| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE | |
| Description of Harry Sandford and Tommy Merton—Adventure withthe Snake—Harry in Mr Merton's house—Mr Barlow undertakes theeducation of Tommy—The first day at Mr Barlow's—Story of theFlies and the Ants—Harry rescues a Chicken from a Kite—Storyof the Gentleman and the Basket-maker—Tommy learns to read—Storyof the two dogs, | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Tommy and the Ragged Boy—Story of Androcles and the Lion—Conversationon Slavery—Conversation about an Ass—Tommy's Presentand its consequences—The Story of Cyrus—Squire Chase beatsHarry—Harry saves the Squire's life—Making Bread—Story of theTwo Brothers—Story of the Sailors on the Island of Spitzbergen, | [47] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Harry's Chicken—Tommy tries kindness on the Pig—Account of theElephant—Story of the Elephant and the Tailor—Story of theElephant and the Child—Stories of the Good Natured Boy and theIll Natured Boy—The Boys determine to Build a House—Story ofthe Grateful Turk—The Boys' House blown down—They rebuildit stronger—The Roof lets in the Rain—At last is made Water-tight, | [95] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| The Boys' Garden—The Crocodile—The Farmer's Wife—How to makeCider—The Bailiffs take possession of the Farmer's Furniture—Tommypays the Farmer's Debt—Conclusion of the Story of theGrateful Turk—The three Bears—Tommy and the Monkey—Habitsof the Monkey—Tommy's Robin Redbreast—Is killed by a Cat—TheCat punished—The Laplanders—Story of a Cure of the Gout, | [185] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Lost in the Snow—Jack Smithers' Home—Talk about the Stars—Harry'spursuit of The Will-o'-the-Wisp—Story of the Avalanche—Townand Country compared—The Power of the Lever—The Balance—TheWheel and Axle—Arithmetic—Buying a Horse—History ofAgesilaus—History of Leonidas, | [197] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| The Constellations—Distance from the Earth—The Magnet and itsPowers—The Compass—The Greenlanders and their Customs—TheTelescope—The Magic Lantern—Story of the African Prince and theTelescope—Mr Barlow's Poor Parishioners—His Annual Dinner—Tommyattempts Sledge Driving—His mishap in the Pond—HisAnger, | [255] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Tommy and Harry visit Home—The Fashionable Guests—Miss Simmonstakes notice of Harry—Harry's Troubles—Master Compton andMash—Estrangement of Tommy—Visit to the Theatre—Misbehaviourthere—Card Playing—The Ball—Harry Dancing a Minuet—Storyof Sir Philip Sidney—Master Mash insults Harry—The Fightin the Drawing-room—The Bull-baiting—Tommy strikes Harry—MasterMash's Combat with Harry—Tommy's Narrow Escape fromthe Bull—The Grateful Black, | [298] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Arrival of Mr Barlow—Story of Polemo—Tommy's repentance—Storyof Sophron and Tigranes—Tommy as an Arabian Horseman—HisMishap—Tommy's intrepidity—The Poor Highlander's story—Tommy'sSorrow for his conduct to Harry—Conclusion of the Storyof Sophron and Tigranes—Tommy's resolution to study nothing but"reason and philosophy"—Visits Harry and begs his forgiveness—TheGrateful Black's Story—Tommy takes up his abode at FarmerSandford's—The Grateful Black's account of himself—Mr Merton'svisit to the Farm—The unexpected present—Conclusion, | [355] |
THE HISTORY
OF
SANDFORD AND MERTON.
CHAPTER I.
Description of Harry Sandford and Tommy Merton—Adventure with the Snake—Harry in Mr Merton's house—Mr Barlow undertakes the education of Tommy—The first day at Mr Barlow's—Story of the Flies and the Ants—Harry rescues a Chicken from a Kite—Story of the Gentleman and the Basket-maker—Tommy learns to read—Story of the two dogs.
In the western part of England lived a gentleman of great fortune, whose name was Merton. He had a large estate in the Island of Jamaica, where he had passed the greater part of his life, and was master of many servants, who cultivated sugar and other valuable things for his advantage. He had only one son, of whom he was excessively fond; and to educate this child properly was the reason of his determining to stay some years in England. Tommy Merton, who, at the time he came from Jamaica, was only six years old, was naturally a very good-tempered boy, but unfortunately had been spoiled by too much indulgence. While he lived in Jamaica, he had several black servants to wait upon him, who were forbidden upon any account to contradict him. If he walked, there always went two negroes with him; one of whom carried a large
umbrella to keep the sun from him, and the other was to carry him in his arms whenever he was tired. Besides this, he was always dressed in silk or laced clothes, and had a fine gilded carriage, which was borne upon men's shoulders, in which he made visits to his play-fellows. His mother was so excessively fond of him that she gave him everything he cried for, and would never let him learn to read because he complained that it made his head ache.
The consequence of this was, that, though Master Merton had everything he wanted, he became very fretful and unhappy. Sometimes he ate sweetmeats till he made himself sick, and then he suffered a great deal of pain, because he would not take bitter physic to make him well. Sometimes he cried for things that it was impossible to give him, and then, as he had never been used to be contradicted, it was many hours before he could be pacified. When any company came to dine at the house, he was always to be helped first, and to have the most delicate parts of the meat, otherwise he would make such a noise as disturbed the whole company. When his father and mother were sitting at the tea-table with their friends, instead of waiting till they were at leisure to attend him, he would scramble upon the table, seize the cake and bread and butter, and frequently overset the tea-cups. By these pranks he not only made himself disagreeable to everybody else, but often met with very dangerous accidents. Frequently did he cut himself with knives, at other times throw heavy things upon his head, and once he narrowly escaped being scalded to death by a kettle of boiling water. He was also so delicately brought up, that he was
perpetually ill; the least wind or rain gave him a cold, and the least sun was sure to throw him into a fever. Instead of playing about, and jumping, and running like other children, he was taught to sit still for fear of spoiling his clothes, and to stay in the house for fear of injuring his complexion. By this kind of education, when Master Merton came over to England he could neither write nor read, nor cipher; he could use none of his limbs with ease, nor bear any degree of fatigue; but he was very proud, fretful, and impatient.
Very near to Mr Merton's seat lived a plain, honest farmer, whose name was Sandford. This man had, like Mr Merton, an only son, not much older than Master Merton, whose name was Harry. Harry, as he had been always accustomed to run about in the fields, to follow the labourers while they were ploughing, and to drive the sheep to their pasture, was active, strong, hardy, and fresh-coloured. He was neither so fair, nor so delicately shaped as Master Merton; but he had an honest good-natured countenance, which made everybody love him; was never out of humour, and took the greatest pleasure in obliging everybody. If little Harry saw a poor wretch who wanted victuals, while he was eating his dinner, he was sure to give him half, and sometimes the whole: nay, so very good-natured was he to everything, that he would never go into the fields to take the eggs of poor birds, or their young ones, nor practise any other kind of sport which gave pain to poor animals, who are as capable of feeling as we ourselves, though they have no words to express their sufferings. Once, indeed, Harry was caught