CHAP. XIV.
Innocent Amuſements.—Deſcription of a Welſh Castle.—History of a Welſh Harper.—A tyrannical Landlord.—Family Pride.
AS it was now harveſt time, the new ſcene, and the fine weather delighted the children, who ran continually out to view the reapers. Indeed every thing ſeemed to wear a face of feſtivity, and the ripe corn bent under its own weight, or, more erect, ſhewed the laughing appearance of plenty.
Mrs. Maſon always allowing the gleaners to have a ſufficient quantity, a great number of poor came to gather a little harveſt; and ſhe was pleaſed to ſee the feeble hands of childhood and age, collecting the ſcattered ears.
Honeſt Jack came with his family; and when the labours of the day were over, would play on a fiddle, that frequently had but three ſtrings. But it ſerved to ſet the feet in motion, and the lads and laſſes dancing on the green ſod, ſuffered every care to ſleep.
An old Welſh harper generally came to the houſe about this time of the year, and ſtaid a month or more; for Mrs. Maſon was particularly fond of this inſtrument, and intereſted in the fate of the player; as is almoſt always the caſe, when we have reſcued a perſon out of any diſtreſs.
She informed the children, that once travelling through Wales, her carriage was overturned near the ruins of an old caſtle. And as ſhe had eſcaped unhurt, ſhe determined to wander amongſt them, whilſt the driver took care of his horſes, and her ſervant haſtened to the neighbouring village for aſſiſtance.
It was almoſt dark, and the lights began to twinkle in the ſcattered cottages. The ſcene pleaſed me, continued Mrs. Maſon; I thought of the various cuſtoms which the lapſe of time unfolds; and dwelt on the ſtate of the Welſh, when this caſtle, now ſo deſolate, was the hoſpitable abode of the chief of a noble family. These reflections entirely engroſſed my mind, when the ſound of a harp reached my ears. Never was any thing more opportune, the national muſic ſeemed to give reality to the pictures which my imagination had been drawing. I liſtened awhile, and then trying to trace the pleaſing ſound, diſcovered, after a ſhort ſearch, a little hut, rudely built. The walls of an old tower ſupported part of the thatch, which ſcarcely kept out the rain, and the two other ſides were ſtones cemented, or rather plaiſtered together, by mud and clay.
I entered, and beheld an old man, ſitting by a few looſe ſticks, which blazed on the hearth; and a young woman, with one child at her breaſt, ſucking, and another on her knee: near them ſtood a cow and her calf. The man had been playing on the harp; he roſe when he ſaw me, and offered his chair, the only one in the room, and ſat down on a large cheſt in the chimney-corner. When the door was ſhut, all the light that was admitted came through the hole, called a chimney, and did not much enliven the dwelling. I mentioned my accident to account for my intruſion, and requeſted the harper again to touch the inſtrument that had attracted me. A partition of twigs and dried leaves divided this apartment from another, in which I perceived a light: I enquired about it, and the woman, in an artleſs manner, informed me, that ſhe had let it to a young gentlewoman lately married, who was related to a very good family, and would not lodge any where, or with any body. This intelligence made me ſmile, to think that family pride ſhould be a ſolace in ſuch extreme poverty.
I ſat there ſome time, and then the harper accompanied me to ſee whether the carriage was repaired; I found it waiting for me; and as the inn I was to ſleep at was only about two miles further, the harper offered to come and play to me whilſt I was eating my ſupper. This was juſt what I wiſhed for; his appearance had rouſed my compaſſion as well as my curioſity, and I took him and his harp in the chaiſe.
After ſupper he informed me, that he had once a very good farm; but he had been ſo unfortunate as to diſpleaſe the juſtice, who never forgave him, nor reſted till he had ruined him. This tyrant always expected his tenants to aſſiſt him to bring in his harveſt before they had got in their own. The poor harper was once in the midſt of his, when an order was ſent to him to bring his carts and ſervants, the next day, to the fields of this petty king. He fooliſhly refuſed; and this refuſal was the foundation of that ſettled hatred which produced ſuch fatal conſequences. Ah, Madam, ſaid the ſufferer, your heart would ache, if you heard of all his cruelties to me, and the reſt of his poor tenants. He employs many labourers, and will not give them as much wages as they could get from the common farmers, yet they dare not go any-where else to work when he ſends for them. The fiſh that they catch they must bring firſt to him, or they would not be allowed to walk over his grounds to catch them; and he will give juſt what he pleaſes for the moſt valuable part of their pannier.
But there would be no end to my ſtory were I to tell you of all his oppreſſions. I was obliged to leave my farm; and my daughter, whom you ſaw this evening, having married an induſtrious young man, I came to live with them. When—would you believe it? this ſame man threw my ſon into jail, on account of his killing a hare, which all the country folks do when they can catch them in their grounds. We were again in great diſtreſs, and my daughter and I built the hut you ſaw in the waſte, that the poor babes might have a ſhelter. I maintain them by playing on the harp,—the maſter of this inn allows me to play to the gentry who travel this way; so that I pick up a few pence, just enough to keep life and ſoul together, and to enable me to ſend a little bread to my poor ſon John Thomas.
He then began one of the moſt diſmal of his Welſh ditties, and, in the midſt of it cried out—he is an upſtart, a mere muſhroom!—His grandfather was cow-boy to mine!—So I told him once, and he never forgot it.
The old man then informed me that the caſtle in which he now was ſheltered formerly belonged to his family—ſuch are the changes and chances of this mortal life—ſaid he, and haſtily ſtruck up a lively tune.
While he was ſtriking the ſtrings, I thought too of the changes in life which an age had produced. The deſcendant of thoſe who had made the hall ring with ſocial mirth now mourned in its ruins, and hung his harp on the mouldering battlements. Such is the fate of buildings and of families!
After I had diſmiſſed my gueſt, I ſent for the landlord, to make ſome farther enquiries, and found that I had not been deceived; I then determined to aſſiſt him, and thought my accident providential. I knew a man of conſequence in the neighbourhood; I viſited him, and exerted myſelf to procure the enlargement of the young man. I ſucceeded; and not only reſtored him to his family, but prevailed on my friend to let him rent a ſmall farm on his eſtate, and I gave him money to buy ſtock for it, and the implements of huſbandry.
The old harper's gratitude was unbounded; the ſummer after he walked to viſit me; and ever ſince he has contrived to come every year to enliven our harveſt-home. This evening it is to be celebrated.
The evening came; the joyous party footed it away merrily, and the ſound of their ſhoes was heard on the barn-floor. It was not the light fantaſtic toe, that faſhion taught to move, but honeſt heart-felt mirth, and the loud laugh, if it ſpoke the vacant head, ſaid audibly that the heart was guileleſs.
Mrs. Maſon always gave them ſome trifling preſents at this time, to render the approach of winter more comfortable. To the men, ſhe generally preſented warm clothing, and to the women flax and worſted for knitting and ſpinning; and thoſe who were the moſt induſtrious received a reward when the new year commenced. The children had books given to them, and little ornaments.—All were anxious for the day; and received their old acquaintance, the harper, with the moſt cordial ſmiles.