Part 6 (1/2)

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Tis impossible to express the mutual Joy which this occasioned. Their Conversation was made up of the most endearing Expressions, intermingled with Tears and Caresses. Their Torrent of Joy, however, was for a Moment interrupted, by a Chariot which stopped at the Gate, and which brought as they thought a very unseasonable Visitor, and therefore she sent to be excused from seeing Company.

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But this had no Effect, for a Gentleman richly dressed jumped out of the Chariot, and pursuing the Servant into the Parlour saluted them round, who were all astonished at his Behaviour. But when the Tears trickled from his Cheeks, the Daughter, who had been some Years dumb, immediately cried out, _my Brother! my Brother! my Brother!_ and from that Instant recovered her Speech. The mutual Joy which this occasioned, is better felt than expressed. Those who have proper Sentiments of Humanity, Grat.i.tude, and filial Piety will rejoice at the Event, and those who have a proper Idea of the Goodness of G.o.d, and his gracious Providence, will from this, as well as other Instances of his Goodness and Mercy, glorify his holy Name, and magnify his Wisdom and Power, who is a s.h.i.+eld to the Righteous, and defendeth all those who put their Trust in him.

As you, my dear Children, may be sollicitous to know how this happy Event was brought about, I must inform you, that Mr. _Lovewell_'s Son, when the s.h.i.+p foundered, had with some others got into the long Boat, and was taken up by a s.h.i.+p at Sea, and carried to the East Indies, where in a little Time he made a large Fortune; and the Pirates who took his Daughter, attempted to rob her of her Chast.i.ty; but finding her Inflexible, and determined to die rather than to submit, some of them behaved to her in a very cruel Manner; but others, who had more Honour and Generosity, became her Defenders; upon which a Quarrel arose between them, and the Captain, who was the worst of the Gang, being killed, the rest of the Crew carried the s.h.i.+p into a Port of the _Manilla_ Islands, belonging to the _Spaniards_; where, when her Story was known, she was treated with great Respect, and courted by a young Gentleman, who was taken ill of a Fever, and died before the Marriage was agreed on, but left her his whole Fortune.

You see, my dear _Sally_, how wonderfully these People were preserved, and made happy after such extreme Distress; we are therefore never to despair, even under the greatest Misfortunes, for G.o.d Almighty is All-powerful and can deliver us at any Time. Remember _Job_, but I think you have not read so far, take the Bible, _Billy Jones_, and read the History of that good and patient Man.

At this Instant something was heard to slap at the Window, _Wow, wow, wow_, says Jumper, and attempted to leap up and open the Door, at which the Children were surprized; but Mrs. _Margery_ knowing what it was, opened the Cas.e.m.e.nt, as _Noah_ did the Window of the Ark, and drew in _Tom_ Pidgeon with a Letter, and see here he is.

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As soon as he was placed on the Table, he walked up to little _Sally_, and dropping the Letter, cried, _Co, Co, Coo_, as much as to say, _there read it_. Now this poor Pidgeon had travelled fifty Miles in about an Hour, to bring _Sally_ this Letter, and who would destroy such pretty Creatures.--But let us read the Letter.

_My dear_ Sally,

G.o.d Almighty has been very merciful, and restored your Pappa to us again, who is now so well as to be able to sit up. I hear you are a good Girl, my Dear, and I hope you will never forget to praise the Lord for this his great Goodness and Mercy to us--What a sad Thing it would have been if your Father had died, and left both you and me, and little _Tommy_ in Distress, and without a Friend: Your Father sends his Blessing with mine--Be good, my dear Child, and G.o.d Almighty will also bless you, whose Blessing is above all Things.

_I am, my Dear Sally_,

_Your ever affectionate Mother,_

MARTHA JONES.

CHAP. III.

_Of the amazing Sagacity and Instincts of a little Dog_.

Soon after this, a dreadful Accident happened in the School. It was on a _Thursday_ Morning, I very well remember, when the Children having learned their Lessons soon, she had given them Leave to play, and they were all running about the School, and diverting themselves with the Birds and the Lamb; at this Time the Dog, all of a sudden, laid hold of his Mistress's Ap.r.o.n, and endeavoured to pull her out of the School. She was at first surprized, however, she followed him to see what he intended. No sooner had he led her into the Garden, but he ran back, and pulled out one of the Children in the same manner; upon which she ordered them all to leave the School immediately, and they had not been out five Minutes, before the Top of the House fell in.

What a miraculous Deliverance was here! How gracious! How good was G.o.d Almighty, to save all these Children from Destruction, and to make Use of such an Instrument, as a little sagacious Animal to accomplish his Divine Will. I should have observed, that as soon as they were all in the Garden, the Dog came leaping round them to express his Joy, and when the House was fallen, laid himself down quietly by his Mistress.

Some of the Neighbours, who saw the School fall, and who were in great Pain for _Margery_ and the little ones, soon spread the News through the Village, and all the Parents, terrified for their Children, came crowding in Abundance; they had, however, the Satisfaction to find them all safe, and upon their Knees, with their Mistress, giving G.o.d thanks for their happy Deliverance.

ADVICE _from the_ MAN _in the_ MOON.

_Jumper, Jumper, Jumper_, what a pretty Dog he is, and how sensible? Had Mankind half the Sagacity of _Jumper_, they would guard against Accidents of this Sort, by having a public Survey, occasionally made of all the Houses in every Parish (especially of those, which are old and decayed) and not suffer them to remain in a crazy State, 'till they fall down on the Heads of the poor Inhabitants, and crush them to Death. Why, it was but Yesterday, that a whole House fell down in _Grace-church-street_, and another in _Queen's-street_, and an hundred more are to tumble, before this Time twelve Months; so Friends, take Care of yourselves, and tell the Legislature, they ought to take Care for you. How can you be so careless? Most of your Evils arise from Carelesness and Extravagance, and yet you excuse yourselves, and lay the Fault upon Fortune. Fortune is a Fool, and you are a Blockhead, if you put it in her Power to play Tricks with you.

_Yours_,

_The_ MAN _in the_ MOON.

You are not to wonder, my dear Reader, that this little Dog should have more Sense than you, or your Father, or your Grandfather.

Though G.o.d Almighty has made Man the Lord of the Creation, and endowed him with Reason, yet in many Respects, he has been altogether as bountiful to other Creatures of his forming. Some of the Senses of other Animals are more acute than ours, as we find by daily Experience. You know this little Bird, _sweet Jug, Jug, Jug_, 'tis a Nightingale. This little Creature, after she has entertained us with her Songs all the Spring, and bred up her little ones, flies into a foreign Country, and finds her Way over the Great Sea, without any of the Instruments and Helps which Men are obliged to make Use of for that Purpose. Was you as wise as the Nightingale, you might make all the Sailors happy, and have twenty thousand Pounds for teaching them the Longitude.