Henry by the Author of Arundel Author:Richard Cumberland Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chapter VI. A Saint not Joler. 'TpHE domeftics of the family, into which Henry had now entered, confifted of an antient matron, Bridget by name, who officiat... more »ed in the kitchen, and Sufan May, daughter of a widow woman, an inhabitant of the village, who waited upon the perfon of Mrs. Cawdle. Doctor Zachary had recommended Henry fo ftrongly to the care and good graces of thefe kind creatures, that they received him very courteoufly, and did the honours of the kitchen with much hofpitality. Bridget had recollected a cold gammon of bacon, that was ftanding idle in the cupboard, and Sufan had put a frefh faggot on the fire, where fhe was boiling the water for her miftrefs's tea By the light of a chearful blaze fhe had now an opportunity of reconnoitring the young ftranger with more accuracy than hitherto fhe had been able to do; when, having fcanned him over with an eye that betokened fome- thing more than pity, gently ftroking her hand C 6 overover his head, fhe gave a figh, and faid— " Alas! poor fellow, thou art cold and hungry, I'll engage for thee;"—and then proceeded to other queftions, which Henry either anfwered or evaded, as he thought fit. She now filled out a bafon of tea, and repaired with it to her miflrefs in the parlour. Sufan, who was not bred in the fchool of Harpocrates, waked her miftrefs from her flumbers, by the noife fhe made upon entering the room ; whereupon Jemima accofted her as follows ;—" Why, what the devil, wench, will you never be taught to open a door fofcly? Do you confider, mawkin, the wretched ftate of my poor tortur'd nerves, trembling, quivering, tingling all over me, at every fhock you give them ? Do you fee the quandary you have thrown me into ? Then you tread as heavy as a eart-horfe, and bawl fb loud, that my brain fplits with every wor...« less