Adventures of a Squirrel, Supposed to be Related by Himself Page 7

  _CHAPTER VII._

  _Hawkins._ I told you I should get it. Poor Bentley!

  _Lively._ Why how could you get it?

  _Hawkins._ I put my bottle and bason close to the cage, so thatwhen he went to take out his squirrel, down they came, and broketo pieces. I went up and demanded payment, which he not being ableto give me, I took his squirrel, which he held on his hand allthe time we talked.

  _Lively._ Upon my word, I think you did wrong.

  _Hawkins._ What! are you one of those fools who are afraid ofdoing wrong. However, you see I have got something by doingwrong.----

  "And you shall get something more by doing wrong," cried a voice.Hawkins turned round, and saw his master, who had been standing atthe window ever since they began to talk. "Give me that squirrel,"continued Mr. Clarkson. Hawkins held me out to him with greatreluctance. Mr. Clarkson then carried me into the school-room, andcalling for Bentley, gave me to him, telling him, loud enough forHawkins to hear him, that Hawkins would get much more by doingwrong, than he would by doing right, for he should get a veryhearty flogging that afternoon. He likewise commended Lively fornot agreeing with Hawkins. Bentley then carried me to his roomagain, packed me up, (in my cage,) and sent me by the stage tohis sister, who lived at Stamford in Lincolnshire, and was veryintimate with Miss Huntley. My reception was a very good one.Louisa Bentley was very fond of me, and always took care I shouldhave plenty of food. She had invited a party of young ladies tosee her that very afternoon: their names were, Miss Wilson, MissClark, Miss Smith, Miss Newman, and Miss Huntley.

  When these young ladies were all seated, their conversation wasas follows.

  _Miss Bentley._ O, Miss Huntley, I had such a present made meto-day. My good brother always sends me some present from school,between the holidays; but this last, is the best he ever sentme. Only look, what a pretty squirrel! What makes you sigh, MissHuntley?

  _Miss Huntley._ Your squirrel puts me in mind of one I had lately.Young Eaton came to drink tea with us before he went to school,when he let the squirrel out, and it jumped out of the window.

  _Miss Clark._ Were you not very angry?

  _Miss Newman._ I am sure I should have been very angry indeed;and, I think, not without a cause.

  _Miss Smith._ He is always doing mischief, I think. It was but onFriday, when he came to see us, that he killed my canary bird, byputting a shot in the place where the seeds were, which stuck inits throat, and it died in a few minutes.

  _Miss Clark._ And what did he say, when he saw he had killed it?

  _Miss Smith._ He only laughed, and said he did not know it couldnot eat shot.

  _Miss Wilson._ Perhaps he took it for an ostrich, and thoughtit could eat lead and iron. I do not wonder at it; for, in myopinion, he is foolish enough to think any thing.

  _I have been looking at your squirrel._]

  _Miss Huntley._ I have been looking at your squirrel, Miss Bentley,for some time; will you be kind enough to tell me where you gotit? O, I remember, you said your brother sent it you, so it cannotbe the same; but every mark on it is exactly like mine.

  _Miss Bentley._ Suppose I write to him, and ask him where he gotit. I assure you, if it is yours, you shall have it. I dare saymy brother got it fairly.

  _Miss Huntley._ My dear Louisa, I would not take it from you onany account: I only wish to know that it has not died a violentdeath.

  _Miss Newman._ Poor creature! I hope it has not. I would muchrather see any favourite bird or squirrel die, than that theyshould escape.

  _Miss Clark._ My brother never sends me such presents. Yes, once,indeed, to do him justice, he sent me a present you would notguess, if you were to try from morning till night. He goes toschool about two miles off, and the week before last, he sent me,in the baker's cart, an ugly monkey: such a great creature. Hebegan clambering over the chairs and tables; so I sent it back,with a letter, in which I told him, monkeys were not presents foryoung ladies, and that he could better take care of his brotherthan I could. Don't you think I was pretty severe upon him, MissNewman?

  _Miss Newman._ Yes, indeed, I think you was. But, my dear girl,you forget that you was just as severe upon yourself; for as youare brother and sister, the monkey cannot be brother to one ofyou, without being brother to the other.

  _Miss Clark._ Miss Newman, I assure you I don't understand suchusage: I did not come here to be called names. I think my questionwas not uncivil.

  _Miss Newman._ And I think I answered you as civilly as I could,Miss Smith, do you think I could have given a more civil answer?

  _Miss Smith._ No, indeed, I do not.

  _Miss Clark._ Well, ladies, I see you are all against me, so I hadbetter take my leave. Here Mrs. Bentley entering, put a stop toMiss Clark's resolution, by proposing a game at forfeits, for shereadily consented to be of the party. I took the opportunity tofall asleep, and when I awoke, the following letter was lying bymy cage.

  My dear Brother,

  I am so much obliged to you for your present, that I cannot express my thanks: I believe I shall best be able to do that when I see you. I had some young ladies to see me yesterday, among them was Miss Huntley, who has begged me to write to satisfy her curiosity. She would, therefore, take it as a favour, if you would tell me where you got it; as it is very like one she had, which made its escape. O, my dear brother, I wish you was at home. I have so many things to say to you, I don't know how to say them in letter; for, let people say what they will, it is easier to talk than to write a letter; so must conclude this, from

  Your affectionate sister,

  Louisa Bentley.

  _CHAPTER VIII._

  I shall pass over a few days, which I spent very comfortably, andgive you her brother's answer; for she took me out of my cage sooften, (seeing I was tame,) that I had frequent opportunities ofseeing and reading every thing I chose. It was as follows.

  "Dear Sister,

  "I am very glad my last present met with your approbation. I endeavoured to find who brought it into the school, as soon as I had read your letter. It appears to be young Eaton: I believe you know him. I bought it of him, and after several escapes from losing it, I resolved to send it you, which succeeded just as I could have wished. Present my duty to my papa and mamma, and I remain, dear sister,

  "Your's, affectionately,

  "Benjamin Bentley."

  As soon as Louisa had received this letter, she invited MissHuntley; and I could clearly hear the following dialogue.

  _Miss Bentley._ Well! I wrote to my brother, to enquire aboutthe squirrel, and here is his answer: read it.

  _Miss Huntley._ (having read it.) My dear Louisa I am shocked. Idid not think William Eaton could have been guilty of an actionso mean. You know I told you, when I was here last, he opened thecage and said the squirrel had jumped out of the window. Now hewent to school the next day, therefore he must have taken it. Ialways thought he loved a little mischief, but had not an ideahe could do such a thing as this.

  _Miss Bentley._ And very likely all this was for the gain ofa couple of shillings, or some such trifle. But, however, thesquirrel is your's, Miss Huntley, so I beg you will accept of it.

  _Miss Huntley._ I think, Miss Bentley, I had better not take it,as it will cause questions which may discover young Eaton'sguilt, and I should not wish to take away his character. I thinkthe best way will be to write him a letter; and tell him how sorryI am at finding how I lost my squirrel, but that, as I know whohas it, I shall think no more of it.

  _Miss Bentley._ My dear Miss Huntley, you will act nobly; and muchkinder, I am sure, than he deserves. Suppose you write it now,here is every thing necessary.

  Miss Huntley then wrote the letter, and when she had finished, sheread it aloud.

  "Sir,

  "When you favoured us with your company, the night before you went to school, had any body told me you had the least thought of doing what I have lately found you did, I should have thought it an impossibility. Believe me, the loss of the
squirrel does not grieve me half so much as the manner in which I have lately heard I lost it. Miss Bentley, sister to one of your schoolfellows, has it, and would freely give it me; and as that is all I wished to know, (as I was afraid it might meet a violent death,) I shall very willingly let it remain with her; for if I should take it, it might breed questions which would not be quite agreeable. And now let me conclude this letter with assuring you, that, as I trust you have sense enough to be sorry for what you have done, I shall think no more of it, than if it never had happened.

  "Isabella Huntley."

  This letter was then sent, and Miss Huntley look her leave.

  I am now coming to that part of my life which I look back uponwith horror. Nothing particular happened till the time arrivedwhen young gentlemen leave school, to go and be merry by thefireside for six weeks. William Eaton had not lost any of hismalice; and therefore, I suppose, thought me as proper an objectto vent it on as he could find. He thought, by killing me, (as Iheard him say,) to end all farther trouble, and put a stop to alltheir enquiries, by bringing me home dead. For he had formed sucha design, I shudder when I think of it. I suppose he had bribedthe maid before, for early one morning he was at the door, whichthe maid seeing, she took me out of my cage, and gave me to him,after she had cut off a bit of my tail, to make it appear the cathad eat me. He took me home, and called his dog into the garden,where he let me go, and sent the dog after me. The dog presentlycaught me, and lucky it was, he did not kill me the first gripe;for his master (seeing he caught me so soon, as he wanted to havehad some fun, as he termed it) threw a stone at him, which hithim on the head, and laid him flat on the ground. I seized theopportunity, and ran up the garden wall, from whence I jumped,frightened almost out my wits. I continued running till I came toa very large orchard. I mounted a cherry tree, and eat one or twocherries, which a little recovered me. After I had been in thetree a little time, two men entered the orchard with sacks, whichthey filled with what fruit came first to hand, and were goingaway. The owner of the orchard happened to be riding by the place,and called to them to know their business. At that instant the menhappened to lift up their eyes, and seeing me, answered, they cameto catch me, and asked if they might not climb the tree for thatpurpose.

  _Owner._ Yes, after you have emptied your sacks. So empty themthis minute.

  The men then turned every thing out of their sacks.

  _Owner._ Well, have you caught the squirrel? Hey-day! were yougoing to catch the squirrel with two sacks full of fruit? Now,gentlemen, you will both be kind enough to march out of thisorchard: and if ever you are caught in here again you shallcertainly go to gaol.

  The men then went away, which recovered me from my second fright;for I expected, every minute, they would climb and take me.However, I was agreeably disappointed.

  I then descended, and ran out of the orchard as fast as I could,till I found myself so hungry, I determined to trust myself oncemore to somebody that looked good-natured, if I could see any bodyI thought looked so. While I was thinking, a stage came by, so (atrandom) I gave a leap into the basket, where I found a few crumbsof bread. I remained very quiet till the stage suddenly brokedown. I thought it high time to quit my seat, so jumped out, andcrept into an old lady's pocket, who was lying amongst the reston the road. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, and the coachman sentsomebody for a post chaise, which soon arrived. We all crowded in,till it was full. My mistress happened to get an inside place, andwe went off laughing at the disaster. At last we came to London,where I did not dare stir from the pocket of the lady, so kept myplace with great composure. My mistress, for so I shall call her,was then put into another stage, and after a journey of about fourmiles, she stopped at a very handsome house. My mistress being ina great hurry to get out and compose herself, opened the coachdoor herself, but not having sufficient power, her foot slippedand she fell out. I was so alarmed at this, that I scrambledout of her pocket, and made the best of my way towards the housedoor, where I certainly should have entered, had I not heard thedifferent mews of half a dozen cats. Those sounds were not verypleasing to me, so I ran off unperceived; for the confusion atthe garden door was not yet at an end. I had not run far, beforeI met a man with a pair of very large boots in his hand. Heunfortunately spied me, and taking me up, put me into one of them,and thrust me down into the foot. He had walked within a mile ofthe fields where you were when you first became possessed of me,when he set the boots down, and began fighting with a man he hadbeen quarrelling with some part of the way, I jumped out of myplace of confinement, and ran till I came to the place where youwere sitting, and being very hungry, I ventured to creep intoyour pocket, and trust to your generosity. Here the pretty fellowceased. "And you shall find," said I, "I will endeavour to deservethat trust, by making you as happy as I possibly can."

  * * * * *

  Now, my dear Anne, I presume it will be unnecessary for me toinform you, that the foregoing history is only an imaginary oneof my own invention; but such as we may suppose a squirrel mightrelate, if he were endowed with reason and speech. Your good sensewill suggest to you that the amiable characters herein depictedare meant as examples for imitation; and that the conduct of thevicious is to be disapproved of and avoided.

  I remain your affectionate friend,

  R. S. S.

  Printed by Darton and Harvey, Gracechurch-street.

  _the end._

  _I ventured to creep into your Pocket._]

  Transcriber's Note

  Illustrations within the main text of this ebook have been moved totheir appropriate page numbers, as referenced in the original text.

  Spelling and grammar variations (for example: your's, scissars,staid/stayed, bason, ceremoney, Mrs. Grevilles/Mrs. Greville's,had fell down, was broke to pieces, had eat me, came and drink tea)have been preserved to match the original 1807 text.

  The following typographical corrections have been made in this ebook:

  Page 6: Removed duplicate word 'he' (he took off the chain)

  Page 22: Removed duplicate word 'and' (and singed me sadly)

  Page 23: Added missing period (thing Mrs. Dixon did)

  Page 26: Changed 'happenned' to 'happened' (happened to enter)

  Page 28: Changed 'Bummble' to 'Bumble' (Mrs. Bumble)

  Page 33: Changed 'beeen' to 'been' (had been peeling)

  Page 33: Removed duplicate word 'the' (The young ladies)

  Page 34: Added missing period (by tormenting me.)

  Page 37: Added missing end quotes (new bells put on.")

  Page 42: Added missing word 'I' (who, I afterwards learnt,)

  Page 51: Removed duplicate word 'to' (is easier to talk)

  Page 56: Changed 'runing' to 'running' (I continued running)