Chapter XII. Mr and Mrs Glegg at Home

ithdrawnfromtheirregularwell-knownshopsandthetradesmenhadnowaresintendedforcustomerswhowouldgoontheirwayandbeseennomore.Ah!evenMrsGlegg’sdayseemsfarbackinthepastnow,separatedfromusbychangesthatwidentheyears.Warandtherumorofwarhadthendiedoutfromthemindsofmen,andiftheywereeverthoughtofbythefarmersindrabgreatcoats,whoshookthegrainoutoftheirsample-bagsandbuzzedoveritinthefullmarket-place,itwasasastateofthingsthatbelongedtoapastgoldenagewhenpriceswerehigh.SurelythetimewasgoneforeverwhenthebroadrivercouldbringupunwelcomeshipsRussiawasonlytheplacewherethelinseedcamefrom,—themorethebetter,—makinggristforthegreatverticalmillstoneswiththeirscythe-likearms,roaringandgrindingandcarefullysweepingasifaninformingsoulwereinthem.TheCatholics,badharvests,andthemysteriousfluctuationsoftradewerethethreeevilsmankindhadtofeareventhefloodshadnotbeengreatoflateyears.ThemindofStOgg’sdidnotlookextensivelybeforeorafter.Itinheritedalongpastwithoutthinkingofit,andhadnoeyesforthespiritsthatwalkthestreets.SincethecenturieswhenStOggwithhisboatandtheVirginMotherattheprowhadbeenseenonthewidewater,somanymemorieshadbeenleftbehind,andhadgraduallyvanishedliketherecedinghilltops!Andthepresenttimewaslikethelevelplainwheremenlosetheirbeliefinvolcanoesandearthquakes,thinkingto-morrowwillbeasyesterday,andthegiantforcesthatusedtoshaketheearthareforeverlaidtosleep.Thedaysweregonewhenpeoplecouldbegreatlywroughtuponbytheirfaith,stilllesschangeittheCatholicswereformidablebecausetheywouldlayholdofgovernmentandproperty,andburnmenalivenotbecauseanysaneandhonestparishionerofStOgg’scouldbebroughttobelieveinthePope.OneagedpersonrememberedhowarudemultitudehadbeenswayedwhenJohnWesleypreachedinthecattle-marketbutforalongwhileithadnotbeenexpectedofpreachersthattheyshouldshakethesoulsofmen.AnoccasionalburstoffervorinDissentingpulpitsonthesubjectofinfantbaptismwastheonlysymptomofazealunsuitedtosobertimeswhenmenhaddonewithchange.Protestantismsatatease,unmindfulofschisms,carelessofproselytism:DissentwasaninheritancealongwithasuperiorpewandabusinessconnectionandChurchmanshiponlywonderedcontemptuouslyatDissentasafoolishhabitthatclunggreatlytofamiliesinthegroceryandchandleringlines,thoughnotincompatiblewithprosperouswholesaledealing.ButwiththeCatholicQuestionhadcomeaslightwindofcontroversytobreakthecalm:theelderlyrectorhadbecomeoccasionallyhistoricalandargumentativeandMrSpray,theIndependentminister,hadbeguntopreachpoliticalsermons,inwhichhedistinguishedwithmuchsubtletybetweenhisferventbeliefintherightoftheCatholicstothefranchiseandhisferventbeliefintheireternalperdition.MostofMrSpray’shearers,however,wereincapableoffollowinghissubtleties,andmanyold-fashionedDissentersweremuchpainedbyhis“sidingwiththeCatholics”whileothersthoughthehadbetterletpoliticsalone.PublicspiritwasnotheldinhighesteematStOgg’s,andmenwhobusiedthemselveswithpoliticalquestionswereregardedwithsomesuspicion,asdangerouscharacterstheywereusuallypersonswhohadlittleornobusinessoftheirowntomanage,or,iftheyhad,werelikelyenoughtobecomeinsolvent. ThiswasthegeneralaspectofthingsatStOgg’sinMrsGlegg’sday,andatthatparticularperiodinherfamilyhistorywhenshehadhadherquarrelwithMrTulliver.Itwasatimewhenignorancewasmuchmorecomfortablethanatpresent,andwasreceivedwithallthehonoursinverygoodsociety,withoutbeingobligedtodressitselfinanelaboratecostumeofknowledgeatimewhencheapperiodicalswerenot,andwhencountrysurgeonsneverthoughtofaskingtheirfemalepatientsiftheywerefondofreading,butsimplytookitforgrantedthattheypreferredgossipatimewhenladiesinrichsilkgownsworelargepockets,inwhichtheycarriedamutton-bonetosecurethemagainstcramp.MrsGleggcarriedsuchabone,whichshehadinheritedfromhergrandmotherwithabrocadedgownthatwouldstandupempty,likeasuitofarmor,andasilver-headedwalking-stickfortheDodsonfamilyhadbeenrespectableformanygenerations. MrsGlegghadbothafrontandabackparlourinherexcellenthouseatStOgg’s,sothatshehadtwopointsofviewfromwhichshecouldobservetheweaknessofherfellow-beings,andreinforceherthankfulnessforherownexceptionalstrengthofmind.FromherfrontwindowshecouldlookdowntheToftonRoad,leadingoutofStOgg’s,andnotethegrowingtendencyto“gaddingabout”inthewivesofmennotretiredfrombusiness,togetherwithapracticeofwearingwovencottonstockings,whichopenedadrearyprospectforthecominggenerationandfromherbackwindowsshecouldlookdownthepleasantgardenandorchardwhichstretchedtotheriver,andobservethefollyofMrGlegginspendinghistimeamong“themflowersandvegetables.”ForMrGlegg,havingretiredfromactivebusinessasawool-staplerforthepurposeofenjoyinghimselfthroughtherestofhislife,hadfoundthislastoccupationsomuchmoreseverethanhisbusiness,thathehadbeendrivenintoamateurhardlabourasadissipation,andhabituallyrelaxedbydoingtheworkoftwoordinarygardeners.Theeconomizingofagardener’swagesmightperhapshaveinducedMrsGleggtowinkatthisfolly,ifitwerepossibleforahealthyfemalemindeventosimula