Madame de Cambon

“ EMILIA. I am almost inconsolable—I wish there were no cats in the world.
CHARLES. That wish is wrong, sister. God knew best when he created them. We should find the rats and mice very troublesome and mischievous; but for the assistance of a cat, how should we preserve our grain?
EMILIA. I shall never forget my sweet little bird.
178CHARLES. Not forget a creature without sense! after all, there are more canary-birds.
EMILIA. Not so tame.
CHARLES. I will endeavour to get you another, which shall be just as tame.
EMILIA. You are very good, brother ”

“ SIR CHARLES. Providence has placed men in different situations, to facilitate the main end of life, improvement in virtue; yet distress brings us all on a level again, we are then no longer master and servant, but men; worldly distinctions are forgot, and nature asserts her primitive equality. I would not neglect paying to the meanest of my fellow-creatures, the attention I might need from them, if I did, I should forfeit my own esteem. Was Lady Grandison well, I would stay this night to nurse Harry, and to-morrow send him one of his fellow-servants.—Charles eagerly caught his father’s hand. ”

“ Lady Grandison sits silent; Emilia does nothing but cry; and Edward runs through the house quite frantic: Sir Charles endeavours to comfort his Lady, and has need of comfort himself. He has sent several servants different ways, and waits impatiently for day-break, when he intends going himself.—O that he would take me with him!
One o’clock, and no news of Charles. We are none of us in bed—and indeed who could sleep! My eyes feel as if they would never close again—I cannot cry. ”

“ Charles kissed his mother’s cheek, and said, forgive me, I see you will do more for him, than I could presume to ask.
SIR CHARLES. Yes, I am glad that your sentiments so well accord with mine. We do the poor an essential service when we put them in a way to earn their own subsistence; for then we support the body without injuring the mind. Idleness in every station leads to vice. Do you go and speak to Harry, and ask him how much will be requisite for this purpose, and then we will give him it as a reward for his fidelity, and to comfort him under his misfortune. ”

“ EMILIA. But what say you of rats and mice?
EDWARD. They fear us yet more. You have often seen how they run away, if they hear the least noise. I for my part am more afraid of fleas and gnats than of rats and mice. What do all these creatures in the world? They are of no use.
DR. BARTLETT. How do you know that they are not serviceable? I think, nay, I am sure they are. All that we discover the cause of in God’s works, is good: and our ignorance ought not to make us doubt of his goodness. A spider, for instance, you would say, is a disagreeable useless insect. ”

“ EDWARD. And I still continue to wish it had not rained till night.
CHARLES. They who have to travel to-night, would wish to put it off till to-morrow. Whose wish is to be gratified?
EMILIA. Charles is right. We are in God’s sight, no more than other men.
WILLIAM. It is impossible to know what to wish for at all times.
CHARLES. Believe me, Dr. Bartlett has convinced me, we should be miserable, if 154God always gave us what we desire. And, dear sister, is our pleasure for a day to be compared with the good that so many will experience from the rain?
EMILIA. But the poor birds, I pity them. ”

“ EDWARD. I do not blame you, Charles; but those common people are always asking for something.
222CHARLES. If they did not ask they would seldom get any thing. Dear Edward, we ask daily of God; permit then at least that those industrious people ask of us, who are made of the same materials, and in whose veins the same blood flows. It is as much our duty to spare part of our superfluities to relieve their accidental distress; as it is theirs to work to supply their daily wants.
EMILIA. And we should not, in any degree, merit the abundance we enjoy, if we refused to give a part of it to the poor. ”

“ This morning we had the following conversation.
CHARLES. Harry’s accident makes me very uneasy.—Poor fellow! he was so well-made—so active.
SIR CHARLES. We ought to draw useful lessons from the misfortunes we deplore. You find we are not a moment sure of ourselves. 267He rose in the morning alert, full of health—before night, he was stretched on a bed—helpless as a babe. A single unforeseen accident, which we cannot guard against, may in a moment deprive us of our limbs, our sight, nay, even of life itself. To him who lives conformable to the laws of God, no death is sudden or dreadful. ”

“ Let us, then, love all our fellow-creatures; those in the lowest condition may be as useful, nay, more so, than those who fill the highest station. One common nature equally ties us to both; are we not all children of the same father?
I had tears in my eyes, dear mother, when I heard Charles deliver these sentiments; his own shone; he is a good creature. ”

“ CHARLES. No surely. This stormy weather is a blessing; it is of use to purify the air: the heat of the summer would, without these concussions, occasion a great many contagious disorders. Emilia, be easy, God loves us, we every day receive proofs of it; let us trust in him, as we trust our parents;—we cannot doubt their love, and have we less reliance on our heavenly Father? ”

“ DR. BARTLETT. Certainly not. God has an equal love for all, William, that are virtuous. A labourer in his low station, and in his poor cottage, is often happier than those who are exalted to high offices, and reside in noble palaces.
135EMILIA. The rich have servants to wait on them, while the poor labourer must continually work for his bread.
DR. BARTLETT. They who serve themselves, are best served, my love, and labour is healthful.
EMILIA. What a slender table is provided for the poor man—and how hard is his bed! ”

“ They have even comparative happiness. How disagreeable must be the miners’ employment to us, who have been brought up in a different style of life, and have opened our eyes to the beauties of nature? It is laborious, and they lose their health while they are secluded from the cheerful sight of the sun, which enlivens every other labour.
EMILIA. They might let it alone, and do something else to earn a livelihood.
CHARLES. And what then would become of us all? They dig the gold out of the bowels of the earth, of which we are so proud ”

“ EMILIA.
43 LETTER XIII.
Mrs. D—— to William. You learn natural philosophy, my son; consider it as the road to the most sublime knowledge, that of tracing the Creator in his works. His wisdom is conspicuous in the most minute of his productions; all are done well. Observing this uncommon harmony, you will every day love God—love goodness more and more. Sentiments of respect will be implanted in your heart, an awful reverential affection for the great Ruler of the universe; which affection, if it is active, virtue will flow from, founded on just principles. ”

“ CHARLES. It is indeed a very perverse pride, for with all their riches, they could not do without those useful men. O, thought I, when I saw the weaver, who sat sweating before his loom, this man exhausts his vigour to procure me a great comfort, linen. Without him, the flax, that valuable plant, which the earth produces for this purpose, would be useless. Every one will allow, that shoe-makers and taylors are necessary; in short, since I find that laborious people are so essential to the well-being of the world, I cannot imagine how men can treat them with so much contempt. ”

“ EMILIA. But may I ask you something, Charles? Would it not be more noble if you was to give them their liberty? They sit there like prisoners; we only confine bad people, and these poor birds have not done wrong.
CHARLES. No, they are not unhappy in their confinement; God has created them for our pleasure, though we displease him when we treat them with cruelty. ”

“ Because the soft fingers of the ladies do their work in elegant rooms, and the poor labour in huts.
WILLIAM. And yet, according to our reasoning last night, the poor woman who works to earn her bread, or clothe her children, is a much more respectable member of society, than the lady who employs herself about work which can only procure her praise.
CHARLES. Barren praise, my dear William, for Dr. Bartlett has said, that it is very dangerous to allow ourselves to be pleased with any commendation, which is not bestowed on our virtue. ”

“ I admire Emilia, she is a good, and a pleasing girl; there is not a more amiable virtue than compassion. It is much to be wished that all young ladies would take her for their pattern; and, instead of falling into the two shameful extremes, familiarity and haughtiness, which are often to be observed in the same character, they would treat their servants with humanity and decent kindness. You know how frequently I have praised you for your affability to your inferiors.—But, William, why are you grieved that I have but one servant? A number of servants are not necessary ”

“ WILLIAM. It is certainly very happy for men, that there are cows, for milk is a great dainty.
DR. BARTLETT. It is not only a dainty, but a useful necessary provision; without milk we should have neither butter nor cheese.
EMILIA. And the sheep—I love the sheep they are so gentle.
CHARLES. And they are of great value. Their wool serves to clothe us—where should we find warm covering for our beds if there were no sheep?
138WILLIAM. What a good God we have!
EMILIA. We ought to love him, because he has created all these creatures for us;—but I know not why we kill them, and then eat them up ”

“ Bartlett has taught me to kill them expeditiously without injuring their appearance. I then gratify my curiosity without hardening my heart, for that tender-hearted man, our dear tutor, often says, that even the attainment of knowledge cannot compensate for a quick emotion of benevolence, banished by a habit of thoughtless cruelty. He wishes to make me wise; but still more ardently to incite me to practise goodness, to shew kindness to the insects who crawl under my feet ”

“ EDWARD. But it seems a rule in life to seek rather the company of superiors than inferiors.
CHARLES. To seek either to associate with superiors or inferiors constantly, would, in my opinion, be equally mean, equally tend to debase the soul; friendship requires equality.
WILLIAM. Lady Jane, whom Emilia was speaking of, appears to me very ill-natured. ”

“ EMILIA. Have they made those little holes entirely themselves?
DR. BARTLETT. Yes. They are always employed; they take care in the summer to provide food for the winter; and build themselves little rooms in which they are preserved from the cold. They pay also a necessary attention to cleanliness; they carefully throw out any accidental dirt, and the dead bees.
WILLIAM. But, Sir, if it should happen that a snail, or any other insect enters the hive, would they immediately drive it away? ”

“ Wilson out of his extreme distress; that sum would be sufficient to stock another farm. I shall be rich enough, and the more so, as you are so good as to let the interest accumulate. I beg, Sir, you will not refuse my humble request—I shall have more satisfaction in relieving this unfortunate man, than ever my two hundred pounds can give. To rescue from poverty an industrious man and his family, what a blessing! In this respect, let me be like my father, who is himself so benevolent,—who has taught me to be compassionate. ”

“ William to his Mother. Charles begins to walk a little. I love him, and if I was not excited by affection, my sense of duty would prompt me to attend him now he is sick. Besides, I have much pleasure when we are alone together. We were yesterday busy with our glasses the whole afternoon. Dear mother, what amazing things there are which we cannot see with our naked eye. Should you think there are living creatures in a small grain of sand, and that those grains of sand contain small holes, in which they hide themselves. ”