I had a Dream
" laft Ni'ght . . . and, juft now, as
" I came through Bifiopgate Church-
" yard, a Crowd of People were
" watching a Ghofl among the
" Tombs, that was figning to Houfes
" that mould be ftricken, and to yet
" undug Graves."
"Watching it?" faid I. "Did
" you fee it ? "
"Well, I rather think I did,"
faid Mark, " but am not quite
" aiTured— -the Prefs was very great.
" At any rate, I faw thofe who
" evidently did fee it. My Wife
" has had her Fortune told, and the
" Fortune-teller avouched to her
" me mould efcape ; fo there's the
" Ground of her Comfort. To
" make
138
Cherry & Violet.
" make doubly fure, me wears a
" Charm. For me, I am neither
" for Charm nor Fortune-telling, —
" if I die, I die, and what then !
" I've often felt Life fcarce worth
" keeping; only one don't know
" what comes after !"
And, with a faint Laugh, he rofe
to go away. I faid, " Mark !
"Mark!"
"What is it?" he faid, and
flopped. I faid, " Don't go away
" with that light Saying in your
" Mouth — "
He faid, " Oh ! " and fmiling,
opened the Door. I faid, looking
full at him, " Faith in GOD is the
" beft Amulet.''
" It is," he faid more gravely ;
and went out.
Prefently my Father came in to
Supper ; and fat down, while it was
making ready, near the Window,
looking
Cherry & Violet.
looking out on the River quite
calmly. Our large white Cat fat
purring belide him. Stroking her
kindly, he faid, " Puffy, you muft
keep clofe, or your Days will be
few . . . they've given Orders,
now, to kill all the Dogs and
Cats. I believe, Cherry, we are
" as fafe here as we mould be in
" the privateft Retreat in the King-
" dom, for Infection never harbours
" on the Bridge, the Current of
" Air always blows it away, one
" Way or the other. But, my dear,
" we may be called away at any
" Hour, and I never fleep worfe of
" a Night for bearing in Mind I
" may not fee another Morning.
" But I reft all the peacefuller,
" Cherry, for knowing you will
" never be in Want, though this
" poor Bufinefs mould dwindle away
" to nothing. Mafter Benjkin and
" Hugh
J39
140
Cherry & Violet.
" Hugh Eraidfoot know all about
" my little Hoard, and will manage
" it well for you, my Daughter.
" And now, let's fee what is under
" this bright little Cover. Pettitoes,
" as fure as London Bridge is built
" on Wool-packs !"
And he ate his frugal Meal
cheerfully, I thinking in my Mind,
as I had fo often done before, that
the firmeft Heart is oft found in
the littler! Body.
CHAP.
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. VIII.
The Plague.
As Spring advanced, the Plague
came on amain. Houfes were fhut
up, fome empty, fome with infected
People in them under Guard, ne'er
to be let out, fave in perfect Health
or to be caft into the Dead-cart.
Swarms of People hurried out of
Town, fome in Health, fome already
infected : never was fuch a Blockade
of Carts, Coaches, and Horfemen
on the Bridge ; and I was told, on
the northern and weftern Roads
'twas ftill worfe. Every Horfe,
good and bad, was in Requeft, at
enormous
141
142
Cherry & Violet.
enormous Hire : as foon as they
had done Duty for one Party, they
came back for another, fo that the
poor Things had an ill Time o't.
The Court fet the Example of
running away ; the Nobility and
Gentry followed it; the Soldiers
were all fent to Country Quarters,
the 'Tower was left under the Guard
of a few Beef-eaters, all the Courts
of Law were clofed, and even the
middle and lower Ranks that could
not well afford to leave their Shops
and Houfes, thought it a good
Matter to efcape for bare Life, and
live about the Country in removed
Places, camping in the Fields, and
under Hedges.
Thus the City, which had pre-
vioufly been fo over-filled as to pro-
voke the comparing of it with
yerufalem before the laft Paflbver,
was in a Manner fo depopulated,
that
Cherry & Violet.
that though vaft Numbers remained
in its By-ftreets and Lanes, whole
Rows of Houfes ftood empty.
Thofe that walked abroad kept the
Middle of the Streets for Fear of
Infection ; Grafs began to grow be-
tween the Paving-ftones; the Sound
of Wheels was fcarce heard, for
People were afraid of ufing the
Hackney - coaches ; Beggars, and
Street-fingers, and Hawkers, had
altogether difappeared ; fo that
there was nothing to break the
awful Stillnefs fave the Shrieks of
dying Perfons in lone Houfes, or
the Rumbling of the Dead-cart.
Meanwhile, though the Dif-
temper was raging on both Sides of
us and all about us, it came not on
the Bridge. Crowded AfTemblages
of Buyers and Sellers at Markets,
&c., being much to be avoided, we
laid in as much Stock as our fmall
Premifes
Cherry & Violet.
Premifes would hold and our fmall
Family require, of Soap, Candles,
Groceries, Cheefe, Bacon, fait But-
ter, and fuch-like. And whereas
the Plague raged worfe than any-
where among the Butcher's Stalls
and low Fifhmongers, we made a
Merit of Neceffity, and failed from
both Fim and frefh Meat, as well
for our Health as our Sins, which,
if fundry others had done in a
proper Frame and Temper, 'tis
likely they might have been fpared.
Thus we kept clofe and went
abroad little, except to Public
Prayers ; reading and meditating
much at Home, and conlidering
as Noah and his Family probably
did in the Ark, that if our Confine-
ment were irkfome, 'twas a cheap
Price to pay for Safety. Of the
Elenkinfops we faw nothing after the
regular Outburft of the Calamity;
but
Cherry & Violet.
but we knew that Miftrefs Elenkin-
fop was not only refolved not to ftir,
but that fhe would not fo much as
lay in Stores for daily Confumption ;
perverfely and cruelly perfifling in
fending her Servants into the Danger
fhe feared not for herfelf, to pur-
chafe Pennyworths of Things fhe
might have bought wholefale.
Meantime, though our Bridge, by
reafon of its being one of the great
Thoroughfares of London, could not
well be fhut up, yet the Bridge-
wardens took all the Care of us
they could, keeping the Gates with
much Jealoufy, and burning large
Fires of refinous and flrong-fmelling
Subflances. Early in the Seafon,
there was one Perfon who took a
mighty Panic at her own Danger,
which was Miflrefs Armytage. She
had left her Lodgings, oftenfibly to
be with Kitty during her Confine-
L ment,
'45
146
Cherry Gf Violet.
ment, but in Reality, as the Event
proved, to be out of the Reach of
Infection. However, the News of
each Day, which me greedily
gathered, becoming difmaller, and
the Crowds of People pouring out
of Town exciting her Defire to be
among them, me wearied Hugh
Braidfoot with Entreaties that he
would promife to go into the
Country as foon as Kitty got about
again ; and, one Night, a Coffin
leaping into her Lap out of the
Fire, her Fears for herfelf could no
longer be allayed, but me declared
me mufl go the next Morning,
come what would. I heard much
fobbing and loud talking through
the Wall overnight ; and the next
Morning at Day-break, faw the
Widow departing with a fmall
Bundle in her Hand, and a young
Lad carrying her heavy Box. How-
ever,
Cherry & Violet.
ever, the End, which was impreffive,
was this. She over-heated herfelf
in her felfifh Flight, flept in a damp
Bed the next Night, and took a
Hurt which ended her Life before
the Year was out, though not by
the Plague.
Soon after, Kitty gave Birth to
twin Daughters, the fweeteft little
Dears that ever were feen, whom
me very prettily infifted on naming
Violet and Cherry. But now, the
Plague being more and more talked
of, and me being unable to nurfe
both, it became a momentous Quef-
tion with her whether to bring one
up by Hand or fend it to a Fofter-
nurfe in the Country. At length,
the latter was decided upon ; and
little Violet was put out to nurfe at
Lewi/ham.
And now the Judgment of GOD
fell very heavy on us ; infomuch
that
148
Cherry Gf Violet.
that amid the general Vifitation and
Bereavement, it would have been
ftrange indeed if even the unafHicled
could have been fo unfeeling as
to hold back from the general
Mourning. The Cry from every
Pulpit and every Altar was, " Spare,
" O LORD, fpare thy People,
" whom thou haft redeemed with
"thy precious Blood;" and the
Churches were open all Day long
and crowded with Penitents, till it
was found that Contagion was
thereby augmented ; whereon all
but the bold fell to exchanging
public for private Devotion.
About this Time, poor Kitty
Eraidfoot fell into much Danger.
She was nurling her little Cherry
one Morning, and faying to me
how her Heart yearned for a Sight
of its Twin-fifter, when, as if in
Anfwer to her Wifh, in comes the
Fofter-
Cherry & Violet.
Fofter-nurfe, looking defiant and
heated, with the Infant in her
Arms, whom without more Ado
me fets upon the Table, and then
retreats to the Door.
" There's your Babby, Miftrefs,"
fays me bluntly, " and you owes
" me one and twenty Shillings for
" the laft fix Weeks' nurfing, at
" Three and Sixpence a Week . . .
" it's taken the Plague, and I can't
" have my own Babby infected, fo
" I declines the farther Charge of
" it — 'tis a puny little Thing, and
" I doefn't think would anyhow ha'
" lived long."
" Puny ! " cries Kitty y with Eyes
darting Fire, " why, you've ftarved
" it for the Sake of your own Baby !
" 'Twas as fine a Child as this, and
" now a downright Skeleton !"
The Woman had an Anfwer on
her Lips, but Something in Kitty s
Eye
5o
Cherry & Violet.
Eye and in her own Heart fuddenly
abafhed her ; and with a " Marry
"come up!" me haftily turned
about and quitted the Houfe, with-
out fo much as afking again for her
one and twenty Shillings. Poor
Kitty exclaimed, " Oh, you little
" Starveling ! " and burfling into
Tears, put Cherry into my Arms,
and began to unfaflen her own Drefs.
I faid, " Remember, you cannot
"nurfe both—." She faid, "I
" mufl commit the other to you to
" bring up by Hand and keep out
" of the Infection — I cannot let this
" little Thing perifh," and fhowered
on it Kifles and Tears, quite thought-
lefs of her own Safety.
Jufl then, Hugh came in, and flood
amazed when he faw Kitty fondling
the famimed little Infant. She,
thoughtful of him alfo before her-
felf, cried, " Don't come near me,
" Hugh !
Cherry Gf Violet.
/ Baby has the Plague. I'm
" thankful the Woman brought it
" Home ; GOD forbid a Child of
" mine mould endanger a Child of
" hers !" And preffed her little one
yet clofer to her, and luffed its little,
meagre Hands. Poor Hugh flood
aghaft at the News, regarding her
from where he firfl flood with a
Mixture of Wonder, Admiration,
and Fear ; at length exclaiming,
" GOD be your Bleffing, Kitty ! "—
he brufhed off a Tear and turned
away. Again faw I that the
flrongefl Heart is not always in
the biggefl Body. As for Kitty, I
thought me had never looked fo
beautiful as that Moment. She
was now eagerly feeking for fome
Token of the Difeafe about her
Child, but could find none. " What
"and if 'twere a falfe Alarm?"
cries me, — "Heaven grant it ! — But
" now,
152
Cherry Gf Violet.
" now, dear Cherry, take your little
" Charge out of Harm's Reach — and
" bid Afc//tend dear Hugh all fhe can
" — I've Everything I want here,
" and they can fet down my Meals
" at the Door without coming in."
I looked back at her as I clofed
the Door, and faw her fmiling fo
over her Baby that it really feemed
as if fhe felt fhe had in it Every-
thing fhe wanted. And when I lay
down by my little Cherry at Night,
and felt its little Mites of Hands
flraying over my Face, I felt drawn
towards it with a Love I had -never
experienced for a Child before, and
wondered not how Kitty, who might
call it Part and Parcel of herfelf,
could fo cheerfully rifk her own
Life for that of her Child.
Next Morning, both our Heads
were thrufl fimultaneoufly out of
our Bedroom Windows. " Violet is
" doing
Cherry £? Violet.
" doing purely/' cries me, " there's
" no Plague-fpot — How is Cherry ?"
We exchanged Congratulations and
heartfelt Bleffings.
In fhort, it proved a falfe Alarm ;
but as Cherry was fo miraculoufly
contented under my Care, her
Mother would not have her back
till every Fear of Danger was over,
by which Time the pretty Creature
was well weaned. If Hugh had
loved his Wife before this, he now
abfolutely adored her : he faid he
had learned the Value of his Trea-
fures too dearly to run any farther
Riik of lofing them, come what
might to his Bulinefs. So he fhut
up Shop, left an old Woman in
Charge, bought a Tent, Horfe, and
Cart, and Everything elfe he wanted
or could take ; and, one fair Morn-
ing, he mounted Kitty, all fmiling
under the Tilt, with a Darling on
each
'54
Cherry Gf Violet.
each Arm, and Bags, Balkets, and
Crockery- ware all about her ; and
mouldering his Carter's Whip,
ftarted off with his Family for Kenf,
like a blythe, honeft Patriarch.
CHAP.
Cherry G? Violet.
CHAP. IX.
Forejhadows.
AH! with that little Gipfey-
party went all the Smiles I was to
fee for many a Day, though I knew
it not.
My Father about this Time
feemed dull and forry of Cheer.
I afked him if aught ailed him in
Body or Mind, or had gone wrong
in his Affairs. He faid, no — that he
was fenfible of a Heavinefs on his
Spirits, but could no Ways account
for it. And, with that Stoutnefs of
Heart which had become a fecond
Nature, he buftled about and tried
to
'56
Cherry & Violet.
to caft it off. Still I watched him
narrowly, but could detect no Signs
of Diforder. I lay awake at Night,
thinking of him ; and amid the
Stillnefs all about, could faintly
hear the diflant Wail of that poor
diftracted Madman, who inceflantly
ran about the Streets of the City,
crying, "Oh! the great and dreadful
"GoD!"
After Breakfaft, my Father faid
to me, " Cherry, I mall be abfent
" for an Hour or two, but you may
" expect me punctually at Dinner."
I faid, " Oh, Father ! why muft
" you go forth ? is there any preffing
"Occafion?"
" Why, yes, there is," faid he,
" for a Man who owes me Money
" is going to make the Plague a
" Pretext for leaving the Country,
" and has fucceeded, I underftand,
" in getting a clean Bill of Health."
I faid,
Cherry & Violet.
'57
I faid, " Let it be, if it be- no
" great Matter."
" Nay," he faid gently, " it is a
" great Matter to People in our
" Condition, with whom Trade is
" at a Stand-ftill. I have not yet
" held aloof from any neceflary
" Affairs, but I give you my Word
" I will run no needlefs Rifks."
And fo was going forth, when I
faid, " There is a little white on
" your Shoulder," and brufhed it off
with my Apron. When I had done
it, he turned about and kifled me.
We were to have Bacon and
Eggs that day. I had a Prefenti-
ment he would be after his Time,
in fpite of what he had faid, and
told Dolly not to fry them till he
came in. Hour after Hour paffed,
long after Dinner-time, and ftill he
came not. Then I grew troubled,
and kept looking along the Bridge.
At
Cherry & Violet.
At laft, when it was growing
dufk, I put on my Hood and went
to the Bridge Gate. I faid to the
Gate-keeper, " Did you fee my
" Father pafs the Gate this Morn-
" ing, Mafter Princeps ?"
"Yes, Miftrefs Cherry, I did,"
returned he, " more by Token he
"faid he was going either through
" or to Lime Street, I forget
" which."
I faid, " I can't think why he
" don't come back."
"Oh!" fays he, "he'll be back
" prefently," which, though fpoken
entirely at Random,yet being uttered
in a cheerful Tone, fomewhat heart-
ened me, and I returned Home.
Mafter Ben/kin was putting up
his Shop Shutters. I faid, " I can't
" think what has become of my
"Father, Mafter Ben/kin." He
faid, " Has not he come Home ?
"Oh,
Cherry & Violet.
" Oh, Something unforefeen muft
" have delayed him. You know
" that might happen to any of us."
And put the Screw in his laft
Shutter.
I faid, " What mould you do if
" you were me ?" He faid, " Well,
" Fm fure I can't tell what I ihould
" do — I don't fee I could do Any-
" thing — He'll come Home pre-
" fently, I dare fay . . don't be
" uneafy." And went in. I thought,
" yob's Comforters are ye all."
About ten o' the Clock at Night,
I went down to the Bridge Gate
again. They were mutting it up
for the Night, and making up the
great Bonfire in the Middle of the
Street. This Time I could hardly
fpeak for crying ; I faid, " Mailer
" Princeps, I can't think why my
" Father doefn't come back! I think
" Something muil have happened !"
" Nay,
i6o
Cherry G? Violet.
" Nay," fays he, " what can have
" happened ? Very likely he has
" been unexpectedly detained, and
" thinks he mall not be back before
" the Gate is fhut, and is too
" neighbourly to wifh to knock me
" up. So he takes a Bed with the
" Friend he is with. — Now we've
" got it all clear, depend upon it!"
"But," faid I, "there's no Friend
" he can be with, that I know of."
" Why, in Lime Street /" fays he
with all the Confidence imaginable.
" Lime Street ? Dear Mafter
" PrincepSy my Father knows No-
" body in Lime Street "
— " Don't he though ? " fays he
doubtfully. " Well, I'm fure I think
" he faid he was going through or
" to Lime Streety I can't juftly re-
" member which."
I turned away in deep Difap-
pointment and Trouble. As I
panned
Cherry & Violet.
paired under the deep Shade of the
Houfes, fome one coming clofe up
to me, faid, " Cherry! pretty Cherry!
" is that you ?" But it was not my
Father's Voice, and I patted on in
Difguft. I would not fatten the
Houfe-door, and fat juft within it
all Night, a Candle fet in the
Window. I opened my Bible at
random, in Hope of Something to
hearten and comfort — The Words
I lighted on were, " I fought him,
" but could not find him ; I called
" him, but he gave me no Anfwer."
And the Page was wet with my
Tears.
As foon as Day broke, I was
again at the Door. People going
to Market early looked at me
ftrangely as they patted. It ftruck
me my Appearance was* not very
tidy, fo I went in, warned and re-
dretted myfelf, which refrefhed me
M a little,
161
162
Cherry & Violet.
a little, drank a Cup of Milk, and
then put on my Hood and went
down to the Gate. I fard, " Mafter
" Princeps, I can't think what's
" come to my Father."
" Blefs my Soul ! " cries he,
" what, has he not been Home all
" Night ? Then you fee, he mujl
" be fleeping out, and will not have
" rifen yet, to difturb his Friend's
" Family. So, go your Ways back,
" Miftrefs Cherry, and don't be
" fretting; rely on it he will return
" as foon as he has breakfafted,
" which he cannot have done yet."
So I turned away, fad at my
Heart ; and as I parTed 'John Army-
tage's Shop, I looked up at Violet's
Window, and faw her drefled, and
juft putting back her white Curtains.
She looked down on me, and
nodded, and fmiled, but I fhook
my Head forrowfully, and turned
my
Cherry & Violet.
my Face away. Before I reached
my own Door, I felt fome one
twitching my Cloak behind, and
(he comes up to me all panting.
*' Cherry ! dear Cherry /" fays (he
breathleffly, " what's the Matter?"
"I've loft my Father," faid I,
with filling Eyes.
" Dead ! " cries (he, looking
affrighted.
" He may be," faid I, burfting
into Tears, " for he has not come
" Home all Night."
" Oh, if that's all," fays (he,
putting her Arm round me, and
drawing me into the Houfe, " all
" may yet be well. — How many
" Women might cry, Cherry, if
" they thought their Hu(bands and
" Fathers were dead, every Time
" they ftayed out all Night !
" Come, tell me all about it — ."
And (he entered with fuch Concern
into
163
164
Cherry & Violet.
into my- Grief that its Bitternefs
was allayed.
" Come," me faid, " let us give
"him till Dinner-time — he may
" drop in any Minute, you know,
" and if you go looking for him,
" you know not where, you may
" mifs him. So give him till
" Dinner-time, and after that, if he
" comes not, go and knock at every
" Door in Lime Street , if you
" will."
And me flayed, wiling the flow
Time as long as fhe could with
talking of this and that. At length,
Dinner-time came ; I could fcarce
await it, and directly the Clock
ftruck, I ftarted forth. It occurred
to me I would go to Mark.
As I approached the Gate, I
heard Mafler Princeps fay to the
fecond Gate-keeper, " I'll lay you
" a Wager this Girl is coming again
"to
Cherry & Violet.
" to afk me why me can't find her
" Father."
Inftead of which, I only faid as
I came up to him, " I'm going to
" look for my Father, Mailer
" Princeps"
"Well," fays he, "I wifh you
" may find him with all my Heart,
" but it feems like looking for a
" Pin in a Hayfield— Perhaps he'll
" return while you are away . . take
" Care where you go, the Streets
" and Lanes are dangerous — "
There were People paying Toll ;
and while I was waiting to pafs, I
heard one Man afk another if he
had feen the great Plague-pit dug
in Aldgate, forty Feet long, and
twenty Feet deep ; adding, he be-
lieved many People that were
picked up in the Streets were caft
into it before it was well known if
they were dead or alive.
I darted
i66
Cherry & Violet.
I darted through the Toll-gate
the Moment it was clear, and made
for Cheapjide. Oh ! how awful the
Change, during a few Weeks ! Not
a Creature {Hiring, where lately all
had been alive — At the Turn of a
Lane I met a Man wheeling a dead
Perfon in a Hand-barrow, and
turning his own Head afide. Houfes
were deferted or filent, marked with
the fatal red Crofs. Within one,
I heard much Wailing and Sobbing.
At length I reached Mark's Houfe.
'Twas all fhut up! — and a Watch-
man fat fmoking on the Door-ftep.
He faid, " Young Woman, what
"do you want?" I faid, "I want
" to fpeak to Mark Blenkinfop" . .
He faid, " Nobody mufl go out or
" in — the Houfe is under Vifita-
'« tion." — My Heart fank when I
remembered Mark's Forebodings of
himfelf, and I faid, "Is he dead?"
" I know
Cherry & Violet.
" I know not whether he be dead
" or no/' replied the Watchman,
" a Maid-fervant was put into the
" Cart the Night before laft, and
" a 'Prentice the Night before that
" — Since then, they've kept mighty
" quiet, and afked for Nothing,
though I've rung the Houfe-bell
" two or three Times. But the
Night-watch told me that a
" Woman put her Head out of
Window during the Night, and
"called out, 'Oh! Death, Death,
" Death ! ' three feveral Times."
I faid, " Ring the Bell again!"
He did fo, and pulled it fo
violently this Time, that the Wire
broke. We gave each other a blank
Look.
" See ! " faid I, " there's a
" Window open on the fecond
" Story—"
" 'Tis where the Woman put out
" her
1 68 Cherry & Violet.
" her Head and fcreeched, during
" the Night," faid he.
" Could not you get a Ladder,
faid I, "and look in?"
" Well," faid he, " I will, if you
" will flay here and fee that no one
" comes out while I'm gone."
So I faid I would, but I mould
have been a forry Guard had any
one indeed rufhed forth, fo weak
was I and trembling. I thought of
Mark lying within, perhaps fliff
and cold.
Prefently the Watchman returned
with a Ladder, but it was too fhort,
fo then he had to go for another.
This Time he was much longer
gone, fo that I was almofl befide
myfelf with waiting. All this Time
not a Creature pafled. At length
a Man came along the Middle of
the Street, holding a red Rod before
him. He cried, " What do you
"there?"
Cherry & Violet.
" there ?" I faid, " We know not
" whether the Family be dead or
"have deferted the Houfe — a
" Watchman has gone for a Ladder
" to look through the open
"Window." He faid, "I will
" fend fome one to look to it," and
pailed on.
Then the Watchman and another
Man appeared, carrying a long
Ladder between them. They fet
it againft the Window, and the
Watchman went up. When he
had looked in, he cried out in a
fearful Voice, " There's a Woman
in white, lying all along on the
Floor, feemingly dead, with a
Cafket of Jewels in her Hand —
"Shall I go in?"— "Aye, do," I
exclaimed. The other Man, hearing
talk of Jewels, cried, " Here, come
you down, if you be afraid, and
I'll go in," and gave the Ladder
a little
170
Cherry & Violet.
a little Shake ; which, however,
only made the Watchman at once
jump through the Window. Then
up came two Men, faying, " We
" are from my Lord Mayor, em-
" powered to feal up any Property
" that may be left, if the Family
" indeed be dead." — So they went
up the Ladder too, and the other
Man had no Mind to go now ; and
prefently the Watchman comes out
of the Houfe-door, looking very
pale, and fays he, " Befides the
" Lady on the Floor, with all her
" Jewels about her, there's not a
" Soul alive nor dead in the Houfe,
" the others mufl have efcaped over
" the back Walls and Out-houfes."
Then my Heart gave a great
Beat, for I concluded Mark had
efcaped, leaving his Wife to die
alone ; and now all my Thoughts
returned to my Father. I haftened
to
Cherry & Violet.
to one or two Acquaintances of his,
who, it was jufl poffible, might
have feen him ; but their Houfes
were one and all fhut up, and,
lying fome Way apart from each
other, this took up much Time.
I now became bewildered and almoft
wild, not knowing where to look
for him ; and catching like a
drowning Man at a Straw, I went
to Lime Street. Here I went all
up one Side and all down the other,
knocking at every Door that was
not padlocked. At firft I made
my Inquiries coherently enough,
and explained my Diflrefs and got
a civil Anfwer ; but, as I went on
and ftill did not find him, my Wits
feemed to unfettle, and, when any
one came to the Door, which was
often not till after much knocking
and waiting, I had got nothing to
fay to them but, " Have you feen
" my
172
Cherry & Violet.
"my Father?" and when they
flared and faid, "Who is your
" Father?" I could not rightly
bring his Name to Mind. This
gave me fome Sign of Wildnefs,
I fuppofe, for after a While, the
People did not fo much look flrange
as pitying, and faid, " Who is your
" Father, poor Girl ? " and waited
patiently for me to anfwer. All
except one rough Man, who cried
fiercely, " In the Dead-pit in Ald-
" gate, very likely, where my only
" Child will be to-night." Then
I loft Senfe altogether, and fhrieked,
" Oh ! he's in the Pit ! Father !
"Father!" and went running
through the Streets, a- wringing
my Hands. At length a Voice far
offanfwered, "Daughter! Daughter!
" here I am!" and I rufhed towards
it, crying, "Oh, where? I'm coming!
" I'm coming!" And fo got nearer
and
Cherry & Violet.
and nearer till it was only juft at
the Turn of the next Street ; but
when I gained it, I came upon a
Party of diforderly young Men.
One of them cries, " Here I am,
" Daughter ! " and burft out
laughing. But I faid, " Oh, you
" are not he," and brake away
from him.
" Stay, I know all about him,"
cries another, " was he tall or
"fhort?" Oh, wicked, wicked
Men, thought I, 'tis fuch as you
that break Fathers' Hearts !
How I got back to the Bridge,
I know not. I was put to Bed in
a raging Fever. In my Deliration
I feemed to fee my Father talking
earneftly with another Man whofe
Face I knew not, and who appeared
to hear him with Impatience, and
want to leave him, but my Father
laid his Hand upon his Arm. Then
the
'74
Cherry Gf Violet.
the other, methought, plucked a
heavy Bag from under his Cloke,
and caft it towards my Father,
crying, " Plague take it and you
" too ! " Then methought my
Father took it up and walked off
with it into the Street, but as he
went, he changed Colour, flopped
fhort, ftaggered, and fell. Prefently
I feemed to hear a Bell, and a difmal
Voice crying, " Bring out your
" Dead ! " — and a Cart came rum-
bling along, and a Man held a
Lanthorn to my Father's Face, and
without more Ado, took him up
and caft him into the Cart. Then
methought, a Man in the Cart
turned the Horfe about, and drove
away without waiting to call any-
where elfe, to a difmal lone Field,
lying all in the Blacknefs of Dark-
nefs, where the Cart turned about,
and mot a Heap of fenfelefs Bodies
into
Cherry & Violet.
into a great, yawning Pit . . them
that a few Hours back had been
ftrong, hearty Men, beautiful
Women, fmiling Children.
CHAP.
'75
176
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. X.
A Friend in Need.
WHEN I returned to my Reafon,
it was with an inexpreffible Senfe
of Weaknefs and Wearinefs. The
firfl Thing I faw was dear Violet's
Face clofe to mine, her large, dark
Eyes fixed full upon me ; and as
foon as me faw that I knew her,
me exclaims, "Cherry, dear Cherry!
" I thought I had no more Tears
" left to fhed, but I mufl cry again
" with Pleafure now — " and wept
over me.
I faid, " Is he come back yet ? "
She
Cherry & Violet.
She faid, " You muft only think of
" getting well now."
" Ah," I faid, " I know he is
" not;" and turned my Head away.
And ftill felt her warm Tears drop-
ping over me. They feemed to
heal where they fell; and prefently,
I med Tears too, which cleared my
Head, and fomewhat relieved me ;
but oh ! the Weaknefs ! —
I was very flow getting well.
All the While, dear Violet kept with
me, read to me, cheered me,
cherimed me . . oh, what a Friend !
How Trouble brings out the real
Good in People's Characters, if
there be any !
Before I was well able to fit up,
Matter Eenfkin fent in Word he
had Something important to fay to
me as foon as I was equal to hearing
it. I thought he might have got
fome Clue to my Father, and faid
N I was
177
178
Cherry G? Violet.
I was quite equal to hearing Any-
thing he had to tell. Then he
came in, treading on Tip-toe, and j
looking very awe - flricken ; and,
fays he, " Miftrefs Cherry" — taking
a Chair as he fpoke, a good Way
off from me, — " the lamented Event
" which we may now coniider to
" have taken place . . '
"No, Mafter Benjkin, no," in-
terrupted I, faintly ; " I ftill hope
" there has been no lamented
" Event—"
" Makes it my Duty," continued
he, without minding me, " to tell
" you that you need be under no
" Uneafinefs about pecuniary Cir-
" cumftances."
" I am not, I allure you," faid
I. " Oh that I had Nothing worfe
" to be uneafy about!"
" This Houfe," continued he,
" was your Father's for ninety-nine
" Years,
Cherry Gf Violet.
" Years, and is now yours ; and he
" moreover had faved fix hundred
" Pounds, three hundred of which
" he lent me, and three hundred
" Hugh Braidfoot, we paying him
" five per Cent., which we will
" continue to pay you, or hand over
" to you the Principal, whichever
"you like."
"Thank you, Matter Ben/kin"
faid I, " I fhould wim Everything
" to continue juft as it is . . I am
" fure my Father's Money can't be
"in better Hands; and I fhall re-
" commence inquiring for him
" directly I am ftrong enough,
" which I almoft am already."
" Ah," faid he, with a forrowful
Smile and a Shake of the Head,
" how flow Women are to give up
" Hope ! . . Sure enough, 'tis one
" of the cardinal Virtues ; but they
" praftife it as if 'twere their
" Nature.
i8o
Cherry & Violet.
" Nature, without making a Merit
" of it. I wifh you well from my
" Heart, Mifs Cherry"
All this While I was fretting to
fee Matter Blower. I faid often to
Violet, "I wim Mafter Blower would
" look in to fee me, and talk to me
" and pray with me as he ufed to
" do with my Mother. Sure, I'm
" fick enow ! and he might, for as
•" long as he has known me, count
" me the fame as one of his own
" Congregation."
And Violet would make Anfwer,
" Indeed, Cherry r, if you confider
" how the good Man is wearing
" himfelf out among his own Flock,
" going hither and thither without
" fetting his Life at a Pin's Purchafe,
" fpending all his Time in Vifita-
" tion that is not taken up with the
" Services of the Church, you need
" not be furprifed he comes not fo
"far
Cherry Gf Violet.
" far as this, efpecially as he knows
" not of your Affliction nor your
" Illnefs."
" How do you, that are not a
" Churchwoman, know he does all
"you fay?" faid I.
" I had it from the old Woman
" that brings the Curds and Whey,"
returned Violet ; " me, you know,
" is one of his Parifhioners ; and,
" from what me fays of him, it
" appears he could not do more if
" he were a Diflenter."
" A Diflenter, indeed ! I admire
"that!" faid I. " If he were a
" flothful, timid, felf- indulgent
" Perfon, you would beflow all his
" Faults on his Church ; but be-
" caufe his Light mines before
" Men, fo that they cannot help
" glorifying his Father which is in
" Heaven, you fay he could hardly
" do more if he were a Diffenter !
«_I {hall
181
182
Cherry & Violet.
" — I {hall go to him as foon as
" ever I get well."
And fo I did; while, indeed, I
was hardly ftrong enough for fo
long a Walk ; for I had a Notion
he would tell me where to find my
Father; or comfort me, maybe, if
he thought he could not be found.
It was now late in September. — His
Parim was one of the worfl in
Whitechapel, — he lived in a roomy,
gloomy old Parfonage-houfe, too
large for a fingle Man, in a Street
that was now deferted and grafs-
grown. The firfl Thing I faw was
a Watchman afleep on the Steps,
which gave me a Pang ; for, having
heard Matter Blower was fo active
in his Parim, I fomehow had never
reckoned on his being among the
Sick, though that was a very juft
Reafon why he mould be. I had
thought fo good a Man would lead
a charmed
Cherry & Violet.
a charmed Life, forgetful that in
this World there is often one Event
to the Righteous and to the Wicked,
and that if the Good always efcaped,
no Harm would have befallen my
Father. However, this fudden
Shock, for fuch it was, brought
Tears into my Eyes, and I began to
be at my Wit's End, who mould
tell me now where to find my
Father, and to lament over the
Illnefs of my good and dear Friend,
Mailer Blower. Then I bethought
me, — Perhaps he is not in the
Houfe, but may have left it in
Charge of fome Woman, who is
ill, — if I waken the Watchman, he
certainly will not let me in ; the
Key is grafped firmly in his Hand,
fo firmly that I dare not try to take
it, but yet I muft and will get
in. —
Then I obferved that, in care-
leffly
1 84
Cherry & Violet.
leffly locking the Door, the Lock
had overfhot it, fo that in Fact,
the Door, inflead of being locked,
would not even fhut. So I flept
lightly pad the Watchman and into
the Houfe ; and the firfl Thing
within the Threshold was a Can of
Milk, turned quite four, which
mewed how long it mufl have flood
without any Body's being able to
fetch it. I clofed the Door foftly
after me, and went into all the
ground - floor Rooms ; they were
empty and clofe muttered : the
Motes dancing in the Sunbeams
that came through the round Holes
in the Shutters. Then I went foftly
up Stairs, and looked timidly into
one or two Chambers, not knowing
what ghaflly Sight I might chance
upon ; but they were tenantlefs.
As I flood at paufe in the Midfl of
one of them, which was a Sitting-
room,
Cherry 6? Violet.
room, and had one or two Chairs
out of their Places, as if it had been
never fet to rights fince it was lafl
in Occupation, I was ftartled by
hearing a Man in the Room beyond
giving a loud, prolonged Yawn, as
though he were faying, " Ho, ho,
" ho, ho, hum ! " Then all was
filent again : I thought it mufl be
Mailer Blower, and went forward,
but paufed with my Hand on the
Lock. Then I thought I heard
a murmuring Voice within ; and,
foftly opening the Door and looking
in, perceived a great four-pofi Bed
with dark green Curtains drawn
clofe all round it, {landing in the
Midfl of a dark oaken Floor that
had not been bees-waxed recently
enough to be flippery. Two or
three tall, flrait-backed Chairs flood
about; a Hat upon one, a Boot upon
another, quite in the Style of Mailer
Blower;
i86
Cherry & Violet.
Blower; and clofe to the Bed was
a Table with Jugs, Cups, and
Phials, and a Night-lamp ftill
burning, though 'twas broad Day.
The Shutters alfo were partially
fhut, admitting only one long Stream
of flanting Light over-againfl the
Bed ; but whether any one were in
the Bed, I could not at firft make
out, for all was as flill as Death.
Prefently, however, from within the
Curtains came a fomewhat thick
Voice, exclaiming, " Oh LORD, my
" Heart is ready, my Heart is ready !
" I will fing and give Praife with the
" beft Member that I have ! Awake,
" Lute and Harp ! I myfelf will
" awake right early!"
Here the dear good Man fell a
coughing, as if Something fluck in
his Throat ; and I tip-toeing up to
the Bed-fide, withdrew the Curtains
and foftly faid, " Mafter Blower!"
Never
Cherry & Violet.
Never mall I forget my firft
Sight of him! There he lay on his
Back, with Everything quite clean
and frem about him, not routed
and tumbled as moft Men's would
have been, but as fmooth as if juft
mangled : — his Head, without e'er
a Nightcap, lying ftraight on his
Pillow, his Face the Mirror of
Compofednefs and Peaceification,
and his great, brown Eyes, glowing
with fome fteady,not feverifh Light,
turned flowly round upon me, as if
frem from beholding fome beatific,
folemnifying Sight.
" Why, Cherry " fays he, looking
much pleafed, " are you come
" to look on me before I die ?
" I thought I had taken my
"laft Sight of all below," — and
reaching out his Hand to me
from under the Bedclothes, I was
mocked to perceive how it was
wafted :
i88
Cherry Gf Violet.
wafted : every Knuckle a perfect
Knob.
"Don't touch me!" cries he,
plucking it away again, and burying
it out of Sight, — " I forgot you
" hadn't had the Plague. — What a
" felfim Fellow I am ! — How's your
" dear Father, Cherry ?"
I could not withhold myfelf
from weeping, and was unable to
anfwer.
"Ah, I fee how it is," fays he
kindly, "poor Cherry! poor Cherry!
" ' the Righteous perifh and no
" Man layeth it to Heart,' — I heard
" a Voice fay, ' Write : Blelfed are
" the Dead which die in the LORD.
" Yea, faith the Spirit, for they reft
" from their Labours.' . . I mail
" fee him before you will, Cherry.
" Go Home, Child, go Home, . .
" this Air is fraught with Danger."
I faid, " I am not afraid of it,
" Sir,—
Cherry & Violet.
" Sir, — I would rather flay a While
" with you."
"Well, then," faid he, "juft
" give me a Drink of Water, or
" Anything liquid you can find ;
for I have had Nothing but what
" I could help myfelf to, thefe
" twenty-four Hours. My Throat
" is fo bad, I cannot fwallow Any-
" thing folid . . Oh ! Oh !— " And
as he held back his Throat to drink,
I noticed the Plague Swellings.
" That will do nicely, now/'
fighed he, when I had fmoothed
his Pillow, "and now go, I prithee,
" dear Cherry, and look after poor
" Dorcas, who, I fear, muft be
" dead or dying fomewhere about
" the Houfe."
So I did as he bade me ; and, as
I knew me was not on the Floor
below, I went in queft of her up
Stairs. Dorcas had lived with
Mafter
190
Cherry & Violet.
Mafter Blower ever lince he com-
menced Houfekeeping ; and had
had the Help of a younger Maid,
who now, it feemed, had left, or
died. She was a Widow-woman
in her third Score, eccentric, like
her Mafter, in fome Matters ; but
withal, of the fweeteft, pleafanteft
Countenance ! and of pleafant Con-
ditions too, fo that they were well
matched. She preferred being
called Miftrefs Peach; but Mafter
Blower liked calling her Dorcas,
and carried his Point.
I found her in the upper Story,
lying all acrofs her Bed, drefted,
but more dead than alive. "Alas!
" young Woman," fays me . . .
"What! is it Miftrefs Cherry?
" Heaven be praifed ! How is my
" Mafter ? Doth he live yet ?"
I faid, Yes, and I hoped was
going on well.
" Ah,"
Cherry & Violet.
" Ah," fays me, " I left him at
" Death's Door, but could no lon-
" ger keep about myfelf; io, fet him
" ftraight as well as I could, and
" then crawled up here, thinking to
"bundle my Mattrefs down Stairs,
" and at all Events die within hearing
" of him. But 'twas quite beyond
" my Strength . . I fell all along,
" and here I've been ever fince."
Then me began to groan terribly,
but I made her as comfortable as
I could, d re fled her Throat, per-
fuaded her to fwallow a little
cooling Drink, and loofened her
Clothes ; all which me took very
thankfully, but then became refllefs
about her Mailer, and prayed me to
go down to him, for he wanted me
more than me did.
So I returned to Matter B/ower,
whom I now found a good deal
more fuffering and feverim than
when
192
Cherry & Violet.
when I left him, and beginning to
tofs about. I quite gave up all
Intention of leaving the Houfe, yet
thought Violet might be uneafy
about me; therefore I ftepped down
to beg the Watchman to fend a
Meffage to her; but found the
Houfe-door locked.
On my rapping againfl it and
calling, he unlocked it and looked
in. " Hallo, young Woman," fays
he, " how came you here?"
" I ftepped in while you were
"afleep," faid I, "the Door being
" ajar."
" Afleep ? that's a pretty Tale to
" tell of me," quoth he, " I wonder
" if you wouldn't feel fleepy fome-
" times, fitting from Morn to Night
" on a Door-ftep, full in the Sun!"
"I want to tell no Tales," faid
I, " but only defire to fend Word to
" mv Friends on the Eria
my
re that I
" cannot
Cherry & Violet.
" cannot return to them at prefent,
" being wanted here."
" Return? of courfe you cannot,"
fays he, " why, do you fuppofe
" Perfons are to be allowed to walk
" in and out of Houfes under Vifita-
" tion at their Will ? 'Tis clear
" againfl my Lord Mayor's Orders."
This had efcaped me ; however,
it made no Difference ; and he
engaged to let Violet know the
Caufe of my Detention. Then I
returned to my Charges, and, to my
great Surprife, found Dorcas had
crawled nearly all down the Flight
of Stairs between her and Mafler
Blower, and was now lying all
along. She faid, " I thought I
" mufl fee how Mafler was . . if
" you will but tumble the Mattrefs
" down, Miflrefs Cherry y I'll lie
"jufl within his Door, — then you
" won't have to run up and down
" Stairs
194
Cherry & Violet.
" Stairs fo often." It did, indeed,
make it caller for me to attend to
them both ; and truly I never had
fuch a Night before nor fince ; for
though my dear Mother's Sufferings
had been long drawn out and very
fad to witnefs, they had never
amounted to acute Agony. The
Fever of both ran very high all
Night, and it feemed to me that
Mafter Blower in his Deliration
went through the whole Book of
Job in his Head, from the dif-
jointed Fragments he uttered here
and there. Alfo he feemed much
argufying with an impenitent Sinner
in his Flock, his Reafonings and
tender Perfuafives with whom were
enough to have melted a Stone.
As to Miftrefs Peach, I muft fay
her Thoughts ran moflly on her
Jams, . . . me conceited herfelf
opening Pot after Pot and finding
every
Cherry & Violet.
every one fermented ; and kept
exclaiming in a doleful Voice,
" Oh dear, here's another Biihop's
" Wig!" So that, what with being
ready to laugh at her, and to cry
over him, I was quite carried out of
myfelf, and away from my own
Troubles. Towards Day-dawn they
both became quiet; I fumigated
the Room, bathed their Temples
with Vinegar, moiilened their
Mouths, and then knelt down in
a Corner to pray ; after which,
I dozed a little. I had heard the
Death-cart going its melancholy
Round during the Night ; and had
felt thankful we had no Dead to be
carried out.
In the Morning, both my Patients
feemed bettering. Dorcas, with my
Help, got to her Mailer's Bediide,
and looked in on him. " Dear Sir,"
ays me, " how are you now ?"
" Somewhat
196
Cherry G? Violet.
" Somewhat eafier, but very
" thirfty, Miftrefs Peach" fays he.
" Oh dear, Sir,'* fays fhe, " don't
" call me Miftrefs Peach, or I mall
" think you're going to die. I like
" Dorcas beft now. What a Mercy
" it was, Sir, Miftrefs Cherry came
" in as fhe did, for we were both
" at Death's Door. I dare fay, Sir,
" you miffed me ?"
"How mould I do otherwife?"
faid he, fpeaking very thick, tand
with evident Pain. . . " I've got a
"Wafp's Neft in my Throat, I
" think. . . How mould I do other-
" wife, I fay, when no one came
"near me for twenty- four Hours?"
" Ah, Sir," fays fhe, " I'm fure
" I beg your Pardon for behaving
" fo ill, — for being fo ill, that is ;
" but indeed I could not help it.
" I thought," continues fhe, turning
to me, " I wouldn't die, as 'twere,
"juft
Cherry Of Violet. 197
"juft under his Nofe, fo crawled
" out of Sight; but put Everything
" near him that he could want
" before I took the Liberty of
" leaving him ; and did the befl
" Thing I could for him at parting,
" by putting a fine drawing Platter
" round his Throat. . . Pray, Sir,
"did it draw?"
" Draw ?" cries he, with the firfl
indignant Flam I ever faw from his
pleafant Eyes . . . and 'twas half
humourous, too, — " Like a Cart-
" horfe ! I mould have been dead
" Hours ago, you Woman, had I
kept it on ! "
Sorrowful as I was, I could not
help burfting out a-laughing, and
he did fo too, when fuddenly
flopping fhort and looking very
odd, — " I don't know whatever has
given way in my Throat," fays
he, " but verily I think that Laugh
" has
198
Cherry G? Violet.
" has faved me ! Here ! give me
" fome Water, or Milk, or Any-
" thing to drink, for I can fwallow
" now."
So I gave him fome Water, and
ran down Stairs for fome Milk, the
Night-watchman having promifed
to fet fome within the Door. When
I got back, there was quite another
Expreffion on his Face ; compofed
and thankful. Dorcas was fhedding
Tears as me tended him, quite
thoughtlefs of herfelf.
" Now, Cherry" fays he, " do
" perfuade this dear Woman to lie
" down and take Care of herfelf,
" for me has had Faith enough in
" her famous Plaflers to have put
" one about her own Throat, and
" I know what me rriufl be fuffer-
" ing, or will have to fuffer."
So I gently led her back to her
Mattrefs, and then, fitting down by
Mafter
Cherry & Violet.
Mafter Blower, fed him with fome
Sponge-cake that was none the
worfe for being ftale when fopped
in Milk, warm from the Cow. He
took it with great Satisfaction, and
faid he hoped I mould not think
him greedy when I remembered
how long he had fafted. Then he
would not be peaceified till I went
down Stairs and breakfafted by
myfelf: telling me his Mind to
him a Kingdom was, or fomewhat
to that Effect, -which I could
thoroughly believe. When I came
back, Dorcas feemed fleeping
foundly, though not very eafily.
Mafter Blower had got the fame
heavenly Look as when I firft faw
him. I afked him if there were
Anything I could do for him. He
faid, Yes, I could read him the
fortieth Pfalm. When I had done
fo, he faid, " And now you can read
" me
200
Cherry & Violet.
" me the hundred and fixteenth.
That, he faid, would do to reflect
upon, and I might go my Ways
now; he mould want Nothing more
for a good While. So I fat down
in a great Arm-chair with a tall
Back, wherein, the Chair being
mighty comfortable, and I fome-
what o'erwearied with watching,
(not being very ftrong yet,) or ever
I was aware I fell afleep, which
certainly was not very good Nurfing
nor good Manners.
When I woke up, which may
perhaps have been not fo foon as it
feemed to me, "Well, Miftrefs
" Cherry," fays Mafler Blower,
fomewhat ironically, " I hope you
" have had a good Nap. A Penny
" for your Dream."
I faid it had been a wonderful
pleafant one . . . too wonderful, I
feared, to come true.
" Well
Cherry & Violet.
" Well, let's have it, neverthelefs,"
fays he ; "I like hearing wonderful
" Dreams fometimes, when I've
" Nothing better to do. So, now
" for it."
— When I came to think it over,
however, it feemed fo different,
waking and fleeping, that I de-
fpaired of making it feem to him
Anything like what it had feemed
to me.
"Come," faid he, "you're making
" a new one."
" Oh, no, Sir!" faid I, "I would
" not do fuch a Thing on any
" Account. — My Dream was this ;
" — only I fear you will call it a
" comical one. . . Methought I was
" walking with you, Sir, (I beg
" your Pardon for dreaming of you,
" which I mould not have done if
" I had not been nurfing of you,
" I dare fay)—"
" Pardon's
201
202
Cherry & Violet.
" Pardon's granted," fays he.
" Go on."
" I thought, Sir, I was walking
" with you in a Garden all full of
" Rofes, Pinks, Crownations, Co-
" lumbines, Jolly-flowers, Hearts-
" eafe, and — and . . '
"A Kifs behind the Garden-
" gate," fays he.
I was quite thrown out; and faid,
I did not believe there was fuch a
Flower.
" Oh yes, there is," fays he, —
" Well, but the Reft of your
" Dream — "
" That's all, Sir."
"All?" cries he.
"Yes, Sir; only that we went
" on walking and walking, and the
" Garden was fo mighty pleafant."
"Why, you told me there was
" Something wonderful in it ! " fays
he.
I faid
Cherry & Violet.
I faid it had feemed wonderful at
the Time —
" That there was not a Kifs be-
" hind the Garden-gate," fays he
laughing. " O fie, Cherry!"
I felt quite afhamed ; and faid it
was very filly to tell Dreams, or to
believe in them.
" Why, yes," faid he ferioufly,
" it is foolifh to believe in the dif-
" jointed Images thrown together
" by a diftempered Fancy; though
" aforetime it oft pleafed our
" HEAVENLY FATHER to commu-
" nicate his Will to his Servants
" through the Avenues of their
" fleeping Senfes. How mould you
" and I be walking in a Garden
" together ? There are no Gardens
" in Whitechapely Cherry. In Berk-
"JJiire, indeed, my Brother the
" Squire has a Garden fomething
" like what you defcribe, full of
" Rofes,
203
204
Cherry (sf Violet.
" Rofes, Pinks, and Gilly-flowers,
" with great, flourifhed iron Gates,
" and broad, turfen Walks, and
" Arbours, like green Wigs, and
" clipped Hedges full of Snails, and
"Ponds full of Fifli. If I go
" down there to get well, Cherry,
" as peradventure I may, for I mall
" want fetting up again before I'm
"fit for Work — (I've fallen away
" till I'm as thin as Don Quixote!)
" I'll afk his Wife to invite you
" down, Cherry, to fee the Garden;
" and then we'll look up all thofe
" Flowers we were talking about."
" Thank you kindly, Sir," faid
I, forrowfully, "but I don't think
" I can go . . I muft be looking for
" my Father."
" Your Father ! " cries he, in
Amaze. " Why, dear Cherry, I
" thought you told me he was
" dead ! "
I tried
Cherry & Violet.
205
I tried to anfwer him, but could
not, and fell a-fobbing.
" Come," fays he, quite moved,
I want to hear all this fad Story."
When I was compofed enough
to tell it him, he liftened with deep
Attention, and I faw a Tear fteal
down his Cheek.
" Cherry" fays he at length,
" you muft give over hoping he
" will return, my Dear. There is
" not a Likelihood of it. Confider
" how long a Time has elapfed
" fince he went forth ; and how
" many, as dear to their Families as
" your Father to you, have been
" cut off in the Streets at a
" Moment's Notice, and carried off
" to the Dead-pits before they
" were recognifed. For fuch awful
" Cafualties the Good are not un-
" prepared. Inftead of carrying
" back Infection and Defolation to
"his
206
Cherry & Violet.
" his Home, and lingering for
" Hours and Days in unfpeakable
" Agonies, the good Man was
" doubtlefs carried at once to the
" Bofom of his GOD."
Then he fpake Words that killed
Hope, and yet brought Healing;
and after weeping long and plenti-
fully, I began to fee Things as he
did, and to feel convinced I mould
fee my Father's Face no more :
which, indeed, I never did.
CHAP.
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. XL
Diftinffiion between would & Jhould.
• ;r
DORCAS, who continued very ill
all this Day, began thereafter to
amend, and was able to take the
fole Night-watch. But the Watch-
man would not let me go forth,
though he would fend my Meflages
to Violet y and give me the Packages
of Clothing and fo forth that Violet
fent me. However, one Day a
Doctor called, and gave as his
I^eafon for not coming before, that
he had been ill himfelf. And he
faid both my Patients were in fuch
a fair Way of Recovery, that he
thought
207
208
Cherry & Violet.
thought in another Week I might
leave the Houfe without Danger to
myfelf or others, only attending to
the proper Fumigations.
Matter Blower now fat up in his
eafy Chair, half wakeful, half
dozing, for he was too weak to
read much. But he liked me to
read to him, which I did for Hours
together ; and the Subject-matter
of the Book often gave Rife to
much pleafant Talk, infomuch that
I began to be fecretly and felfifhly
forry that the Time was fo near
at Hand when he would be well
enough to do without me.
At other Times I got him to talk
to me about the Country-houfe of
his Brother, the Squire, wherein he
himfelf- had been born, and had
fpent all his boyifh Days. And
when I heard him tell about the
little ivy-covered Church, and the
pretty
Cherry G? Violet.
pretty Churchyard planted with
Flowers, and the ruftic Congrega-
tion in their red Cloaks and white
Frocks, and the Village Choir
with their Pipes and Rebecks, it
feemed to me I would rather, a
thoufand Times, be Vicar or even
Curate of fuch a Place as that
than have ever fuch a large, grand
Living in Whitechapel. And fo I
told him.
At other Times I fat fewing quite
filent by the Window, leaving him
to doze if he could ; and fometimes
I could fee without looking up,
that his Eye would reft on me for
a good While at a Time. I did
not care a Pin about it, and made
as though I took no Notice.
" Cherry ," fays he, after one of
thefe Ruminations, " what have the
" Men been about, that you have
" never got married ?"
I plucked
209
210
Cherry & Violet.
I plucked up my Spirit on this ;
and, " Sir," faid I, " if you can tell
" me of any fuitable Anfwer I can
" poffibly make to fuch a Queftion
" as that, I'll be much obliged to you
" for it, and will make Ufe of it!"
"Well!" fays he, "it was a
" queer Queftion . . . only, the
" Thing feems fo wonderful to
" me ! Such a pretty Girl as
" you were when I firft knew
" you ! "
" Ah, that was a long While
" ago, Sir," faid I, threading my
Needle.
" It was ! " faid he, decidedly ;
and then looking at me in an
amufed Kind of Way, to fee how
I took it. " A long While ago,
"as you fay, Cherry ! And, do
" you know, I think exadtly the
" fame of you now, that I did
"then!"
" I am
Cherry &_ Violet.
" I am very much obliged to
you, Sir," faid I ; and went to
make him a Bread-pudding.
Another Time, we fell to talking
about the Awfulnefs of the Vifita-
tion, which, he faid, he feared
would make no lafting Impreflion
on the People. And he fpoke
much about individual Sins helping
to bring down national Chaftife-
ments ; and individual Interceflions
and Supplications inviting Forgive-
nefs of general Tranfgremons ;
quoting Daniel, and Abraham, and
Jeremiah, " Run ye to and fro
" through the Streets of Jerufalem,
" and fee now and know, and feek
" in the broad Places thereof, if ye
" can find a Man that executeth
" Judgment, that feeketh the Truth;
" and I will pardon it."
Another Time, feeling weaker
than common, he began to defpond
about
21 I
212
Cherry & Violet.
about getting down to his Brother
the Squire's. I faid, " Dear Sir, if
" you are not equal to fo long a
" Journey, you can come, for
" Change of Air, to your old
" Quarters on the Bridge."
" Ah, Cherry" faid he, faintly
fmiling, " what would Folks fay if
" I did that ? "
" Why, what Jhould they fay,
"Sir?" faid I.
" I'm not confidering what they
"Jhould fay," faid he ; " what they
" would fay, Cherry, would probably
" be, that I meant to marry you ;
" or ought to mean it."
I faid I did not fuppofe they
would or could fay any fuch
Thing ; I being fo long known
on the Bridge, — and he of his
Years—"
" Humph !" faid he, " I am but
" forty-four ! To hear you talk,
" one
Cherry & Violet.
" one might think I was a — "
. . . I forget what Sort of an
Arian he called himfelf, — " Do
" you know what that means,
"Cherry?"
I faid, I believed it was fome
Sort of a Diflenter. On which he
laughed outright ; and faid it meant
fixty or feventy Years of Age, I
forget which.
" And I'm not quite fuch an old
" Codger as that," faid he, " fo I
" won't accept your kind Invitation,
" though I thank you heartily for
" it. But we muft not let our
" Good be evil fpoken of."
All this was fpoken in fuch a
fimple, genial, attaching Sort of a
Way, — for his Manners were always
gentle and well-nurtured, — that it
only went to make me like him
more and more, and think what
a Privilege it was to be thus in
hourly
2I4
Cherry Gf Violet.
hourly Communion with Matter
Blower.
Parting Time came at laft. It
was my own Fault if I left not
that Houfe a wifer, better, and
happier Woman. Dorcas and I
faw him ftart off for Berk/hire ; and
there was a Tear in my Eye, when
he took my Hand to bid me Fare-
well.
"Cherry" faid he, frill holding
my Hand, and looking at me with
great Goodnefs and Sweetnefs, " I
" mall never forget that to you,
" under Heaven, I owe my Life.
" And, by the Way, there is Some-
" thing I have often thought of
" naming to you, only that it never
" occurred to me at the proper
" Time . . a very odd Circumftance.
" — When I efcaped to Holland,
" and, as fome People thought, was
" in Want of Money, I found feven
" gold
Cherry & Violet.
gold Pieces in the Infide of one
of my Slippers ! Who could have
put them there, do you think ?
Ah, Cherry ! — There ! GOD blefs
"you!
CHAP
215
2l6
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. XII.
Camping out in Epping Foreft.
WHEN I returned Home, my
Neighbours looked ftrangely on me,
as though I were one rifen from
the Dead, after nurfing two People
through the Plague without Hurt.
I faid not much, however, to any
of them except to Violet.
When I had told her all I had to
tell, me faid, "Well, I think the
" Tale ends rather flatly : you and
" Mafter Blower might as well have
" made a Match of it."
" Truly, Violet" faid I, " I think
" Women of our Age may be
" capable
Cherry & Violet.
capable of a difinterefted Action,
without Queftion of Match-
making."
" As to Women of our Age,"
retorted me, " fpeak for yourfelf,
" if you pleafe ! You may make
" out yourfelf to be as old as you
" will ; but I mean to flick at
" Twenty-eight ! "
I faid not another Word, but
fecretly wondered how ftrangely
tender fome People are on the Sub-
ject of Age. Even Mailer Blower,
who had owned to Forty-four, did
did not like me to reckon him at
Fifty.
It was now quite the latter End
of Oflober, the Diflemper was
abating, and People were beginning
to venture back to their Homes,
and a few Shops were re-opened.
Hugh Braidfoot and his Family re-
turned among the reft. But too
heedlefs
217
2l8
Cherry & Violet.
heedlefs an Expofure to the Infec-
tion yet lingering among us caufed
the Diftemper to rage again with
great Fury before it abated for
good.
I now kept myfelf clofe, and
fpent the Chief of the Day at my
Needle or Book, working much for
the Poor, who were like enough to
be deftitute in the Winter. Firfl,
however, I put on Mourning for
my poor, dear Father, whom I
could not bear to deny this Mark of
Remembrance, though the Mortality
being fo great, People had quite
left off wearing Black for their
Friends. Much he dwelt in my
fad, folitary Thoughts ; and when
they ran not on him, they chiefly
fettled on Matter Blower. The
more I coniidered their Characters,
the more Beauty I found in them,
I never opened the Shqp-fhutters
now,
Cherry & Violet.
now, except for a little Light.
Trade was utterly ftagnant ; and
my Father's Bufinefs had dropped
with him. The little I might have
done in the Perfumery Line, had
the Town not been empty, would
not have been worth fpeaking of:
it was a Mercy, therefore, that my
dear Father had left me well pro-
vided.
One Evening, when it was getting
too dufk to work or read, and I was
falling into a Mufe, a tall Shadow
darkened the Door, which happened
to be ajar, and the next Moment a
Man whom I did not immediately
recognife, entered the Parlour and
flepped up to me.
" Cherry! dear Cherry!" he faid
in a ftifled Voice, and took me in
his Arms with a Brother's Affection.
It was poor Mark.
"Dear Mark!" I faid, "where
" have
219
220
Cherry & Violet.
" have you been ? Oh, how often
" have I thought of you!"
" Aye, Cherry , well you might,
" and pray for me, too," faid he,
fomewhat wildly. " Oh, what a
" Tale I have to tell you ! — You
will either hate or defpife me."
"You are ill, very ill," faid I,
looking fearfully at his haggard
Face; "let me give you Something
" before you fay another Word.'*
" Wine, then," faid he ; and
drank with avidity the Glafs I
poured out, and then filled it again
himfelf. "Thanks, dear Cherry ! —
" will my Uncle be coming in?"
I looked at him and at my Drefs,
and could not fpeak ; but there was
no need — "Ah!" — faid he; and
wrung my Hand, and then dropped
it.
" Cherry" faid he, after a Mo-
ment's Paufe, " you know how
" afraid
Cherry & Violet.
" afraid I was of the Plague, and
" how my Wife taunted me for it,
" and for taking the commonefl
" Precautions. She herfelf braved
" it, defied it; fecure in her Amulet
" and Fortune-telling. What was
" worfe, me cruelly expofed her
" Servants to it, for the merefl
'* Trifles. We had Words about it
"often: bitter Words, at laft — She
" accufed me, utterly without Foun-
" dation, of caring more for the
" Servant-girl than for her, reviled
" me for tempting my own Fate by
" Fear ; finally, faid I mould be no
" great Lofs, for I had never cared
" much for her, nor me for me.
" All this embittered me againft
" her. Well, the poor Maid caught
" the Plague at the Butchers' Stalls,
" and, the next Night, was in the
" dead Cart. The following Day,
" our youngeft 'Prentice died. The
" other
221
222
Cherry & Violet.
" other decamped in the Night. I
" now became nearly Mad with
" Fear and Anger; and, rinding my
" Wife would not ftir, or at leaft,
" as me faid, 'not yet/ I confidered
" that Self-prefervation was the firft
" Law of Nature ; and, taking a
" good Supply of Money with me,
" I left the Houfe in the Night.
" Fear of being driven back was
" my fole Feeling till I got clear
" out of London; then, I began to
" have an Impreffion I had done
" wrong. But 'twas Death, 'twas
" Madnefs to think of turning back.
" On I went . . .
" It had been my Impreffion,
" Cherry, that, with plenty of
"Money in my Pocket, I could
" make my Way wherever I would;
" but now, in whatever Dire&ion I
' went, I came upon a Watchman,
" who, becaufe I had no Clean Bill
"of
Cherry & Violet.
" of Health to mow, would not let
me pafs. At length, after run-
ning hither and thither, through-
out the Night, I came upon a
couple of Men, with a fmall Cart
" and Horfe. They feemed to be
in the fame Strait as myfelf, and
talked of fetching a Compafs to
" Bow. I afked them to let me
"join them, and they confented.
" They were a rough Sort of
" Fellows ; one it feemed had de-
" ferted his Mother, the other his
" Wife. Their Conduct, and their
" brutal Way of talking of it, only
" made mine feem more ugly.
"On Bow Bridge the Watch
" would have queftioned us, but we
" crofTed the Road into a narrow
" Way leading to Old Ford. After-
" wards we got on to Homer ton and
" Hackney, and at length into the
" northern Road. Here we went
"on
224
Cherry & Violet.
" on till we faw fome Men running
" towards us ; then we ftruck into
" a Lane, halted at a Barn, and had
" fome Bread and Cheefe. The
" Food was theirs, but I paid for
" my Share ; and I faw them curi-
" oufly eyeing my Money. After-
" wards they afked one or two
" Queftions about my Refources,
" which I did not much like.
" Well, we kept on till we were
" many Miles from London, occa-
" iionally dodging Villages and
"Conftables. At Nightfall we
" reached the Skirt of a Wood.
" Here my Companions propofed
" to fleep ; but as soon as they were
" fairly ofF, I flole away. I wan-
" dered a long Way from them in
" the Wood ; at length took re-
" fuge in a Cow-fhed. I thought
" I heard Voices, not far off,
" which made me uneafy ; how-
" ever,
Cherry & Violet.
" ever, I was fo tired that I fell
" afleep.
" As foon as Day dawned, I made
" off; and, not knowing which
" Track to take, went on at Random,
" till I came to a large old Barn.
" To my Surprife, I heard fome
" one praying within. I looked in,
" and faw, not one, but a dozen
" Men, and two or three Women
" and Children. I flood reverently
" afide till the old Man had done,
" and heard him pray that they
" might all continue to be fpared
" from the awful Vifitatibn. When
" they uncovered their Faces, I
" ftept forward, on which there
" was a loud Cry, and they warned
" me off. It was to no Ufe
" fpeaking, they would not hear
" me as I had no Parlport. Dif-
" pirited and hungry, I flrayed
" away till I came to the Skirt of
"the
226
Cherry & Violet.
" the Wood, in Sight of a Clutter
" of Houfes. I was about to make
" for them, when three Men, with
" a Pitchfork, Bludgeon, and Horfe-
" whip rufhed upon me and collared
" me, faying, ' Here's one of them !'
" — I flruggled, and faid, 'One of
" whom ? I belong to no Party,
" and am a healthy, innocent Man.'
" ' That founds well,' faid one of
"them, 'but we guefs you are
" one of a Gang that, after threat-
" ening and intimidating our Town
" yefterday, broke into a lone Farm-
" houfe laft Night ; fo we'll take
" you before a Magiflrate.' ' Do
" fo,' faid I, ' for it will be better
" than ftarving in the Wood, and
" I mail be able to clear myfelf.'
" So, after a Time, finding I made
" no Refiftance, they gave over
" dragging me, and let me walk by
" myfelf, only keeping clofe about
" me,
Cherry Gf Violet.
" me, with an ugly Bull-dog at my
" Heels. However, I did not feel
" over-fure, Cherry, that my Story
" would fatisfy the Magiftrate, fo
" when we reached a fmall Public-
" houfe where we found a Conftable,
" I privately flipped a Half-crown
" into his Hand, and he, after a
" little Parley, gave it as his Opinion
" that I was an honeft Man, whereon
" the others defifted from giving
" me in Charge. But they would
" by no Means admit me into the
" Houfe, only brought out fome
" Bread and Beer, and fet them at
" a Diftance, and then went away
" while I ate and drank.
" There feemed Nothing to do
" but to turn again into the Wood ;
" and as I was without Object,
" foot-fore, and fpiritlefs, I paufed
" at the firft inviting Spot I came
" to, and cafl myfelf along under a
" Tree.
228
Cherry & Violet.
" Tree. Here I fuppofe I flept a
" good While : when I awoke, it
" was with a ftrange Senfe of De-
" preffion, and it occurred to me
" I might be plague-ftricken after
" all. As if I could fly yet from
" the Diftemper, if that were the
" Cafe, I refolved to be moving ;
" for I had no Mind to die like a
" Rat in a Hole. Juft then I heard
" Voices clofe on the other Side
" the Tree; and, eyeing the Speakers
" between the Branches, could make
" out a numerous Band of Men and
" a few Women, who were eating
" and drinking. I did not like their
" Appearance much, and thought
" of retreating, when one of them,
"feeing me ftir, cries, — 'A Spy!*
" and drags me into the Midft. I
" was pretty roughly handled till
"they fettled it to their Minds I
" was a harmlefs Sort of a Fellow ;
"and
Cherry & Violet.
and then they told me they would
let me join the Crew if I would
caft my Lot among them, and
put whatever I had about me into
the common Stock. I was no
Ways minded to do this; however, !
I gave them a few Shillings,
which, after a little Demur, they
took, and I then was free of the
Company. I foon had Reafon to
apprehend they were the Band
who had affrighted the Townfmen
the Day before, and plundered
the Farm in the Night ; and it
feemed as if a felecl: Council of
them were concerting Something
of the Sort again, though they
did not invite me to participate.
As this was not the Sort of Com-
pany I had any Mind to aflbciate
with, I dragged through the
; Afternoon and Evening as well
; as I could, moftly apart. They
" then
230
Cherry & Violet.
" then began to put up Booths and
" Tents for the Night, at which I
" was glad to aflift, rather than do
" Nothing ; but I lay a little Way
" off, under a Tree. In the Night
" I felt fome one lugging at the
" little Parcel of Clothing I laid
" my Head upon. — I hit a Blow at
" Random, which made whoever it
" was move off without a Word ;
" and then I thought it was Time
" for me to move off too. I got
" away unperceived, and could not
" fettle again all Night. When
"Day broke, I was in a Part of
" the Forefl that was new to me. .
" The Sun was mining on fome
" gnarled old Oaks, and along green
" Glades ; there were Birds finging,
" Hares running acrofs the Grafs,
" and Wild-flowers overhanging a
" little Brook of clear Water. Oh,
" Cherry ! how I mould have en-
" joyed
Cherry & Violet.
"joyed idling in fuch a Place if I
" had had a quiet Mind !
" I drank fome Water, and warned
" my Face ; and juft then I faw
" fome Women paffing through the
" Trees, carrying large, country
" Loaves, and tin Cans of Milk.
" They did not fee me, but fet
" down their Burthens near a large
" Stone. Then they retreated and
" flood a little Way off, and pre-
" fently, two pretty-looking Girls
" came tripping out of the Wood,
" took up the Loaves, emptied the
" Milk into brown Pitchers of their
" own, put fome Silver on the
" Stone, and cried, ' Here's your
" Money, good People ! '
" Then they returned into the
" Wood, and I followed them. I
" faid, ' Shall I carry one of your
" Pitchers ? ' they looked affrighted,
" and cried, ' Pray, Sir, keep off . .
" how
232
Cherry & Violet.
" how do we know that you may
" not have the Plague ?' I faid, « I
" aflure you, it was to efcape from
" the Plague that I came into the
" Wood, and here I feem likely to
" ftarve, though I have Plenty of
" Money.* They looked at one
" another, and faid, ' If it be true,
" his Cafe is hard, — let us tell my
" Father.' They went away, and by
" and by an elderly Man came to me
" from among the Trees. He quef-
" tioned me very narrowly, and fatif-
" fying himfelf at length that I was
" both found and refpeftable, he
" admitted me to their little En-
" campment, which confifted of five
" or fix little Huts, a Family in
" each ; befides a few Cabins the
" fingle Men had fet up for them-
" felves. I did the like, added my
" Stock to theirs, and continued
"with them all the Time their
" Encampment
Cherry & Violet.
" Encampment lafted, which was
" till Yefterday, when, the Weather
" turning cold, and the News of
" the Abatement of the Diftemper
" having reached us, we refolved to
" return to our Homes. — I could
" make you quite in Love with our
" Camp Life, Cherry ', if I chofe to
" enlarge upon fome Things, and
" leave others out of Sight, — in
! " fhort, make it appear the Thing
" it was not. But, honeftly fpeak-
j " ing, though we were very thankful
I " to buy our Safety at the Price
" of much Inconvenience, all the
" Romance of our Situation foon
I " faded away, and we were right
" glad to fet our Faces homewards
" again, even without being fully
I " certified we could do fo with
I " Impunity.
" But, to what a Home did I
" return ! The Houfe was pad-
" locked
234
Cherry & Violet.
" locked up, and Everything in
" the PofTeffion of the Lord Mayor.
" And, from a Watchman out
" of Employ, who was taking
" Care of a Houfe over the
" Way, and who did not know
" me, I heard the Circumftances
" of my Wife's frightful Death.
"Oh, Cherry! we did not care
" for each other much ; but I fear
" it was cowardly and cruel of me
" to forfake her ! "
— And Mark laid his Head on
his Arms and wept. Prefently he
faid, " What to do, I know not.
" I fhall be able, by Application
" to the Lord Mayor to-morrow,
" to get back my Houfe and
"Property; but — to tell you the
" Truth — I have no great Fancy
" to go back there; at any Rate,
" till the Houfe has been well
" fumigated. So that . . . will you
" take
f(
Cherry & Violet.
take Compaffion on me, and let
me return awhile to my old
Quarters, Cherry ?"
Of courfe I faid I would.
CHAP.
235
236
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. XIII.
Ghofts.
IT was now Supper-time ; and
Mark, having leiTened the Senfe of
his Troubles by telling of them,
although he began by thinking he
could not eat a Mouthful, ended
by making a very hearty Supper.
Indeed, he fo much commended
the one or two fimple Dimes fet
upon Table, and fpoke fo ftrongly,
though briefly, on the Subject of
good and bad Cookery, that, as it
had been his Difpofition to be con-
tented with Anything that was fet
before him in his unmarried Days,
I fet
Cherry & Violet.
I fet it all down to the Difcomfort
of his late Life in the Forefl.
Afterwards I was difpofed to change
my Mind about this, and to decide
that Miftrefs Blenktnfop, who in their
early married Days had pampered
and petted him amazingly, (whereby
his good Looks had fuffered no
little,) had really deftroyed the
fimple Tafles which were once fo
becoming in him, and had made
him Something of an Epicure.
After the Table was cleared, he
drew near me again, and with real
Concern in his Manner, prefTed me
to tell him about my Father. I
did fo from firfl to laft, with many
Tears ; adding thereunto my nurling
of Mailer Blower. He fighed a
good many Times as I went on,
and after I had done ; exclaiming
at laft, "What a Difference between
"you and me!"
"All
238
Cherry & Violet.
" All People have not the fame
" Qualifications," faid I.
" No," faid he, and feemed to
think I had now hit the right Nail
on the Head.
" And Violet — " faid he, after a
Paufe, and colouring deeply. " Is
"fhe quite well, Cherry?"
" Quite," I faid; and could think
of Nothing more to fay.
" I wonder," faid he in a low
Voice, as if he were almoft afraid
to hear the Echo of his own
Thoughts, " whether me would
" now have Anything to fay to
"me?"
I faid, looking away from him,
" Such Queftions as that mould
" only be put to the Parties con-
" cerned."
" You are right," faid he ; and
fat a long While filent, leaning his
Head upon his Hand. At length,
he
Cherry & Violet.
he faid, " I am rich now, and me
" is poor, Cherry "
I faid, " Riches and Poverty
" don't make much Difference,
" Mark, when People really love
" one another."
" As I have loved — " faid he.
I faid, "It is Bed-time now,
" and here is Dolly coming in to
" Prayers."
The next Morning, he faid he
muft go to the Lord Mayor about
his Houfe. For the abandoned
Effects of fuch Families as were
entirely fwept away and left no
known Heirs, went to the King,
who made them over to the Lord
Mayor and Aldermen, to be applied
to the Ufe of the Poor ; and Mark's
Abfence had made it appear that
his Property was in that Cafe.
Soon after he was gone, the un-
common, and, I may almoft fay,
unparalleled
240
Cherry & Violet.
unparalleled Event occurred to me
of receiving a Letter ; I was fo
furprifed at the Circumilance, that
for the Moment I thought it muil
be from my Father ; or, at leafl, to
tell me he was alive. But no, it
was from Mailer Blower; and this
was what he put in it.
" Eucklands Hall, Rerks.
"Oct. 27, 1665.
"Dear Miilrefs Cherry,
" On firil coming
" down here, I was fo ill at Eafe
" and out of Sorts, as to require
" much Care and Nuriing. Heaven
" be praifed, I am now well, and
" I hope you are the fame. Though
" the Pinks and Gilly- flowers are
" pretty well over, there are ilill
" fome gay Autumn Flowers in the
" old Garden with the Iron Gate ;
" and my Brother, the Squire, and
"his
Cherry & Violet.
" his good Wife want to fee the
" brave Miftrefs Cherry who nurfed
" me through the Plague. So come
" down to us, dear Cherry, to
" morrow if you can. John, the
" Coachman, (a fteady Man,) will
" be at your Door, with a white
" Horfe and a Pillion at Seven o'
"the Clock. And be fo good, if
" it will not be inconvenient to
" you, as to bring my Sifter-in-Law
" a little Mace and green Ginger ;
" and alfo (on my Account) one of
" thofe Saffron-cakes they ufed to
" be fo famous for at the Bridge-
" foot.
" Your faithful and obliged Friend,
NATHANAEL BLOWER.
" If you don't come, you muft
" write."
Here was an Event ! An Invita-
tion to the Country was a flill more
R ftartling
242
Cherry & Violet.
flartling Occurrence than the Re-
ceipt of a Letter. Many of the
Circumflances connected with it
were delightful ; but then, it feemed
fo flrange, fo awful, to go to flay
with People I had never feen, . . .
fuch grand People, too ! I that was
fo unufed to fine Company, and did
not know how to behave! — And
Mafler Blower knew all this, knew
exactly what I was, and yet had
prevailed with them to fay they
mould be happy to fee me! — Oh,
his Goodnefs of Heart had this
Time carried him too far! They
had faid fo juft to pleafe him,
without expecting I mould go !—
And yet, if the Lady were very
much put to it for Mace and green
Ginger . . . And if Mafler Blower's
Heart were very much fet upon
giving her the Saffron-cake ... I
fuppofed I had better go. If I
found
Cherry & Violet.
found myfelf very much out of
Place, I could come away the next
Day.
Then I thought I would go and
confult Violet; for, in Fact, I
wanted a little perfuading to do
what I very much liked. So I
ftepped acrofs the Bridge. The
Shop was open, but Nobody was in
it; fo I went to the Parlour Door,
and opened it.
Directly I had done fo, I faw
Violet and Mark, fitting clofe to-
gether, their Backs to me, and his
Arm round her Waift. I clofed
the Door fo foftly that they did
not know it had been opened, and
went Home. A Pang mot through
my Heart. It was entirely on their
own Accounts, for I had ceafed, for
Years, to have Anything but a moft
fifterly Concern in him; and his
Character, compared with thofe of
the
244
Cherry & Violet.
the People I had moft loved,
failed to ftand the Teft : but I
thought this was too quick, too
fudden, to be quite comely or de-
cent ; there was too much Paffion,
too little Self-refpedl.
I now made up my Mind with-
out any more Hefitation, that I
would go into the Country. I gave
my parting Directions to Dolly, and
defired her to let Mark have Things
comfortable. Then I made up my
little Travelling-equipage, not for-
getting my Commiffions. Being in
frem, well-made Mourning, there
was no Trouble or Anxiety about
Drefs. I quite enjoyed the pleafing
Buftle of Preparation, though I did
not expect to be abfent longer than
a Week.
Mark was not very punctual to
the Supper- hour; and as he faid
Nothing of his Vifit over the Way,
I was
Cherry & Violet.
I was to conclude him all Day at
my Lord Mayor's or in Cheapjide.
But the deep Carmine of his Cheek
and the burning Light of his Eye,
told Tales. I alked him if he had
dined. He careleflly replied yes,
with a Friend. I alked him if he
had feen the Lord Mayor. He faid
yes, it had been a more trouble-
fome Bulinefs than he expected :
they had alked him fo many fearch-
ing Queftions, and had got the
whole Story out of him. He feared
he had cut a forry Figure. At any
Rate, he had in his own Sight.
Then I alked him whether he had
got back his Houfe. He faid yes, and
had put an old Woman into it, who
had undertaken to fumigate it. Every-
thing feemed fealed up, but he could
not help fearing many Things were
gone. The old Place looked.fo difmal,
he came away as foon as he could.
After
246
Cherry & Violet.
After a Paufe, he faid, " Cherry,
" I feel a ftrong Inclination to get
" rid of that Concern altogether.
" The Situation is capital, and I
" mall get Something for the Bufi-
" nefs ; but I have a great Mind
" to fet up fomewhere elfe ; and
" though your Father's was a much
" fmaller Bufinefs than ours, yet
" my happieft Hours have been
panned under this Roof; and if
you like to give up the Shop to
me, I will give for it whatever
I get for my own. And you can
" ftill live with us. . . I mean, we
can flill live here together. What
fay you, Cherry?"
I faid, " Dear Mark, I have no
" Wifh to receive for thefe Premifes
what you get for your own. The
Shop you are welcome to ; the
" Bufinefs you will have to remake
for yourfelf, for it has dwindled
" quite
Cherry & Violet.
" quite away ; I mall be very glad
" to continue to live with you as
" long as you like to have me."
" We . . I mall always like to
" have you, Cherry ," faid he, " for
E< there is only one Perfon dearer to
" me in the whole World."
" My Father has left me fo com-
" fortably provided," faid I, " that
" I mall never need to be a Burthen
" on any one."
" I am glad of it for your own
" Sake," returned he ; " but, as to
" my taking up the Bufinefs without
" paying for it, that is not to be
" thought of. Whatever I get for
" mine, you mall have for yours."
" So let it fland at prefent, at
" any Rate," faid I. " Hence-
" forth, the Shop is yours. And,
" Mark, you will have the whole
" Houfe to yourfelf to-morrow, for
" I am going into the Country."
"Where?"
248
Cherry & Violet.
"Where?" faid he, opening his
Eyes very wide.
" To Bucklands Hall, in Berkjhire;
" to flay with Mafler . . . with
" Squire and Miflrefs Blower."
A broad Smile fpread over his
Face. " I am very glad indeed
" to hear of it, Cherry " faid he.—
" Very glad of it."
Afterwards, as we fat chatting
over our Supper, we got on the
Subject of Ghofls. He afked me
if I belkved in them. I faid no.
" Well, I do," faid he fighing.
And told me of a Story he had had
from the Servant of Sir Richard
Hart, who, travelling with his
Mafler, had been fummoned by
him early one Morning, and charged
to ride Home with all Speed, a
Diflance of feventeen Miles, and
fee how fared his Daughter, whom
he conceited to have feen in the
Night,
Cherry & Violet.
Night, ftanding at his Bed-foot,
with her Hand preffed to her Head.
The Man rode back as he was told ;
and returned with the News that the
young Lady -had indeed been taken
ill about four o' Clock that Morning,
but had had a Doctor with her,
and was now pretty well again.
However, in the Courfe of the Day
{he died.
I faid, " Her Father, in a Dream,
"may have had fo ftrong an Im-
" preflion he was waking, that to
" him it had all the Effect of being
" awake."
" But fuch a Dream as mould
" fo raife the Dead, or pre-figure
" their Death, Cherry" faid Mark,
" would be as bad as if they 'were
" raifed — to us ... I think I, for
" one, could not ftand it." And
I faw then why he was afraid to
return to his own Houfe.
We
250
Cherry Gf Violet.
We talked the Matter quietly
over for fome Time ; and I afked
him why, if the Courfe taken by
Divine Providence in the Admini-
ftration of human Affairs ever
admitted of the Re-appearance of
the Dead, the recorded Cafes of
fuch fuppofed Appearances mould
only be to frighten fome timid
Perfon, reftore a Bag of Gold, or
acquaint fome one with what they
would otherwife know a few Hours
after. This appeared to ftrike him ;
but he faid it might be for the
Sake of Warning. I faid, If for
Warning, why not for Comfort ?
How glad mould I have been, for
Inftance, to be informed fuper-
naturally that all was well with my
Father ? He faid, not that Way,
furely. I replied yes, that Way or
any Way that it had pleafed the
ALMIGHTY to vouchfafe me fuch
Knowledge.
Cherry & Violet.
Knowledge. I mould not be afraid
(and there was an Intenfity of
Earneftnefs in me as I faid it) to
fee either him or my Mother, either
in or out of the Body.
" Well," muttered he, half under
his Breath, " I wifh I could feel as
" much with regard to my Wife.*'
And, regarding me with fome
Earneftnefs, added, " You're a bold
" little Thing, Cherry /"
As I wifhed him good Night,
he flayed me for a Moment,
and faid, with all his old Frank-
nefs and Truft, " Violet and- 1 have
" made Things out between us,
" Cherry."
I faid fervently, " Then, may
" you both be happy. My Belief
" is, that me is likelier to make
" you happy now, than me was
" before."
" Not quite fo pretty, though,"
faid
252 Cherry G? Violet.
faid he, rather regretfully. " How-
" ever, I don't mind that. —
" For, you fee, Cherry, I love
"her!"
CHAP.
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. XIV.
Riding a Pillion.
DOLLY and I had fpent great
Part of the Afternoon in brufhing
up and cleaning an old black riding
Skirt of my Mother's, which it was
a Wonder I had not cut up into
Garments for the Poor. When we
had cleaned it with Hollands, and
ironed it nicely, it looked very well;
for our Houfe was fo airy, that our
Clothes never had the Moth.
Precifely at the Hour named, an
old Man in purple Livery rode up
to the Door, on a grey Horfe with
a Pillion. Mark, who was very
lively
253
254
Cherry & Violet.
lively this Morning, told me he
thought the Horfe looked like a
Bolter ; but I knew he was only i
laughing at me. Then he afked j
me how I meant to mount ; I faid,
with a Chair, to be fure. He faid,
" Nonfenfe ! " and lifted me up in a
Moment, and arranged my Riding-
fkirt as nicely as if he had been
a Lady's Groom. Then he told the
old Man to be careful of me ; but
the old Coachman proved to be
both dull and deaf, by reafon of
great Age ; fo Mark whifpered me
that he was not afraid of his run-
ning away with me, if the Horfe
did not; finifhing with " Good bye,
" Mijirefs Blower"
I gave him an indignant Look,
and faid, " For mame, Mark ! I
" have not deferved that !"
"Well," faid he, "/ think you
" have.'' And juft then the old
Man
Cherry & Violet.
Man jerked the Rein of the old
Horfe, which moved off fo fud-
denly, that I was fain to catch hold
of the old Man's Coat; and the
la ft Glance I had of Mark was
a merry one.
At firft I felt a little bit fright-
ened ; but foon got ufed to my new
Pofition ; efpecially as the Horfe
walked till we were off the Stones.
Still we feemed a long while getting
out of London ; and we met a great
many People returning to it, in
Carts, Waggons, and Coaches.
At length we got quite out of
Town, and between green Hedges,
with Trees beyond them that were
turning all manner of Colours ;
with only a Houfe here and there,
or a Wayfide Inn. At one of* the
latter we flopped in the middle of
the Day, to reft the Horfe, and take
fome Refremment. Then we con-
tinued
£56 Cherry & Violet.
tinued our Journey, which lafted
till Sunfet, and the latter Part of
which was mighty pleafant and
delightfome ; only I was beginning
to be a little weary with fo much
making. But, when I faw how
charming a Place the Country was,
I wondered how People could live
in Towns . . . unlefs on a Bridge.
At length we turned off the
Highway into a Bye-road, fhaded
with tall Trees, which, after a Milei
or two, brought us to a ftraggling
Village ; and, fays the Coachman,
" Miftrefs, now we's in Bucklands"
Prefently we pafTed the abfoluteft
Curiofity of a little old Church ! . .
it feemed hardly bigger than a
Nutmeg-grater! — and hard by it,
the old Parfonage, with three Stone
Peaks in front, and a great Pear-
tree before the Door.
Then we came to a Village
Green,
Cherry & Violet.
Green, with a Clump of large
Trees in the Midft, that had Seats
round them, whereon fat old Men,
while young Men played Cricket,
and little Boys were fetting a Puppy
to bark at fome white Geefe. Here
we came to a great Iron Gate, at
which flood a hale, hearty-looking
Gentleman about fifty; fquare-built,
and not over-tall ; with a good-
humoured, red, mottled Face. And,
fays he, coming up to me, as we
flopped, " Miftrefs Cherry, I'm
" Squire Blower. I can guefs who
" you are, though my Brother did
" not tell me you were fuch a pretty
"Girl.— Oh, the Sinner!" And
lifted me off the Horfe.
"Well," fays he, "you don't
" look quite fure that I's I . . . I am,
" though ! Certainly, not much
" like Nat, who was always the
" Beauty of the Family. Ah ! now
s " you
Cherry & Violet.
' you laugh, which was juft what
" I wanted. My Brother faid your
filver Laugh faved his Life ; — do
you know what he meant by
" that ? "
We were now walking up a
ftrait gravel Walk, between clipped
Hedges, to an old red-brick Houfe,
with ftone Facings. " I fuppofe,
" Sir," faid I, after thinking a little,
" he meant that my Laughing was
" as good as Silver to him, becaufe
" it faved him the Doftor."
" That was it, no Doubt," returns
he, "juft fuch an Anfwer, Miftrefs
" Cherry , as I expected. I fee we
" mall get on very well together,
" though Nat is not here to help
" the Acquaintance. — He has gone
" to fee his old Fofter-motherj who
" is dying. People will die, you
" know, when they get to eighty or
" ninety."
We
Cherry & Violet.
We were now going up a Flight
of fhallow Steps, with Stone Balluf-
i ters, which led us into a Hall,
paved with great Diamonds of
black and white Marble, and hung
about with Guns, Fiming-rods, and
Stag's Horns. An Almanack and
King Charles's golden Rules were
i parted againft the Wall ; and a
I fluffed Otter in a Glafs Cafe hung
over the great Fire-place, where a
Wood-fire burned on the Hearth.
Before this Wood-fire was fpread
a fmall Turkey Carpet ; and on the
I Carpet ftood a Table and four
heavy Chairs ; in one of which fat
an old Lady knitting. The Squire
bluntly accofted her with " Mother,
" here's Miftrefs Cherry;" on which
me faid, " Ho ! "—laid down her
Knitting, and looked hard at me;
firft over, and then through her
Spectacles.
" Hum ! "
260
Cherry & Violet.
" Hum ! " fays me, " Miftref
" Cherry y you are welcome. A
" good Day to you. Pray make
" yourfelf at Home, and be feated.'
So I fat down over againft her
and we looked at each other very
ft-iff. She was fhort and fat, with
round blue Eyes, and a roly
Complexion ; and had a (harper,
mrewder Look than the Squire.
" I dare fay fhe's hungry,
" Mother," fays the Squire ; " give
" her a Piece of Gingerbread or
" Something. — How foon mail we
" have Supper?"
" You are always in fuch a Hurry
" Father, to be eating ; " fays his
Lady. " Forfooth, are we not to
wait for your Brother ? "
And without waiting for his
Anfwer, me took a Bunch of Keys
from her Apron-firing, and un-
locked a little Corner-cupboard,
from
Cherry & Violet.
from which me brought me a Slice
of rich Seed-cake, and a large Glafs
of Wine.
" Thank you, Madam ; I am not
" hungry," faid I.
" Pooh ! Child, you muft be ; "
returns me, rather authoritatively.
" Never be afraid of eating and
" drinking before Company, as if
" it were a Crime ! "
So, thus admonifhed, I ate and
drank : though I would as lief have
waited a little.
" Are you fliff with your Ride ?"
fays me.
" A little, Madam," faid I ; " for
" I was ne'er on a Horfe before."
" Is it poffible ?" cries me, burft-
ing out a-laughing, " Father, did
"you hear that ?"
"Famous!" faid he; and they
yed me as if I were a Curiofity.
" Do you know, now," fays the
Squire's
262
Cherry & Violet.
Squire's Lady to me, after a While,
" I never was in Lunnon!"
" That feems as ftrange to me,
" Madam," faid I, "as it feems to
" you that I mould never have been
" on Horfeback."
" It is ftrange," fays fhe. " Both
" are ftrange."
" And now Pll tell you Some-
" thing that is ftrange," fays the
Squire, " fince we all feem fur-
" prifing one another. Do you
" know, Miftrefs Cherry " ftepping
up behind his Wife, and laying
a Hand on each of her Shoulders,
while he fpoke to me over her
Head; "that this little round-about
" Woman was once as pretty a Girl
" as you are ?"
" Stuff! Squire," fays his Lady.
"Facl!" perfifted he. "Nay,
" prettier!"
" Not a Word of Truth in it,"
fays
Cherry & Violet.
fays me, fhaking him off. " I was
" all very well, — Nothing more.
" Come, Father, here's Gatty going
" to fpread the Cloth for Supper,
" which you'll be glad of. But,
" Gatty, in the firft Place, {hew
" Miftrefs Cherry to her Chamber,
" . . me will perhaps like to drefs a
" little. You'll excufe my attending
" you, my Dear ; the Stairs try my
" Breath."
I followed Gatty up-ftairs to the
prettieft Room that ever was !
When I came down, the Cloth was
fpread, and the Squire's Lady figned
me to the Chair over againft her,
and was juft going to fay Some-
thing, when, crofling between me
and the Sun, I faw the Shadow of
a Man againft the Wall, and knew
it for Mafter Blower's. Ah! what
came over me at that Moment, to
make me fo ftupid, I know not. —
Perhaps
264
Cherry & Violet.
Perhaps that faucy Saying of Mark's
. . but whatever it was, inftead of
my going up to Mailer Blower,
when he came in, which he did the
next Moment, and afking him,
limply and ftraitforwardly, how he
was, I mufl needs colour all over
like a Goofe, and wait till Le came
quite up to me, without having
a Word to fay for myfelf.
" Ah, Cherry /" fays he, taking
my Hand quite frankly, " how glad
" I am to fee you ! Are you quite
"well?"
And, the Moment I heard his
pleafant Voice, I was quite com-
fortable again, and felt myfelf at
Home for the firfr. Time.
" Quite, thank you, Sir," faid I,
" and I hope you are better than
" you were."
" Well, now that civil Things
" have pafled on both Sides," faid
the
Cherry & Violet.
the Squire, who had already feated
himfelf, " come and fay Grace,
" Nat, for here's a Couple of
"beautiful Fowls getting cold."
— Well, the Supper was as
pleafant as could be, and it was
growing quite dufk before the
Table was cleared, yet the Squire
would not hear of having Candles ;
fo then his Lady delired Gatty to
carry Lights into the green Parlour,
"Where," fays me, "I and this
" young Perfon will retire, and be
" good enough Company for each
" other, I dare fay."
Oh, I'm a young Perfon, am I ?
thought I. So I followed her into
the green Parlour, where me fettled
herfelf in an eafy Chair, with her
Feet on a Footftool, and made me
lit facing her. " Now," fays me,
" the Men can profe by themfelves,
" and we'll have a Coze by our-
" felves.
266
Cherry & Violet.
" felves. Pray, Child, how was it
" you came to think of nurling my
"Brother?"
So I began to tell her how I
went to him in Hope of his telling
me how to find my Father; butj
then, me wanted to know how my
Father came to be miffing, fo I had
to go further back. And then I
could not help putting in by the
Way how good and excellent a
Man he was, how tender a Father,
how loving a Hufband, which
brought in my Mother. But I
checked myfelf, and begged the
Lady's Pardon for entering on that,
which I knew could no Ways in-
tereft her. — " Nay, let me hear it
" all," fays me, " I mall like to
" hear Something about your
" Mother." So then I told her of
her holy Life, and faintlike End ;
and of Mafter Blower's invaluable
Miniftrations,
Cherry & Violet.
Miniftrations, which of courfe in-
terefted her a good deal ; and indeed
I faw a Tear fteal down her Cheek,
while I kept mine down as well as
I could. Then I went on to the
Plague, and my Father's Heavinefs
of Spirits ; and his going forth and
never coming back, and my going
in queft of him, and all the Events
of that terrible Day, which I could
! not go over without crying very
heartily. She wept too ; yet cried,
" Go on, go on!" So then I got
to Mafter Blower, and the fleeping
Watchman, and my getting into
the Houfe, and going from Room
to Room, and hearing him yawn, —
which made her laugh ; though me
cried again when (he heard of his
praying, and of his Sufferings that
fearful Night and many Days after.
At the End of all, me got up, put
her Arms about my Neck, and
kiffed
267
268
Cherry & Violet.
luffed me. " Cherry" fays me,
" you're an excellent Creature!" —
Juft then, a great Bell began to
ring,— " That's the Prayer-bell!"
fays fhe, " We will return to the
" Hall, my Dear."
So we returned to the Hall,
much more at our Eafe together
than when we left it. And there,
{landing in a Row, were half a
Dozen Men and Women Servants,
and the Table had Candles and a
large Bible on it. Mafler Blower
read, and then prayed : had I not
been fo tired, I could have wifhed
him to go on all Night ! Then we
difperfed to our feveral Chambers ;
and I had fo much to think about
that it feemed as though I mould
never get to fleep : however, I did
at laft.
CHAP.
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. XV.
Squire's Garden.
BEFORE I went to Bed, I peeped
out of my Window, and faw the
full Moon mining over the broad
gravel Walks and Fim-ponds ; and
I thought how much I mould like
to go round the Garden before
Breakfaft. However, when I woke
in the Morning, I feared I had
been overfleeping myfelf, fo dreffed
in a great Hurry, and went down
Stairs. There I found two Maids
flooding the great Hall with Pails
of Water, and they told me we
were to breakfafl in the green
Parlour,
269
2/0
Cherry & Violet.
Parlour, but not for an Hour yet.
So I flrayed out into the Garden,
where were ftill a good many
Flowers, though the Seafon was fo
late, backed by Evergreen Hedges,
and Rows of tall Trees that were
turning yellow and fcarlet; and it
feemed to me juft like the Garden
of Eden.
So I went on and on, thinking
it mighty pleafant, and wondering
what might be the Names of fome
of the Flowers ; and at length I
came to a Bowling-green, of
wonderful fine Turf, between high
Horn-beam Hedges ; and having a
Sun-dial at one End, and a little
brick Summer-houfe faced with
Stone at the other. Into the
Summer-houfe I went ; and there,
with all his Books and Papers about
him, fat Mafter Blower writing.
" Ah, Cherry!" fays he, holding
out
Cherry & Violet.
out his Hand, " fo you've found
" out my Snuggery ! Have they
" fent you to fummon me to Break-
"faft?"
" No, Sir," faid I, " I did not
" know you were here." And
turned away.
" Stop a Minute," fays he, haftily
putting up his Papers, " and we
" will take a Turn together round
" this wonderful Garden. The
" Garden of your Dream, Cherry ."
I faid how very odd it was I
mould have dreamed about it, — the
Garden of my Dream being fo
exactly like the Reality.
" Why, you fimple Girl," fays
he, laughing ; " becaufe I muft
" have defcribed it to you before,
" though you and I had forgotten
"it!"
I felt quite fure in my own Mind
that he had not.
" Well,"
271
272
Cherry & Violet.
" Well," fays he, fetting out
with me along the Bowling-green,
" what's the News, Cherry ? The
" Plague, you fay, is abating, but
" not gone. Have you feen or
" heard Anything of my poor
"People?"
I faid yes. Miftrefs Peach had
come to me on my fending for her
the Evening before I left ; and had
told me how Things were going
on.
"And how are they going on?"
faid he.
" Well, Sir, it would be a poor
" Compliment to you, if they were
" going on as well in your Abfence,
" as in your Prefence."
" That's true," fays he, looking
grave, " tfut, for Particulars."
" Many Perfons in Trouble of one
"kind or another, knock at your!
"Door; and when they find they
" cannot
Cherry & Violet.
" cannot fee you, go away in
" Tears."
" Poor Souls ! " faid he, much
moved, " I will return to them
" fhortly. I think I am almoft
" well enough now, Cherry. They
" think I am negledling them ?"
" No, Sir, they are very forry
" you need recruiting ; but they are
" forry for themfelves too."
" It's a very nice Point," fays he
mufingly, " when we ought to lie
" by. I believe, had I not left
" Town when I did, I might have
" been dead now — and yet, perhaps
" I was like a Soldier deferting his
« Port."
I faid, " No, Sir, you were liker
" to a Soldier carried off the Battle-
" field to the Hofpital."
" Thank you, Cherry " fays he,
taking my Hand and drawing it
under his Arm. We had now
T reached
273
274
Cherry & Violet.
reached the End of the Bowling-
green ; but inftead of turning into
the Garden, we continued walking
up and down.
" And what elfe ? " fays he.
" Come, let me hear all.'*
" Well, Sir," faid I, " there's not
" much more to tell — "
" Something, though, I can fee!"
faid he. " Come ! out with it,
" Cherry!"
" Sir," faid I, " it's of no Ufe
" for us to trouble and vex our-
" felves about what wicked People
" will fay of us in mere wantonnefs."
" Sometimes, though, we may
" hear the Truth from an Enemy,"
fays he. " And what do wicked,
" wanton People fay of me ?"
" Why, Sir, — fome very evil-
" minded, malapert Perfon hath
" writ on your Church-door, ' A
"Pulpit to Let!'"
"The
Cherry & Violet.
"The Rafcal!" faid he haftily,
and colouring very red. " Why
" now, did I not keep on, Sabbaths
" and Week-days, till the Plague-
" fwellings were actually in my
" Throat, though my Congregation
" often confifted of only two or
" three old Women ? Is not this
" enough to provoke a Man,
" Cherry ? "
I faid, " Yes, Sir, — only there's
" no Ufe in being provoked."
" None, none," fays he, much
perturbed, — " GOD forgive me for
" it ! — I can hardly have Patience,
" though, with them."
I faid, " Dear Sir, you muft
" have Nothing but Patience with
" them."
" You are right, you are right,"
fays he, cooling, but flill much
moved. " 111 or well, I muft go
" back to them forthwith . . the
"Fa<3
276
Cherry & Violet.
" Fact is, there is a Matter I would
" gladly have fettled here, a little
" at my Leifure. — But, Duty before
all ! So, I'll go back, Cherry y to
mine."
I fmiled a little as I faid, " Some-
" body has been doing Duty for
you, the laft Week or ten Days,
" Sir."
"Who?" cried he.
I faid, " An Independent Mini-
" fter."
A complex Kind of Expreflion
croiTed his Face ; for a Moment he
looked pained and provoked, and
then burft out a-laughing.
" GOD blefs the worthy Fellow !"
cries he, " I'll do him a good Turn
" if I can, the firft Time he'll let
" me ! ' The good LORD accept
" every one that prepareth his Heart
" to feek GOD, the LORD GOD of
" his Fathers, even though he be
"not
Cherry & Violet.
" not cleanfed according to the
" Purification of the Sanctuary!' —
" Well, Cherry, I mufl go ! and
" that forthwith, — I would fain have
" tarried here while your Vifit
" lafled."
I looked quite blank at the Idea
of being left behind ; and faid,
"Mufl I, then, flay?"
" Why," cried he, " what is to
" prevent you ? Your Vifit is not
" to me, Cherry /"
I faid, " Oh, Sir, but . . " and
flopped, for I did not know whether
it were right to fay I mould feel fo
lonely without him. But the Tears
came into my Eyes.
" I hope," fays he, in his kindefl
Way, " you will flay and have a very
" pleafant Vifit."
I faid, " It won't, — it can't be
" pleafant now."
" Cherry," he faid, yet more
affectionately,
277
278
Cherry G? Violet.
affectionately, " we mall foon meet
" again . . you fhake your Head. —
" Well, our Lives are not in our
" own keeping, certainly, and may
" be called in the next Minute,
" here as well as in London. And I
" mould not like to die away from
" my Poft. But, Cherry, fince you
" are inexpreffibly dear to me, and
" I think I am, in a lefs Degree,
" dear to you, why, when we meet
" next, mould we ever part again ?
" — Nay, hear me, Cherry! for I
" have long meant to fay this,
" though not quite fo foon . . I
" thought it would feem fo abrupt;
" I wanted to bring you to it by
" Degrees, left I mould get an
" Anfwer I "did not like. For, in-
" deed, Cherry, I know how much
" too old I am for you, how
" thoroughly unworthy of you."
I could not ftand this, and cried,
"Oh,
Cherry & Violet.
" Oh, how can you fay fuch Things,
" Sir ! Unworthy of me, indeed !
" when any Woman — "
Might be proud to have you,
was my Thought, but I did not
fay it.
" Cherry" fays he, " there was
" never — ." And juft at that Mo-
ment a Man fhouted, "High!" at
the Top of his Voice, and then,
"Break-fart!"
" We're keeping them waiting,"
faid I, flipping my Hand from his
Arm, " and you've left your Papers
" all blowing about in the Summer-
" houfe." And fo, ran off to the
Houfe.
Fain would I not have gone ftraight
to Breakfaft, but there was no Help
for it ; and the Squire kept loading
my Plate, and yet faying I ate
Nothing. He and his Lady were
wondrous forry to hear Mafter
Blower
280 Cherry & Violet.
Blower fay he muft return to Town
the next Day; and looked rather
afkance at me for having brought
down any Tidings that fhould
fummon him thither. After Break-
faft, however, he took his Brother
afide to explain to him how needful
was his Return to his Parim ; and
Miftrefs Blower, bringing forth an
immenfe Quantity of Patchwork of
very intricate Contrivance, faid,
" Now, you and I will do a good
" Morning's Work:" — and told me
it was a Fancy of hers to furnifh a
little Bed-chamber with Patchery,
lined with Pink, and fringed with
White. However, Matter Blower
put a Check to all this, as far as
my Help went, by coming in and
faying that as this was to be his laft
Day in the Country, he wanted to
take a long Walk with me, and
mew me the finefl View in the
County.
Cherry & Violet.
County. Miflrefs Blower made one
or two Objections, which he fum-
marily over-ruled ; fo, in a very
few Minutes, off we were walking
together. And firft, without any
Reference to what had been faid
before Breakfaft, he took me round
the Village Green, and into the
Church and Churchyard ; and made
me look over the Parfonage Gate.
I faid, " Dear me, if I were you,
" Sir, how much fooner I would
" be Parfon here than in White-
" chapel!"
" Would you ?" cries he. " Oh,
" but this is a very poor Living !"
I faid, "I did not know you cared
" much for Money."
" Well," he faid, " not to fpend
" on myfelf, but as a Means of Ufe-
" fulnefs. And, oh Cherry ! there is
" fo much Wretchednefs in London,
" that one cannot, after all, relieve !
— " I'll
282
Cherry & Violet.
— " I'll tell you what I do," con-
tinues he, turning down a green
Lane with me, " as a general Rule
" I give away half. That was
" Zaccheus Meafure, you know.
" But, as a fingle Man, I have found
" the other Half a great deal too
" much for me, fo I give away all
" I can of it in Cafualties . . juft to
" pleafe myfelf, as it were. But I
" don't confider this Sub-divifion
" imperative ; therefore, when you
" and I commence Houfekeeping
" together, which I hope will be in
" a very little While, we will fpend
" the full Half, Will that fuffice
"you?'*
"No indeed, Sir," faid I, "I
" fhall be very forry indeed if I add
" to your Expenfes fo much as that.
" I would rather give the Poor
" another Mouthful than deprive
" them of one ; and as I mail only
"coil
Cherry & Violet.
" coft you juft what I eat and wear,
" I hope it won't make much
" Difference.'1
" You're a comical Girl," fays he.
" But, Cherry, I'm forry to fay, that
" rambling old Houfe of mine is
*' now fo completely out of Repair,
" as -to be unfit for a Lady's Occu-
" pation. We muft paint it and
" point it, and mend the Roof."
" Well, but," faid I, " my Father
" has left me fix hundred Pounds,
" which will do all that very well."
" Six hundred Pounds!" fays he,
opening his Eyes very wide, and
then laughing. " Why, you've a
" Fortune, Cherry! How could the
" dear, good Man have faved it ? I
" thought his Bufinefs feemed quite
" dwindled away."
" He had fome Money with my
" Mother, Sir," faid I. " And an
" Uncle left him a Legacy. Befides
" this
284
Cherry & Violet.
" this Money, which Mafter Ben/kin
" and Mafter Braidfoot pay Intereft
" for, the Houfe is mine for a long
" Term ; and Mark means to buy
" the Bufmefs ; fo that I hope I
" mall not be very expenfive to
" you."
" Well," fays he, " it will be for
" After- confideration whether we
" repair the Parfonage at once or
" not. All mail be as you wifh it,
" Cherry." And then we went on
talking of this and that till we came
to a Seat under a Tree ; and there
we fat and talked all the Reft of
the Morning ; for we did not care
much for going on to fee the
Profped:.
After Dinner, it became Mafter
Blower's Object to perfuade me to
name a very early Day indeed — even
that Day Week; and, though I
could hardly endure to think of fo
fudden
Cherry & Violet.
fudden a Change, and thought it
would feem fo ftrange and fo un-
womanly to Everybody, yet the
main Thing that wrought upon me
was what I kept to myfelf ; namely,
the Danger he was going to incur
in returning to his Duties before
the Infection was over. And I
thought how I mould reproach
myfelf if he fell ill, and died for
want of my Nurling. But then,
again, it would feem fo outrageous
to the Squire and his Lady. . . Not
at all, he faid, they knew all about
his wanting to marry me before ever
they fent for me, and the Squire's
Lady had at firfl been very cool
about it ; but before we parted at
Night, I had quite won her over ;
and me faid to him when the Door
clofed upon me, " Well, Nat, you
" may marry that Girl as foon as
" you like/*
I could
286
Cherry & Violet.
I could hardly help laughing —
What was I to do ? I faid, oh,
very well, I fuppofed they muft
all have their own Way, — I would
try to be not very miferable about
it. So, when we went in to Supper,
Matter Blower made no Secret of
what we had been talking about ;
and Miftrefs Blower kitted me, and
fo did the Squire, and we had a
wonderful pleafant Supper. When
Mafter Blower was taking leave of
me, he aiked me if I had any
MefTage to fend Home. It then
ftruck me I muft fend Word to
Mark and Dolly how foon my Con-
dition was going to be changed, —
but, what could I fay ? — I had fcarce
written a Letter in my Life ; leaft
of all to Mark ; and could not for
the Life of me think of any Way
of telling him the News, fufficiently
round-about to prevent its feeming
abrupt
Cherry G? Violet.
abrupt after all. So, thought I,
leaft faid, fooneft mended : and,
fitting down to Pen, Ink, and Paper,
I wrote in my fmallefl, neateft
Hand, —
" Dear Mark,
" I'm going to be Miftrefs
" Blower."
And fealed it up and directed it.
Mafter Blower faid, " Short, if not
"fweet!" and promifed it mould
be faithfully delivered.
When he was gone, the Patch-
work was put away, and the Wed-
ding-dreffes were difcufled. Dear
Miftrefs Blower was as kind as a
Mother to me, though her Hufband
was only five Years older than
mine. Indeed me and the Squire
looked upon me quite as a Girl,
though I told them over and over
again
288
Cherry & Violet.
again I was not. Though they
called each other Father and
Mother, they had never had but
one Child, which died at three
Years old ; but I fuppofe it was
always in their Thoughts.
What a happy Week that was !
— though Mafter Blower was away.
On the Whole, his Abfence was a
good Thing : it gave me Time to
fteady a little, and feel that it was
not a Dream that I was going to
live always within the Sound of his
dear Voice. And, as there was
much Sewing to do, I had Plenty
of Time to think of it. Miftrefs
Blower gave me my Wedding-
clothes, — we had Poft-horfes to the
old Coach, and went to buy them
at the County Town. The Gown
was white Silk ; the Hat trimmed
with a Wreath of very little pink
Rofes round the Crown ; and I had
a cherry-
Cherry & Violet.
a cherry-colour Habit for travelling.
Mafter Blower faid he did not de-
ferve fuch a pretty Bride, — but that
was his kind Way of fpeaking.
I only wim I were better worth his
having !
— We went away from the
Church-door, — as happy a Bride-
groom and Bride as ever rode a
Pillion. When we had got out
of Everybody's Sight, my Hufband
faid, " How are you getting on,
" Miftrefs Blower?" I faid, " I am
" fmiling fo that I am quite glad
" there's N obody to fee me." " May
" the Reft of your Life be all
" Smiles and no Tears, Cherry"
fays he, — " with GOD'S Bleffing, it
" mall be fo if I can make it fo!"
"Ah!" faid I, "I'm content to
" take the Rough and the Smooth
" together, lince I mail henceforth
" mare them with you, Sir."
u " Deareft
289
290
Cherry Gf Violet.
" Deareft Cherry" fays he, " you
" really muft leave off calling me
" Sir! " " I don't know that I can,
" Sir," faid I, " but I'll try."
Though the Journey was delight-
fome, yet towards the latter End of
it, every Mile of the Road became
lefs and lefs pleafant, till at length
we got into the Tide of People,
on Horfe and on Foot, fetting in
towards London. Then, how ftrange
it feemed to me that I was not
going back to the Bridge ! where
I had lived all the Days of my Life
till within the laft Week ! I began
to tremble a little ; and the Idea of
the great old roomy, gloomy Houfe
in Whitechapel) with no bright,
fparkling Water to look out upon,
became rather oppreffive to me, till
I thought how Matter "Blower's
continual Prefence would light it
up. The Streets now becoming
thronged,
Cherry & Violet.
thronged, he preffed my Arm tighter
to him and bade me hold on clofe ;
and I felt he was all the World to
me, be the Houfe what it would.
But when we reached it, what a
Difference ! The whole Front had
had a frefh Coat of Paint, which
made it wondrous lightfome and
cheerful, the Door-ftep was frefh
whitened, the Door frefh varnifhed,
the Knocker frefh polifhed, and
Miflrefs Peach ftanding on the Step
with a new Cap plaited clofe round
her fweet, pleafant Face, and dreffed
in a new grafs-green Gown. I
could not help kiffing her as I ran
in ; fhe faid, " GOD blefs you,
" Miflrefs !" with hearty Cordiality,
and followed me from Room to
Room. Everything had been cleaned
up, and fhe told me, laughing, that
though fhe had had Plenty of
Helps, it had been the hardefl
Week's
292
Cherry & Violet.
Week's Work me had ever had in
her Life. The old green Bed-
furniture had given Place to new
white Dimity ; there was a Lady's
Pincufhion on the Toilette, with
" May you be happy!" in minikin
Pins ; and a Beau-pot of Flowers
on the Window-feat. " All that
" is Miftrefs Violet's doing," faid
Dorcas, " fhe has not left the Houfe
" half an Hour, I allure you, and
" her Needle went in and out as
" fail as could be when fhe was
"finifhing the laft Muflin Blind.
" Oh, fhe has been very bufy, has
"Miftrefs Violet! 'Twas fhe let
" out the Supper Table with the
" Flowers, and Sweet-meats, and
" Pound-cake."
CHAP.
Cherry & Violet.
CHAP. XVI.
The Burning City.
NEXT Day, the Holiday of Life
was over, its Duties re-commenced.
Matter Blower had an Accumulation
of Bufinefs to attend to, and I had
Plenty to do about the Houfe.
Before the End of the Week, I was
immerfed in Cares that were Plea-
fures to me, inafmuch as they light-
ened his own. But I could not
refill paying a Vifit to the Bridge,
and fpending an Hour in the dear
old Houfe, and another, afterwards,
with Violet. She and Mark came
to fup with us. I found they were
not
294
Cherry & Violet.
not going to marry till fix Months
were out, which was full quick,
after all; but I was thankful they
would wait fo long. A Change
feemed coming over Mark ; he was
fteady, compofed, attentive to Bufi-
nefs, and far pleafanter, whether
lively or fad, than in his earlier
Days. As to Violet, me was in-
finitely foftened, and the old Spirit
of Coquetry feemed quite to have
burned out. We did not fee them
often, but Matter Blower always
received them kindly, and they
feemed to confider it a Privilege as
well as a Pleafure to come to us.
Thus, the Winter wore on : the
Plague was flayed ; and though it
was common to meet in the Streets
Men in their Nightcaps, limping,
or with their Throats bound up, no
one thought of getting out of their
Way, for the Infection had fpent
itfelf.
Cherry & Violet.
itfelf. And Perfons that were
Strangers to each other might be
heard exchanging Congratulations
on the improved State of Things,
now that Houfes and Shops were
re-opening, the Weeds beginning to
difappear from the Thoroughfares,
and Men no longer walked along
the Middle of the Streets, but on
the Foot-pavements.
My dear Hufband endeavoured to
imprefs the Hearts and Minds of
his People, in Seafon and out of
Seafon, with a Senfe of the Mercy
that had preferved them ; but, I am
forry to fay, with very little perma-
nent Effect. True it is, at firft the
Ground was broken up, and the
Clods were foft, and the good Seed
that was caft in feemed likely to
fructify ; but alas, the hot Sun of
worldly Temptation foon hardened
the Ground and burnt the Seed up,
and
296
Cherry & Violet.
and People that had almoft miracu-
loufly efcaped the general Judgment,
feemed little better than they were
before. This deprefTed my dear
Hufband very much ; but, inftead
of relaxing his Efforts, he only re-
doubled them ; and he faid I
ftrengthened his Hands.
There was alfo a great deal of
Diftrefs, owing to the general
Stagnation of Trade, and the vaft
Numbers of People thrown out of
Employ. So that, though we did
all we could, it was heart-rending
to witnefs the Mifery in fome of
the lower Diftricts of our Parim.
We pinched ourfelves to help them,
voluntarily giving up fuch and fuch
Things at our Table ; and this with
fuch Cheerfulnefs that I really be-
lieve our Self-privations gave us
more actual Enjoyment than if we
tiad ate the Fat and drank the
Sweet
Cherry & Violet.
Sweet to our Hearts' Defire. And
once or twice it remarkably hap-
pened that when we had a little
exceeded in this Way, and had
fupplied thereby the Needs of a
more than ordinary Number, a great
Hamper would arrive from Miftrefs
Blower, full of Game, Poultry, Eggs,
Butter, Brawn, Hams, Tongues,
and Everything that was good.
Often we talked over that fweet
Place the Hampers came from ;
and it feemed to me that my
Hufband more and more inclined
towards the Country ; efpecially as
his Throat had never quite re-
covered the Effects of the Plague,
and he found he could not make
himfelf heard throughout the re-
moter Parts of his large Church
without Difficulty. Quite at the
End of the Summer, the old Incum-
bent of Bucklands Parfonage died ;
and
298
Cherry & Violet.
and as the Living was in the Squire's
Gift, and he had fome Notion his
Brother would like it, he wrote to
offer it to him. My Hufband afked
my Mind about it : I faid I mould
like it of all Things, if he could be
content with fo fmall and quiet a
Field of Action. He faid, yes, the
Time had been when it had been
otherwife with him, the harder the
Work the greater the Pleafure,
efpecially as carrying fome Senfe of
Glory in the Victory over it; but
it was not fo with him now : he
could be content with trying to do
good on a fmall Scale ; efpecially as
he had not been quite fo fuccefsful
on the larger Field of Action as he
had hoped and expected.
" Could I preach like Apollos"
continued he, " to what Good, to
" the Half of my Congregation who
" cannot catch one Word in ten ?
"So
Cherry & Violet.
" So that, in Fad:, I preach to a
" fmall Congregation already. And
" I've no Mind to receive the Pay
" without doing the Work. There's
" no Fear, Cherry, of my not
" making myfelf audible in Buck-
" lands Church ! — Befides, do you
" know I fancy I have a little
" domestic Million there. My dear,
" good Brother, who has dozed
" under Doctor Bray for fo many
" Years, has languifhed under a
" fpiritual Dearth. He is now
" getting in Years, and I think I
" may do Something for him — you
" know he told you he thought my
" Sermons were the real Thing."
" He faid," replied I, " that you
" not only hit the right Nail on
" the Head, but hammered it well
" in."
After fome further Talk, which
only went to prove how completely
we
300
Cherry & Violet.
we were of a Mind on the Matter,
the Letters were written and fent —
to accept the one Living and refign
the other. That was on the Second
of September. The fame Night,
broke out that dreadful Fire, which
lafted three Days and three Nights,
and deftroyed fifteen of the twenty-
fix City Wards, including four hun-
dred Streets and Lanes, and thirteen
thoufand Houfes. Oh, what a
dreadful Calamity ! We were in
Bed, a little after Ten, when
Shrieks and Cries of " Fire ! "
awoke us; and my dear Hufband
put his Head forth of the Window
and afked where it was. A Man
running along anfwered, " On or
"at the Foot of London Bridge!"
Then our Hearts failed us for Violet
and Mark, and all our old Friends ;
and we drefled and went forth, for
I could not be flayed from accom-
panying
Cherry & Violet.
panying Mafter Blower. But before
we could reach the Bridge Foot,
we found Accefs to it cut off, both
by Reafon of the Crowd and of the
Flames : the only Comfort was,
that the Fire kept off the Bridge.
There was fo much Tumult and
Preffure that we could only keep
on the Skirts of the Crowd, where
we hung about without doing any
Good for fome Hours.
The next Morning, we were in
Hope of hearing the Fire had been
got under ; inftead of which, the
whole Bankfide was wrapped in
Flames, and all the Houfes from
the Bridge Foot, and all Thames
Street were lying in Ames. The
People feemed all at Paufe, gazing
on, without ftirring Hand or Foot,
and thofe that were perfonal Suf-
ferers were venting their Grief in
Cries and Lamentations. But we
could
302
Cherry & Violet.
could not find that any Life had yet
been loft ; and the Fire kept off the
Bridge.
When I went Home at Dufk, it
was to pray for the poor Sufferers,
and then to mufe how far the
Calamity might extend. Supper
was on Table, but I had no Mind
to eat ; which was all the better,
as my Hufband prefently brought in
a poor, weeping Family who had
loft Everything, and had not touched
a Morfel all Day. We gave them
a good Meal, and Shelter for the
Night. They flept, but we could
not. There was no Need of Candles
all that Night, which was as light
as Day for ten Miles round. The
Fire was now fpreading all along
the South Part of the City, leaping
from Houfe to Houfe, and Street
to Street, for the very Air feemed
ignited ; Showers of Sparks and
Ames
Cherry & Violet.
Ames were falling in every Direc-
tion, and the Pavement was growing
almoft too hot to tread upon. My
Hufband kept bringing in new Re-
fugees as long as our Houfe would
hold them, and I was too bufy
caring for them to have Leifure to
go forth, even had it been fafe ;
but each New-comer brought frefh
Tidings of the Defolation, which
was now extending to Churches,
public Monuments, Hofpitals, Com-
panies' Halls, as though it would
carry all before it. We now began
to be in fome Alarm for ourfelves ;
and to confider what we mould do
if it came our Way ; and now we
experienced the Convenience of
having but little Treafure that
Moth, Ruft, or Fire could injure,
for when Matter Blower had made
up a fmall Packet of Papers and
ready Money that we could readily
carry
3°4
Cherry & Violet.
carry about us, there was Nothing
left for the Deftroyer to confume
but our poor Furniture and the
Houfe over our Heads. Very op-
portunely, at this Time came to our
Door a Eerkjhire Countryman with
one of the good Squire's Hampers
full of Eatables. I never faw a poor
Fellow look fo feared ! He got a
good View of the Calamity from a
Diftance, and then fet his Face
homewards in as great a Hurry as
if the Flames were in Chafe of
him. The Streets were now full of
Carts loaded with Moveables, which
their Owners were conveying out
of Town ; giving Way to the
Calamity rather than feeking to
arrefl it, which, indeed, it was now
vain to attempt, though I think
Something might have been done
at firft. St. Paul's was now in a
Blaze ; the great Stones exploding
with
Cherry & Violet.
with intenfe Heat, and the melted
Lead running along the Gutters.
This Night, alfo, we got fcarce
any Reft.
The next Morning, while I was
overlooking my Stores, and con-
fidering how I mould heft hufband
them for my poor Inmates, in
comes Mark, his Face blackened,
his Hair full of Ames, his Clothes
finged in many Places, and his Shoes
nearly burnt off his Feet.
" Thank GOD, you are fafe,
" then ! " cries he, catching hold of
both my Hands. " The Sky looked
" fo fiery in this Quarter during the
" Night, that Violet and I were in
" dreadful Fear for you, and I ftarted
" at Daybreak, and came here by
" making a great Round, to fee how
" it fared with you. And Violet
" bids me fay that me has not for-
" gotten your Father's and Mother's
" Kindnefs
3°6
Cherry & Violet.
" Kindnefs to her Father anc
" Mother when they were burnec
" out of Houfe and Home, nor how
" me and you were put together in
" the fame Cradle ; and it wil
" make her and me, dear Cherry,
" unfpeakably happy to receive you
" and Mailer Blower under the very
" fame Roof, mould you be burnt
" out of your own."
I faid, " Dear Mark, that is fo
"like you and Violet! Juft the
" Kindnefs I mould have expelled !
" Believe me, we mall thankfully
accept it, if there be Need. But
at prefent the Fire is all about us,
" yet comes not to us. We have
:f made up our little Parcel of
' Treafures (a little one, indeed,
'* Mark!) and are ready to ftart at
' a Minute's Notice, trufting to
* a good GOD to fpare our Lives.
' This old Houfe, if it once catches,
" will
Cherry & Violet.
" will burn like Tinder ; mean-
" while, come and fee how many
" it holds."
So I led him from Room to
Room, and mewed him Mothers
nurfing their Infants, Children
eating Bread and Milk, and old
People ftill fleeping heavily. He
was greatly interefled and imprerTed.
" What a good Soul you are!" faid
he, — " I can give you no Notion of
" the Scenes of Mifery on the Out-
" fkirts through which I parTed on
" my Way here. People huddled
" in Tents, or lying under Hedges,
" or on Heaps of Litter and broken
" Furniture, without a Morfel of
" Bread or a Cup of Milk, yet none
"begging! . . I faw a few Bread-
" Carts and Milk-people coming
" up to them as I pafTed along, but
" many had no Money, not even
" a Penny, to buy a Breakfaft. I
"had
308 Cherry & Violet.
" had filled my Purfe, Cherry, with
" all that was in the Till, before I
" fet out ; but you fee there's not
" much in it now — "
And he pulled out an empty
Purfe, with a Smile that mewed he
was well pleafed with the Way its
Contents had gone. Then we fhook
Hands heartily, and parted.
To the loud Crackling of Flames
and Crafh of falling Buildings, was
now added the blowing up of Houfes
with Gunpowder, which, indeed,
made the Neighbourhood of them
very dangerous to Byftanders, but
checked the Progrefs of the Fire.
However, Nothing effectual could
have been done, had it not pleafed
ALMIGHTY GOD to ftay his Judg-
ment by abating the high Wind,
which fell all at once ; whereby the
Flames ceafed to fpread, though the
glowing Ruins continued to burn.
The
Cherry & Violet.
The Crifis being now paft, we
ceafed to be in Apprehenfion for
ourfelves, and devoted all our Atten-
tion to the poor, bereft People
under our Care. Some of thefe
were fetched away by their Country
Friends ; fooner or later all dif-
perfed ; and then we went out into
the Fields adjoining the City, to
afford what little Help we could.
But oh ! the Defolation ! To at-
tempt to affuage that Accumulation
of Deftitution by our trivial Means
feemed like effaying to fubdue the
Fire with a Cup of Water : yet we
know that every Little helps ; and
that even a Cup of Water, to the
thirfty Man who drinks it, quenches
not his Thirft the lefs, that Thou-
fands befide are parched with
Drought. And thus, by Analogy,
concerning the general Amount of
human Suffering furrounding us at
all
310
Cherry & Violet.
all Times, which the Wife of a
Whitechapel Parfon is perhaps as
well qualified to fpeak of as any one
elfe — We need not be difcouraged
from aiding any, becaufe we cannot
fuccour all; fince the Relief afforded
is as grateful to him who has it, as
though all were relieved, which it
is not GOD'S Will that any mould
have Power to accomplish.
By the End of the Month this
terrible Calamity was over-paft ; at
leaft, as far as we had Anything to
do with it, though we continued to
give Shelter to poor, ruined Houfe-
holders as long as the Parfonage
was our own. The Gentleman
who fucceeded my dear Hufband
feemed a benevolent Sort of Man, a
little pompous, maybe, but tenderly
difpofed towards the Poor.
And now, Everything being
fettled, we fold fome.of our old
Furniture,
Cherry & Violet.
Furniture, and fent down the Reft,
with Miftrefs Peach, by the Wagon.
And my dear Hufband and I entered
Bucklands exactly as we had left it,
and on the very fame Horfe; I in
my cherry-colour Habit, that was as
frem as on my Wedding-day. And
here we have been ever fince ; and
he calls me his right Hand, and fays
my Attention to all his fecular Affairs
leaves his Mind at Liberty to purfue
his Duties and Studies without Dif-
fraction— and that I underftand the
Poor even better than he does — and
that I am his beft Counfellor, his
deareft Friend, his pleafanteft Com-
panion, his darling Cherry ! — Yes ;
he calls me, and I believe he thinks
me all this : and as for my being
happy in him ... I mould think fo,
indeed !
FINIS.
London : Printed by Richard Clay.
PR Manning, Anne
4974. Cherry & Violet
ML8C5
I860
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