Pamela | Page 4

blessings
upon blessings, and plenty upon plenty, see barns well stored, poultry
increasing, the kine lowing and crowding about us: and are bid to call
them our own. Then think, that all is the reward of our child's
virtue!--O my dear daughter, who can bear these things!--Excuse me! I
must break off a little! For my eyes are as full as my heart: and I will
retire to bless God, and your honoured husband.
So, my dear child, I now again take up my pen: but reading what I had

written, in order to carry on the thread, I can hardly forbear again being
in one sort affected. But do you think I will call all these things my
own?--Do you think I would live rent-free? Can the honoured 'squire
believe, that having such a generous example before me, if I had no
gratitude in my temper before, I could help being touched by such an
one as he sets me? If this goodness makes him know no mean in giving,
shall I be so greedy as to know none in receiving? Come, come, my
dear child, your poor father is not so sordid a wretch, neither. He will
shew the world that all these benefits are not thrown away upon one,
who will disgrace you as much by his temper, as by his condition.
What though I cannot be as worthy of all these favours as I wish, I will
be as worthy as I can. And let me tell you, my dear child, if the king
and his royal family (God bless 'em!) be not ashamed to receive taxes
and duties from his subjects; if dukes and earls, and all the top gentry,
cannot support their bravery, without having their rents paid; I hope I
shall not affront the 'squire, to pay to his steward, what any other
person would pay for his noble stock, and improving farm: and I will
do it, if it please God to bless me with life and health. I should not be
worthy to crawl upon the earth, if I did not. And what did I say to Mr.
Longman, the faithful Mr. Longman! Sure no gentleman had ever a
more worthy steward than he: it was as we were walking over the
grounds together, and observing in what good order every thing was, he
was praising some little contrivances of my own, for the improvement
of the farm, and saying, how comfortably he hoped we might live upon
it. "Ay, Mr. Longman," said I, "comfortably indeed: but do you think I
could be properly said to _live_, if I was not to pay as much rent for it
as another?"
--"I can tell you," said he, "the 'squire will not receive any thing from
you, Goodman Andrews. Why, man, he has no occasion for it: he's
worth a power of money, besides a noble and clear estate in land.
Ad's-heartlikens, you must not affront him, I can tell you that: he's as
generous as a prince, where he takes; but he is hasty, and will have his
own way."--"Why, for that reason, Mr. Longman," said I, "I was
thinking to make you my friend!"--"Make me your friend! You have
not a better in the world, to my power, I can tell you that, nor your
dame neither; for I love such honest hearts: I wish my own brother
would let me love him as well; but let that pass. What I can do for you,

I will, and here's my hand upon it."
"Well, then," said I, "it is this: let me account to you at the rent Farmer
Dickens offered, and let me know what the stock cost, and what the
crops are valued at; and pay the one as I can, and the other quarterly;
and not let the 'squire know it till you can't choose; and I shall be as
happy as a prince; for I doubt not, by God's blessing, to make a
comfortable livelihood of it besides."--"Why, dost believe, Goodman
Andrews," said he, "that I would do such a thing? Would not his
honour think if I hid one thing from him, I might hide another? Go to,
honest heart, I love thee dearly; but can Mr. B. do too much for his lady,
think'st thou? Come, come" (and he jeered me so, I knew not what to
say), "I wish at bottom there is not some pride in this. What, I warrant,
you would not be too much beholden to his honour, would
you?"--"No," said I, "it is not that, I'm sure. If I have any pride, it is
only in my dear child--to whom, under God, all this is owing. But some
how or other it shall be so."
And so, my dear daughter, I resolve