Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 19 Thus Pamela who withstood all temptations earns as a reward for her virtue a promise of marriage from Mr. B. But before her marriage she undertakes the task of reforming him and teaching him the meaning of virtue. Always virtu¬ ous herself she sets such a splendid example that she finally succeeds in reform¬ ing him. Unlike many modern novelists the author of “Pamela” does not con¬ sider his volume ended with the union of his two leading characters, but con¬ tinues to describe the various trials and tribulations of the virtuous Pamela. After her marriage came the ordeal of winning the love of her husband’s sister, Lady Davers, a very proud and haughty young lady, who would not deign to consider a mere servant girl her sister. But pure sweet Pamela slowly earns her way to Lady Daver’s heart and the latter receives her to her heart. Thus reconciled with Mr. B’s relatives and presented in society, Pamela leads a very happy life, a just reward for her virtue. As a result of her marriage she be¬ comes acquainted with several people, among whom are Lady Darnford and her daughter, Mary, who proves to be a great comfort to Pamela in her troubles. During the first winter after her marriage, Pamela pays her first visit to London accompanied by her husband. There they purchase a home and intend to live throughout the season. To Pamela London is a wonder with its large theatres and grand balls which she frequently attends. Her first masquerade ball was destined to stand out in her memory, for there she was disturbed by the obvious attentions paid by her husband to a woman dressed in the garb of a nun. Pamela enjoyed herself as best she could and the evening passed. A few months later a baby boy was born in the home of Mr. B. With the coming of her son there was less time for Pamela to attend social affairs, and she spent most of her time in the nursery with Billy, the baby. But not so with her husband; he still continued to frequent ballrooms and enjoy his London visits. As the days go by, Pamela hears many reports concerning her husband from outsiders, especially from a Mr. Hunter, who delights in tortur¬ ing her by telling of her husband’s frequent visits to the home of “Lady S.,” the nun of the masquerade ball. At first Pamela pays no attention to these reports, but finally she decided to investigate, because she realizes that her husband sel¬ dom seeks her company. Then, too, he receives several letters sealed with the seal of Lady S. The crisis is reached one Saturday night when she received a letter, telling her that her husband left for Tunbridge with Lady S to purchase a home there and marry her. That night her decision is reached; she will give up her husband to this wicked woman but not her child, for he is to comfort her for the loss of her husband. These are her plans and she awaits the return of her husband to inform him of them. Poor Pamela knows not where to begin but finally, believing it best to be prudent, she begins by telling him of the masquerade ball and ends by showing him the letter. He demands to know who her informants are and mentions Mr. Hunter, but she refuses to tell him. Then realizing the virtue of this wife and her desire to sacrifice her happiness for what she believes will be his he takes her into his arms and tells her the truth. “His pride, his vanity and his thoughtlessness had been his misguiders,” he admits, and then he explains to her the truth concerning his apparently guilty friendship with the Lady S, and discloses that the stories of his intended mar¬ riage were all lies told by Mr. Hunter, who was very jealous and tried to cause trouble. Pamela believes and forgives him, and her forgiveness restores peace and happiness. Thus through tides of unhappiness, resisting all evil temptation, Pamela re¬ formed her husband and won as a reward for her virtue and prudence, future happiness for her husband, her children, and herself.

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18 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. all that the maturity of art and genius can afterwards cultivate or arrange.” No novel has a more direct opening than “Pamela”; the attention of the reader is instantly captured. In the first paragraph, which follows, both the heroine and villain are introduced. “Dear Father and Mother:—I have great trouble and some comfort to acquaint you with. The trouble is that my good lady died of the illness I men¬ tioned to you, and left us all much grieved for the loss of her; for she was a dear good lady, and kind to all her servants. Much I feared, that as I was taken by her ladyship to wait upon her person, I should be quite destitute again, and forced to return to you, who have enough to do to maintain yourselves; and, as my lady’s goodness had put me to write and cast accounts, and qualified me above my degree, it was not every family that could have found a place that your poor Pamela was fit for; but God, whose graciousness to us we have so often experi¬ enced, put it into my good lady’s heart on her death-bed, just an hour before she expired, to recommend to my young master all her servants, one by one; and when it came to my turn to be recommended (for I was sobbing and crying at her pillow), she could only say, ‘My dear son!’—and so broke off a little; and then recovering—‘Remember my poor Pamela.’ And these were some of her last words! Oh, how my eyes run—don’t wonder to see the paper so blotted. Your dutiful daughter, Pamela Andrews.” Thus Pamela, the poor innocent country girl and maidservant, is placed in the power of “Mr. B.,” the young squire, headstrong and dissipated. She resists every temptation he places before her and with great difficulty defends herself against his attacks. One day the young squire, very angry at what he believes her pretended in¬ nocence, regardless of his mother’s last wish, orders her to go back to her parents in the country. Pamela, happy in the thought of being with her beloved parents once again, prepares at once to depart. But the young squire, who is really in love with Pamela but too proud to admit it, plans to have her brought to his Lincolnshire estate instead of to her own home. So Pamela joyully starts her journey homeward only to find that she has been the victim of a foul plot and is lured to his Lincolnshire estate instead of being allowed to return to her beloved parents. The girl grieves very much, realizing that he wishes to destroy her for she knows that he will never wed a mere servant girl. She feels certain of his wickedness when she learns the evil character of her keeper, Mrs. Jewkes, whose treatment causes her a great deal of unhappiness. Very wretched and with no hope of escape, Pamela decides to ask aid of a Mr. Williams who is a frequent visitor at Lincolnshire. By secret letters she forms a plan of escape, but at the last moment her plans are frustrated and she is once again in the power of Mrs. Jewkes. Realizing now her plight, she decides to send some letters to her parents by Mr. Williams. He consents to be her messenger, but the very night she entrusts her letters to him he is robbed of them. At first she grieves because he received several injuries in trying to retain them, but finally she learns that the robbery was plotted between Mrs. Jewkes and him and she becomes very angry. Now she realizes that she is indeed friendless and alone. . To add to her grief news is received of the expected arrival of Mr. B., which unhappy tidings cause her to make several unsuccessful attempts to escape. Finally Mr. B. arrives, Pamela pleads with him to spare her and to allow her to escape. At first he remains firm, but finally his pride is conquered and he decides to marry Pamela, even though she be a servant girl.

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20 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. This briefly is the summary of the first novel, which aims, as Richardson himself declared, to give religious and moral instruction. In an age when pub¬ lic and domestic morality were very lax, he thought it his duty to teach Christian tenets as he understood them. The critic declares: “Unlearned he discovered what for a quarter of a century Europe had been looking for, not knowing pre¬ cisely what it wanted, a form of literature that should adequately present its life as it was, united with an ideal of life as it ought to be.” Notwithstanding the fact that Richardson’s novels are of considerable length, many people of different ages have delighted in reading them. Cross in “The Development of the English Novel,” after commenting on the custom in Richardson’s time of reading novels aloud in the family circle, says: “When some pathetic passage was reached, the members of the family would re¬ tire to separate apartments to weep ; and after composing themselves, they would return to the fireside to hear the reading proceed.” An anecdote is told to show how his novel “Pamela” affected even larger groups:— “In a certain village a blacksmith was fortunate enough to procure a copy of Richardson’s first novel ‘Pamela.’ Every evening sitting on his anvil he read it to large audiences. At length when happy fortune brought the hero and hero¬ ine ' together to live happily ever after,—according to approved rules,—the con¬ gregation was so delighted that they procured the keys and actually set the parish bells ringing.” The following was dedicated to ‘.‘the unknown Author of the Beautiful Piece ‘Pamela’ ” : “Blessed be thy powerful pen, where e’er thou art, Thou skilled great moulder of the master’d heart! Where hast thou lain conceal’d? or why thought fit At this dire period, to unveil thy wit? Sweet Pamela! forever blooming maid! Thou dear enlivening (yet immortal) shade, Why are thy beauties flashed upon the blind! What thought thy fluttering sex might learn from thee, That merit forms a rank above degree. That pride too conscious falls from every claim, While humble sweetness climbs beyond its aim.” This dedication was written because when Richardson first gave “Pamela” to the world he published it anonymously. This was perhaps, the most beauti¬ ful dedication to him, for when he died he was buried beside his first wife in the church of St. Bride and only a large stone records the fact that Samuel Rich¬ ardson, the “Father of the English Novel” lies beneath it. To him the world owes tribute for having discovered the novel, which has become a valuable re¬ corder of modern life. One of the best statements I have found in regard to the novel in general is as follows: “The art of novel embraces every sort of mental interest. Among those who regard novel writing as man’s work, and the noblest of arts—among those of fine natural endowments who approach it with sincerity and their full strength—shall be found the best writers of the English language at present living. It is not too much to say that contemporaries have written some of the best novels in our tongue. Fielding and Richardson had a different field to play upon, and art has developed so enormously, that the novel as written in England and America challenges the finest intellects and greatest artists of the time. The very fire of life glows in this art, and its possibilities are beyond all prediction, for fiction is the greatest educational force in the modern world.” Esther Gagliardi, 1923.