The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, and Other TalesMore, Hannah
General
The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, and Other Tales
More, Hannah
Christian life -- Fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction; Short stories
In a violent passion he immediately went to the Grayhound, where he
now spent not only every evening, which he had long done, but good
part of the day and night also. His wife was very dressy,
extravagant, and fond of company, and wasted at home as fast as her
husband spent abroad, so that all the neighbors said, if it had not
been for James, his master must have been a bankrupt long ago, but
they were sure he could not hold it much longer.
As Jack Brown sung a good song, and played many diverting tricks,
Williams liked his company; and often allowed him to make one at the
Grayhound, where he would laugh heartily at his stories; so that
every one thought Jack was much the greater favorite--so he was as a
companion in frolic, and foolery, and _pleasure_, as it is called;
but he would not trust him with an inch of leather or sixpence in
money: No, no--when business was to be done, or trust was to be
reposed, James was the man: the idle and the drunken never trust one
another, if they have common sense. They like to laugh, and sing,
and riot, and drink together, but when they want a friend, a
counselor, a helper in business or in trouble, they go further
afield; and Williams, while he would drink with Jack, would trust
James with untold gold; and even was foolishly tempted to neglect
his business the more from knowing that he had one at home who was
taking care of it.
In spite of all James's care and diligence, however, things were
growing worse and worse; the more James saved, the more his master
and mistress spent. One morning, just as the shop was opened, and
James had set every body to their respective work, and he himself
was settling the business for the day, he found that his master was
not yet come from the Grayhound. As this was now become a common
case, he only grieved but did not wonder at it. While he was
indulging sad thoughts on what would be the end of all this, in ran
the tapster from the Grayhound out of breath, and with a look of
terror and dismay, desired James would step over to the public house
with him that moment, for that his master wanted him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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