CHAPTER V.
When Anna related what had passed at the old man's cottage to Mrs.Meridith, that lady said, "I am glad you answered her as you did, forto return anger for anger is never of any use; and if she intended tomortify you, she will find she has lost her aim."
"No," replied Anna, with a dejected air; "for she _has_ mortified megreatly, by telling me my father was a beggar; sure he was not so low asthat, or my mother would not have married him?"
"He professed to be a gentleman," said Mrs. Meridith, "as your uncle hastold me, and that he was by no means an uneducated man; and his mannerswere very prepossessing, but he was little known in this neighbourhoodtill your mother married him."
"And where could she meet with him?" asked Anna, "I thought she knewnobody out of this village."
"But little of the world," said Mrs. Meridith, "or she would not havebeen taken with his specious appearance; but when about eighteen, shewent to return a visit she had received from a young friend at thenext town, and there she first knew him; he apprehended her to havemore money than she really had, I suppose, and she was handsome, andagreeable, and perhaps at that time he did feel attached to her; it wasevident she was pleased with him, and he gained her regard by followingher home and making proposals to her father, who did not altogetherapprove of it; so your uncle says, but he saw her attachment, andtherefore complied; a small house was taken for them in the village,and I believe he was to have part of your grandfather's farm, whopromised to assist and instruct him in cultivating it; but he soondiscovered himself unworthy of so good a wife; and at length she died;and you know the rest."
"My poor mother," said Anna, "how happy should I have been had you livedto have afforded you some comfort! But I am ungrateful to _you_, my dearmamma, in not saying I am happy _now_; and _you_ have had your sorrowsalso; oh! may I be a comfort to you!"
"True, indeed, my Anna," returned Mrs. Meridith, "I have had my sorrows,and deeply have I felt them!"
Anna had never heard more than that her kind benefactress and friendhad lost an affectionate husband, and three children; and she forborenow, as on former occasions, to ask by what circumstances; yet her looksstrongly indicated her desire of hearing a more particular account ofthem; and Mrs. Meridith, reading her wishes in her countenance, toldher that the next evening her uncle and aunt were with them, she wouldendeavour to relate them, if she found the recollection not too painful.
"In the mean time," said she, "I am thinking of farmer Ward; it is clearthat he and his family are jealous of my attachment to your uncle andaunt, but they do not consider that gratitude, and an early acquaintancehas caused me to notice them more than others; besides there is suchan upright integrity in your uncle, so free from any of the fulsomeflattery I have met with, and so much unaffected intelligence, that hiscompany is agreeable to me: and your aunt's likewise, who is a sensible,well-informed woman, and our sentiments agree: she knows what the worldis from theory, I from experience; and I scruple not to say, I find themboth pleasant companions. But it is not likely farmer Ward and his wifewould be so; they were I know very differently brought up, and thoughvery honest, industrious people, would despise any other conversationthan that which related to their farm and its occupations; but I do notridicule them for this, I thought they were happy and satisfied; atleast they were so, till Envy reared her snaky head."
"Well, indeed," said Anna, interrupting her, "may Envy be thusrepresented surrounded by snakes, for she is extending her malice toevery one she can reach, and instigating all in her power to do the same.
"It is Medusa, one of the three Gorgons, whose hair Minerva changed intosnakes for polluting her temple, who is thus represented," said Mrs.Meridith; "but there is in one of the poets a very striking picture ofEnvy, describing her as eating her own bowels; if I am not mistaken, itis in Spenser's Fairy Queen, we will look this evening: but to returnto farmer Ward, I tell _you_ what I mean to do respecting him, becauseI hope hereafter (if you find no ill effect arising from it) you will dothe same."
"Oh, mamma! could I but hope to do as you have done!"
"No flattery, my dear Anna," said Mrs. Meridith, smiling, "what I havedone may be done by any one who has the means in their power so amplyas I have; and if your means are lessened, your sphere of action willbe so likewise. I thought that I shewed no distinction between the twofarmers, except that I considered one as my friend; but I endeavoured tobe impartial in what was done for them as tenants; though I have soldone farm and not the other, yet if farmer Ward wishes to buy his farm,he shall have it on the same terms as your uncle had his."
At this moment Anna would have said, "is not this rewarding farmerWood for his malevolence to my uncle and me?" had she not recollectedthat in every thing Mrs. Meridith knew best: but the change in hercountenance was not unnoticed by her kind friend, who said, "it isbetter to stop the mouth of envy by acts of kindness, than by returningtheir resentment; I should rather say, to endeavour to do it, for thoughour intention may be good, their animosity may prevent its having thedesired effect."
Mrs. Meridith, therefore, took the first opportunity of asking farmerWard, when he came to pay his rent, if he would like to purchase hisfarm?
"Oh Madam!" said he (malice still perceivable in the expression, thoughthe kindness of her manners had seemed to soften his), "I have not somuch money as my neighbour Campbell; I am not able to purchase it."
"I believe your land is of the same value as his," returned Mrs.Meridith, "and you have both made it more valuable by your care andcultivation; you have, therefore, a better right to enjoy the advantagesof it than any others."
"Are you determined then, Madam, to sell my farm also?" asked Ward withapprehension on his countenance. "Certainly not, unless you are thepurchaser," said Mrs. Meridith. This unexpected kindness altered thebehaviour of the farmer; he made her a low bow, and thanked her withgreat cordiality.
"I am in no hurry to sell it," continued Mrs. Meridith, "and willreadily promise you shall have the first offer of it when I do; and youshall have it on the same terms that farmer Campbell had his."
"I own I should like to be the master of a farm as well as _he_, ma'am,"said the man, whose heart was now quite opened by her generosity: "but Imust consult my wife and other friends about it; perhaps you would notrefuse to take the money by instalments."
"In any way most convenient to you, farmer Ward," she replied, withher accustomed kindness, "for I have that opinion of your industry andhonesty, as not to fear your paying me; and I shall have my estatebordered by two as flourishing farms as any in the country while farmerCampbell and yourself are the owners of them, for I know you spare nopains to make them so."
"Well, I declare I did not think you would have been so kind to _me_,ma'am," returned the farmer; "I have certainly done you wrong; but I'llspeak the truth: I beg your pardon, but I thought all your favors werereserved for my neighbour Campbell, and that in a very few years hewould have my farm as well as his own, and I should be turned out tomake room for him."
"I am sorry you should think so," returned Mrs. Meridith, "you areconvinced now, I hope, that there was no reason for it; I have alwayslooked upon you and him, as tenants too good for me to wish to loseeither."
"Well, this comes of evil surmising," said the farmer, conscious of hisill conduct to Campbell when they met at market, and other places: "I amashamed of it, that I _be_--dear, dear, how unhappy have I made myselfabout it, and some other people too, I am afraid, madam," looking atMrs. Meridith, to discover whether farmer Campbell had mentioned hisbehaviour to her, but he read nothing in her countenance which indicatedit; and indeed he had not thought it worth while to relate it, thoughhe was hurt that her kindness to him, should produce an effect in onewho had for many years been his friend and neighbour. "Another evilsurmise," resumed Ward, after a short silence. "I'll be bound Campbellha'nt said a word about it; I'll go home, ma'am, and tell my wife howmuch I have been mistaken; and I begs your pardon for thinking as Ihave done; some future time we may talk a
bout the purchase; and pray,madam, accept my hearty thanks for your kindness."
"Oh, don't mention that, farmer," returned she, "it is no more than yourdue, you have always taken good care of my land."
"I will, madam, for the future," said he, "whether I can raise moneyenough to buy it or not; but I am ashamed to say it, but truth will comeout, I did _not_ intend to take any more pains with it; for I thoughtCampbell would soon have it all."
"Oh, farmer, I hope you will never give way to such ill-groundedsuspicions again," returned Mrs. Meridith, "depend upon it I would actwith the same fairness to you as to him," and seeing the poor man quiteconfused with a sense of his error, she offered him her hand, and beggedhim to believe her as much a friend to his interest as to Campbell's;"only I have known him a longer time," said she, "and _his_ mother was_mine_, when I had lost my own."
The farmer appeared quite melted by her condescension, and not beingable to say another word, he gave her hand a hearty shake, and hurriedout of the house to tell his wife how he had been mistaken in what hethought was Mrs. Meridith's intention.