The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)Paltock, Robert
Science
The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)
Paltock, Robert
Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction
"Son," says my father, "excuse me; I am really ashamed, now you have
better informed me, I asked so foolish a question." I told him we had
a saying in my country, that everything is easy when it is known. "I
think," says he, "a man might find everything in your country."
Two days after, my wife and daughter Sally came very early; but sure no
joy could be greater than ours at sight of each other. I embraced
them both over and over, as did my father, especially Sally, who was a
charming child. They told me I might expect everything that evening,
for they left them alighting at the height of Battringdrigg; for though
they came out the last, yet the body of the people with their baggage
could not come so fast as they did. And little Sally said, "We stayed
and rested ourselves, purely, daddy, at Battringdrigg, before the crowd
came; but as soon as mammy had seen all my brothers safe, who came
before the rest, and kissed Dicky, we set out again."
About seven hours after arrived the second convoy from abroad, that ever
entered that country. I had too much to do with my wife and children
that night, to spare a thought to my cargo; so I only set a guard over
them; for though I had now been married about sixteen years, Youwarkee
was ever new to me.
I was now obliged to the king again, for some additional conveniences to
my former apartment; and the young ones were mightily pleased to have so
much more room than we had at home, and to see the sweecoes; but finding
themselves waited upon in so elegant a manner, and by so many servants
(for with our new rooms, we had all the servants belonging to them),
they thought themselves in a paradise to the grotto, where all we wanted
we were forced to help ourselves to.
The next day Tommy came to see us, the king having given him a very
pretty post, since the death of Yaccombourse; and Hallycarnie, with
the Princess Jahamel, her mistress, who was mightily pleased to see
Youwarkee in her English dress, and invited her and the children to her
apartment.
It was but a few months since my wife saw the children; yet she scarce
knew them, they were so altered; for the two courtiers behaved with so
much politeness, that their brothers and Sally looked but with an
ill eye upon them, finding all the fault, and dropping as many little
invidious expressions on them as possible. But I sharply rebuked them:
"We were all made chiefly," I told them, "to please our Maker, and that
could be done only by the goodness of the heart; and if their hearts
were more pure, they were the best children; but if they liked their
brothers' and sisters' outward behaviour better than their own, they
might so far imitate them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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