A description of Mr Wilson’s way of living.
The tragical adventure of the dog, and other grave
matters.
The gentleman returned with the bottle; and Adams
and he sat some time silent, when the former started
up, and cried, “No, that won’t do.”
The gentleman inquired into his meaning; he answered,
“He had been considering that it was possible
the late famous king Theodore might have been that
very son whom he had lost;” but added, “that
his age could not answer that imagination. However,”
says he, “G— disposes all things
for the best; and very probably he may be some great
man, or duke, and may, one day or other, revisit you
in that capacity.” The gentleman answered,
he should know him amongst ten thousand, for he had
a mark on his left breast of a strawberry, which his
mother had given him by longing for that fruit.
That beautiful young lady the Morning now rose from
her bed, and with a countenance blooming with fresh
youth and sprightliness, like Miss ——[A],
with soft dews hanging on her pouting lips, began to
take her early walk over the eastern hills; and presently
after, that gallant person the Sun stole softly from
his wife’s chamber to pay his addresses to her;
when the gentleman asked his guest if he would walk
forth and survey his little garden, which he readily
agreed to, and Joseph at the same time awaking from
a sleep in which he had been two hours buried, went
with them. No parterres, no fountains, no statues,
embellished this little garden. Its only ornament
was a short walk, shaded on each side by a filbert-hedge,
with a small alcove at one end, whither in hot weather
the gentleman and his wife used to retire and divert
themselves with their children, who played in the
walk before them. But, though vanity had no votary
in this little spot, here was variety of fruit and
everything useful for the kitchen, which was abundantly
sufficient to catch the admiration of Adams, who told
the gentleman he had certainly a good gardener.
Sir, answered he, that gardener is now before you:
whatever you see here is the work solely of my own
hands. Whilst I am providing necessaries for
my table, I likewise procure myself an appetite for
them. In fair seasons I seldom pass less than
six hours of the twenty-four in this place, where
I am not idle; and by these means I have been able
to preserve my health ever since my arrival here, without
assistance from physic. Hither I generally repair
at the dawn, and exercise myself whilst my wife dresses
her children and prepares our breakfast; after which
we are seldom asunder during the residue of the day,
for, when the weather will not permit them to accompany
me here, I am usually within with them; for I am neither
ashamed of conversing with my wife nor of playing
with my children: to say the truth, I do not
perceive that inferiority of understanding which the
levity of rakes, the dulness of men of business, or
