“Like whose, child?” says Allworthy:
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, sir!” answered Tom, “your poor
gamekeeper, with all his large family, ever since
your discarding him, have been perishing with all
the miseries of cold and hunger: I could not bear
to see these poor wretches naked and starving, and
at the same time know myself to have been the occasion
of all their sufferings. I could not bear it,
sir; upon my soul, I could not.” [Here the tears
ran down his cheeks, and he thus proceeded.] “It
was to save them from absolute destruction I parted
with your dear present, notwithstanding all the value
I had for it: I sold the horse for them, and
they have every farthing of the money.”
Mr Allworthy now stood silent for some moments, and
before he spoke the tears started from his eyes.
He at length dismissed Tom with a gentle rebuke, advising
him for the future to apply to him in cases of distress,
rather than to use extraordinary means of relieving
them himself.
This affair was afterwards the subject of much debate
between Thwackum and Square. Thwackum held, that
this was flying in Mr Allworthy’s face, who
had intended to punish the fellow for his disobedience.
He said, in some instances, what the world called
charity appeared to him to be opposing the will of
the Almighty, which had marked some particular persons
for destruction; and that this was in like manner
acting in opposition to Mr Allworthy; concluding, as
usual, with a hearty recommendation of birch.
Square argued strongly on the other side, in opposition
perhaps to Thwackum, or in compliance with Mr Allworthy,
who seemed very much to approve what Jones had done.
As to what he urged on this occasion, as I am convinced
most of my readers will be much abler advocates for
poor Jones, it would be impertinent to relate it.
Indeed it was not difficult to reconcile to the rule
of right an action which it would have been impossible
to deduce from the rule of wrong.
Containing an incident of a more heinous kind, with
the comments of Thwackum and Square.
It hath been observed by some man of much greater
reputation for wisdom than myself, that misfortunes
seldom come single. An instance of this may,
I believe, be seen in those gentlemen who have the
misfortune to have any of their rogueries detected;
for here discovery seldom stops till the whole is
come out. Thus it happened to poor Tom; who was
no sooner pardoned for selling the horse, than he was
discovered to have some time before sold a fine Bible
which Mr Allworthy gave him, the money arising from
which sale he had disposed of in the same manner.
This Bible Master Blifil had purchased, though he
had already such another of his own, partly out of
respect for the book, and partly out of friendship
to Tom, being unwilling that the Bible should be sold
out of the family at half-price. He therefore
deposited the said half-price himself; for he was a
very prudent lad, and so careful of his money, that
he had laid up almost every penny which he had received
from Mr Allworthy.
