But here, washing my hands of them, I re-plunge into the
stream of my history, into which I may very properly ingraft
a terrible sally of Louisa's, since I had some share in it
myself, and have besides engag'd myself to relate it, in point
of countenance to poor Emily. It will add, too, one more
example to thousands, in confirmation of the maxim that when
women get once out of compass, there are no lengths of licen-
tiousness that they are not capable of running.
One morning then, that both Mrs. Cole and Emily were gone
out for the day, and only Louisa and I (not to mention the
house-maid) were left in charge of the house, whilst we were
loitering away the time in looking through the shop windows,
the son of a poor woman, who earned very hard bread indeed by
mending stockings, in a stall in the neighbourhood, offer'd us
some nosegays, ring'd round a small basket; by selling of
which the poor boy eked out his mother's maintenance of them
both: nor was he fit for any other way of livelihood, since he
was not only a perfect changeling, or idiot, but stammer'd so
that there was no understanding even those sounds his half-
dozen, at most, animal ideas prompted him to utter.
The boys and servants in the neighbourhood had given him
the nick-name of Good-natured Dick, from the soft simpleton's
doing everything he was bid at the first word, and from his
naturally having no turn to mischief; then, by the way, he
was perfectly well made, stout, clean-limb'd, tall of his age,
as strong as a horse and, withal, pretty featur'd; so that he
was not, absolutely, such a figure to be snuffled at neither,
if your nicety could, in favour of such essentials, have dis-
pens'd with a face unwashed, hair tangled for want of comb-
ing, and so ragged a plight, that he might have disputed
points of shew with e'er a heathen philosopher of them all.
Pages:
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261