Accidents > Life and most surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner, who lived eight and twenty years in an uninhabited island on the coast of America, near the mouth of the great river Oroonoque

ROBINSON CRUSOE. 249
wives turn Chriftians ; and upon which promifes the
prieft married the three couple. But as Aitkins
was the only fincere convert, and of more fenfe than
the reft, my clergyman was earneftly inquiring after
him: Sir, faid he, let us tv ilk out of this labyrinth,
and I dare fay tve fsall find this poor man preaching to
his wife already. And indeed we found it true ; for
coming to the edge of the wood, we perceived
Atkins ;and his favage wife fitting under the fhade
of a bufh, in very earneft difcourfe : He pointed to
the fun, to the quarters of the earth, to himfelf, to
her, the woods, and the trees. Immediately we
could perceive him ftart upon his feet, fall down
upon his knees, and lift up both his hands ; at which
the tears ran down my clergyman’s cheeks : But our
great misfortune was, we could not hear one word
that palled between them. Another time he would
embrace her, wiping the tears from her eyes, killing
her with the greateft tranfports, and then both kneel
down for fome minutes together. Such raptures of
joy did this occalion in my young prieft, that he
could fcarcely contain himfelf: And a little after
this, we obferved by her motion, as frequently lift¬
ing up her hands, and laying them on her breaft,
that Ihe was mightily afFetted with his difcourfe, and
fo they withdrew from our fight.
When we came back, we found them both wait¬
ing to be called in ; upon which we agreed to ex¬
amine him alone, and fo I began thus to difcourfe
him. Prithee, Will Atkins, faid I, what educa¬
tion had you, What was your father ?
IV.J. A better man than ever I lhall be ; he was.
Sir, a clergyman, who gave me good inftru&ion, or
corre£tion, which I defpifed like a brute, as I was,
and murdered my poor father.
Pr. Ha! a murderer!
[Here the priefi farted and looked pale, as think¬
ing he had really killed his father.
R. C.