English
NoonewhohadeverseenCatherineMorlandinherinfancywouldhavesupposedherborntobeanheroine.
Hersituationinlife,thecharacterofherfatherandmother,herownpersonanddisposition,wereallequallyagainsther.
Herfatherwasaclergyman,withoutbeingneglected,orpoor,andaveryrespectableman,thoughhisnamewasRichard—andhehadneverbeenhandsome.
Hehadaconsiderableindependencebesidestwogoodlivings—andhewasnotintheleastaddictedtolockinguphisdaughters.
Hermotherwasawomanofusefulplainsense,withagoodtemper,and,whatismoreremarkable,withagoodconstitution.
ShehadthreesonsbeforeCatherinewasborn;andinsteadofdyinginbringingthelatterintotheworld,asanybodymightexpect,shestilllivedon—livedtohavesixchildrenmore—toseethemgrowinguparoundher,andtoenjoyexcellenthealthherself.
Afamilyoftenchildrenwillbealwayscalledafinefamily,wherethereareheadsandarmsandlegsenoughforthenumber;buttheMorlandshadlittleotherrighttotheword,fortheywereingeneralveryplain,andCatherine,formanyyearsofherlife,asplainasany.
Shehadathinawkwardfigure,asallowskinwithoutcolour,darklankhair,andstrongfeatures—somuchforherperson;andnotlessunpropitiousforheroismseemedhermind.
Shewasfondofallboy’splays,andgreatlypreferredcricketnotmerelytodolls,buttothemoreheroicenjoymentsofinfancy,nursingadormouse,feedingacanary–bird,orwateringarose–bush.
Indeedshehadnotasteforagarden;andifshegatheredflowersatall,itwaschieflyforthepleasureofmischief—atleastsoitwasconjecturedfromheralwayspreferringthosewhichshewasforbiddentotake.
Suchwereherpropensities—herabilitieswerequiteasextraordinary.
Shenevercouldlearnorunderstandanythingbeforeshewastaught;andsometimesnoteventhen,forshewasofteninattentive,andoccasionallystupid.
Hermotherwasthreemonthsinteachingheronlytorepeatthe“Beggar’sPetition”;andafterall,hernextsister,Sally,couldsayitbetterthanshedid.
NotthatCatherinewasalwaysstupid—bynomeans;shelearntthefableof“TheHareandManyFriends”asquicklyasanygirlinEngland.
Hermotherwishedhertolearnmusic;andCatherinewassuresheshouldlikeit,forshewasveryfondoftinklingthekeysoftheoldforlornspinner;so,ateightyearsoldshebegan.
Shelearntayear,andcouldnotbearit;andMrs.Morland,whodidnotinsistonherdaughtersbeingaccomplishedinspiteofincapacityordistaste,allowedhertoleaveoff.
Thedaywhichdismissedthemusic–masterwasoneofthehappiestofCatherine’slife.
Hertastefordrawingwasnotsuperior;thoughwhenevershecouldobtaintheoutsideofaletterfromhermotherorseizeuponanyotheroddpieceofpaper,shedidwhatshecouldinthatway,bydrawinghousesandtrees,hensandchickens,allverymuchlikeoneanother.
Writingandaccountsshewastaughtbyherfather;Frenchbyhermother:herproficiencyineitherwasnotremarkable,andsheshirkedherlessonsinbothwhenevershecould.
Whatastrange,unaccountablecharacter!
—forwithallthesesymptomsofprofligacyattenyearsold,shehadneitherabadheartnorabadtemper,wasseldomstubborn,scarcelyeverquarrelsome,andverykindtothelittleones,withfewinterruptionsoftyranny;shewasmoreovernoisyandwild,hatedconfinementandcleanliness,andlovednothingsowellintheworldasrollingdownthegreenslopeatthebackofthehouse.
SuchwasCatherineMorlandatten.Atfifteen,appearancesweremending;shebegantocurlherhairandlongforballs;hercomplexionimproved,herfeaturesweresoftenedbyplumpnessandcolour,hereyesgainedmoreanimation,andherfiguremoreconsequence.
Herloveofdirtgavewaytoaninclinationforfinery,andshegrewcleanasshegrewsmart;shehadnowthepleasureofsometimeshearingherfatherandmotherremarkonherpersonalimprovement.
“Catherinegrowsquiteagood–lookinggirl—sheisalmostprettytoday,”werewordswhichcaughtherearsnowandthen;andhowwelcomewerethesounds!
Tolookalmostprettyisanacquisitionofhigherdelighttoagirlwhohasbeenlookingplainthefirstfifteenyearsofherlifethanabeautyfromhercradlecaneverreceive.
Mrs.Morlandwasaverygoodwoman,andwishedtoseeherchildreneverythingtheyoughttobe;buthertimewassomuchoccupiedinlying–inandteachingthelittleones,thatherelderdaughterswereinevitablylefttoshiftforthemselves;anditwasnotverywonderfulthatCatherine,whohadbynaturenothingheroicabouther,shouldprefercricket,baseball,ridingonhorseback,andrunningaboutthecountryattheageoffourteen,tobooks—oratleastbooksofinformation—for,providedthatnothinglikeusefulknowledgecouldbegainedfromthem,providedtheywereallstoryandnoreflection,shehadneveranyobjectiontobooksatall.
Butfromfifteentoseventeenshewasintrainingforaheroine;shereadallsuchworksasheroinesmustreadtosupplytheirmemorieswiththosequotationswhicharesoserviceableandsosoothinginthevicissitudesoftheireventfullives.
FromPope,shelearnttocensurethosewho
“bearaboutthemockeryofwoe.”
FromGray,that
“Manyaflowerisborntoblushunseen,
“Andwasteitsfragranceonthedesertair.”
FromThompson,that—
“Itisadelightfultask
“Toteachtheyoungideahowtoshoot.”
AndfromShakespeareshegainedagreatstoreofinformation—amongsttherest,that—
“Trifleslightasair,
“Are,tothejealous,confirmationstrong,
“AsproofsofHolyWrit.”
That
“Thepoorbeetle,whichwetreadupon,
“Incorporalsufferancefeelsapangasgreat
“Aswhenagiantdies.”
Andthatayoungwomaninlovealwayslooks—
“likePatienceonamonument
“SmilingatGrief.”
Sofarherimprovementwassufficient—andinmanyotherpointsshecameonexceedinglywell;forthoughshecouldnotwritesonnets,shebroughtherselftoreadthem;andthoughthereseemednochanceofherthrowingawholepartyintorapturesbyapreludeonthepianoforte,ofherowncomposition,shecouldlistentootherpeople’sperformancewithverylittlefatigue.
Hergreatestdeficiencywasinthepencil—shehadnonotionofdrawing—notenougheventoattemptasketchofherlover’sprofile,thatshemightbedetectedinthedesign.
Thereshefellmiserablyshortofthetrueheroicheight.
Atpresentshedidnotknowherownpoverty,forshehadnolovertoportray.
Shehadreachedtheageofseventeen,withouthavingseenoneamiableyouthwhocouldcallforthhersensibility,withouthavinginspiredonerealpassion,andwithouthavingexcitedevenanyadmirationbutwhatwasverymoderateandverytransient.Thiswasstrangeindeed!
Butstrangethingsmaybegenerallyaccountedforiftheircausebefairlysearchedout.
Therewasnotonelordintheneighbourhood;no—notevenabaronet.
Therewasnotonefamilyamongtheiracquaintancewhohadrearedandsupportedaboyaccidentallyfoundattheirdoor—notoneyoungmanwhoseoriginwasunknown.
Herfatherhadnoward,andthesquireoftheparishnochildren.
Butwhenayoungladyistobeaheroine,theperversenessoffortysurroundingfamiliescannotpreventher.Somethingmustandwillhappentothrowaheroinherway.
Mr.Allen,whoownedthechiefofthepropertyaboutFullerton,thevillageinWiltshirewheretheMorlandslived,wasorderedtoBathforthebenefitofagoutyconstitution—andhislady,agood–humouredwoman,fondofMissMorland,andprobablyawarethatifadventureswillnotbefallayoungladyinherownvillage,shemustseekthemabroad,invitedhertogowiththem.
Mr.andMrs.Morlandwereallcompliance,andCatherineallhappiness.
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