Substance and Shadow; or, the Fisherman's Daughters of Brighton. A Patchwork Story in Four Volumes.
Author Details
Author Name:Unknown
Gender:Unknown
Anonymous:Yes
Publication Details
Publisher:Printed at the Minerva-Press, for A.K. Newman and Co. Leadenhall-Street.
Place:London
Date:1812
Novel Details
Genre:Courtship; Gothic; manners/society; mystery
Setting:Brighton; Bath
Period:Contemporary
Plot
The story begins with two babies who are orphaned when their parents set out to sea in a storm. One child - Mary - is taken in by Lady Elwyn, and brought up to be an accomplished young lady, while the other is snatched by a mysterious, oddly dressed single woman. Lady Elwyn dies, and a new Lady Emlyn (who is 'vulgar' and unaccomplished) takes her place, causing Mary unhappiness. Mary falls in love with Henry, son of Lord Elwyn, but he eventually marries Lauretta, the daughter of one of the second Lady Elwyn's odd friends. Mary meets Henry's best friend (whom she marries), and he solves the mystery of the missing twin sister (who turns out to be Lauretta).
Overview of the Dialect
The fisherwoman who has been left in charge of the baby girls has several pages of moderately marked dialect. The second Lady Emlyn attracts prescriptive metalinguistic commentary and has her non-standrdness italicised throughout. She also has v/w transposition.
Speaker #1:Moll Stevens - Individual
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Childminder
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - elderly
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:
Social Role Category:Respectable poor
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Brighton
Place of Origin Category:Brighton, Sussex, South East England, England
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction, Vocabulary
"Oh, madam! what, you have not heard then that these two dear babies have lost both father and mother since yesternoon ; poor babies, worse luck for 'em!"
Mrs. Elwyn's eyes filled with tears-- "Poor infants!" cried she, as she hung over them.
"Aye, poor things," returned the old woman; "I little thought when Kitty Ellis sent for me yesterday, to take care of 'em, that I should never she more; and here I tossed up a bit of supper for James and she , and I put it all in order, and I waited, and waited, and between every clap of thunder I listened for James's whistle, for he was a main man for singing and whistling on shore; but law bless us all , I could hear nothing for the roaring of the waves. 'Twas past twelve o'clock before I lighted the candle; I saw a winding-sheet in it within two minutes, and that I know'd to be a baddish sort of a sign; I could have lain a good wager that I should never see 'em more, after my eyes lighted on that ugly sight-- oh, 'twas a sure token!"
"Are you a relation of these poor babes?" asked Mrs. Elwyn, still looking with compassion into the cradle.
"Oh dear , no, madam," said the old woman, "in all the varsal world, these babies have now no kin or kindred but God. The parish must see to 'em now, and I be only waiting for one of the overseers to come along, to know what 'tis best to do; for 'tisn't to be supposed, or expected, as I can leave my own business to attend to they for nothing, you know, madam, though I love 'em ever so."
"Was the poor fisherman born in this place?"
"Law, to be sure, madam, he was, in this very house too, for aught I know to the contrary; his father followed the same calling as this James; he came from Worthing, I have heard tell, and so he married, and got this boy; and when father and mother died, why James he must be marrying too belike , and so he took up with Kitty; Kitty was a love-child, as was laid at somebody's door here in Brighton. Folks did say that the saddle was put on the right horse's back; howsomdever this child was sent to the parish--the great lord or squire, or what he was, set off; and Kitty was a decent sort of girl enough , considering her breeding up , with nobody to care for her, or after her, as it were; and so the long and the short of the matter was, that she was glad enough to marry with James Ellis. Poor girl, she had not been put to bed of these two babies more than six weeks, and such a young thing 'twas , and looking so delicate, for she was but about of seventeen years old ; and I said to her yesterday--'Kitty,' says I, ' 'tis early times, child, for you to venture into the water and the wet.' 'Molly,' says she, 'James has been all alone with nobody but his own self a longful time, and I am very hearty now,' says she; 'you mind the dear babies, and I'll take care of myself;' and then; she suckled 'em, she did, and she kissed 'em both three times--yes, I have minded since as 'twas three times; and she flinged a net over her shoulder, and a basket upon her arm, and away she went."
(Vol. 1,p. 11-15)Mrs. Elwyn's eyes filled with tears-- "Poor infants!" cried she, as she hung over them.
"Aye, poor things," returned the old woman; "I little thought when Kitty Ellis sent for me yesterday, to take care of 'em, that I should never she more; and here I tossed up a bit of supper for James and she , and I put it all in order, and I waited, and waited, and between every clap of thunder I listened for James's whistle, for he was a main man for singing and whistling on shore; but law bless us all , I could hear nothing for the roaring of the waves. 'Twas past twelve o'clock before I lighted the candle; I saw a winding-sheet in it within two minutes, and that I know'd to be a baddish sort of a sign; I could have lain a good wager that I should never see 'em more, after my eyes lighted on that ugly sight-- oh, 'twas a sure token!"
"Are you a relation of these poor babes?" asked Mrs. Elwyn, still looking with compassion into the cradle.
"Oh dear , no, madam," said the old woman, "in all the varsal world, these babies have now no kin or kindred but God. The parish must see to 'em now, and I be only waiting for one of the overseers to come along, to know what 'tis best to do; for 'tisn't to be supposed, or expected, as I can leave my own business to attend to they for nothing, you know, madam, though I love 'em ever so."
"Was the poor fisherman born in this place?"
"Law, to be sure, madam, he was, in this very house too, for aught I know to the contrary; his father followed the same calling as this James; he came from Worthing, I have heard tell, and so he married, and got this boy; and when father and mother died, why James he must be marrying too belike , and so he took up with Kitty; Kitty was a love-child, as was laid at somebody's door here in Brighton. Folks did say that the saddle was put on the right horse's back; howsomdever this child was sent to the parish--the great lord or squire, or what he was, set off; and Kitty was a decent sort of girl enough , considering her breeding up , with nobody to care for her, or after her, as it were; and so the long and the short of the matter was, that she was glad enough to marry with James Ellis. Poor girl, she had not been put to bed of these two babies more than six weeks, and such a young thing 'twas , and looking so delicate, for she was but about of seventeen years old ; and I said to her yesterday--'Kitty,' says I, ' 'tis early times, child, for you to venture into the water and the wet.' 'Molly,' says she, 'James has been all alone with nobody but his own self a longful time, and I am very hearty now,' says she; 'you mind the dear babies, and I'll take care of myself;' and then; she suckled 'em, she did, and she kissed 'em both three times--yes, I have minded since as 'twas three times; and she flinged a net over her shoulder, and a basket upon her arm, and away she went."
Speaker #2:Miss Lawson - Minor socialite
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Miss Lawson
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - young
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Metalanguage
Social Role
Social Role Description:Minor socialite
Social Role Category:Aristocracy or gentry
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Brighton
Place of Origin Category:Brighton, Sussex, South East England, England
Extract #1 dialect features: Metalanguage
Speakers: All , Miss Lawson
Her real knowledge was very superficial; her mind was by no means cultivated, neither her manners refined; but by great plausibility of manner, and quoting the words of others, she passed for an agreeable woman with those who did not perceive that her conversation was not all of a piece; that the high flown was often joined to something below par; that her encomiums were exaggerated beyond all the bounds of common sense, or the proprieties of language; and that she would break into the same rapture on seeing a coloured ribbon, as on seeing a first-rate man of war full rigged and sailed, and call both "beautiful!"
(Vol. 2,p. 95-6)Speaker #3:Timothy Piff - Servant (later becomes husband of second Lady Elwyn)
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Under-butler
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Significant
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction
Social Role
Social Role Description:Servant (later becomes husband of second Lady Elwyn)
Social Role Category:Servant
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Assume Brighton from setting of text (although not specified in text)
Place of Origin Category:Brighton, Sussex, South East England, England
Mrs Elwyn remarked to him, that "without a head, nothing was to be done in a family," he answered-- "Very true indeed, ma'am, and with so much upon yours, I really wonders how you keeps it upon your shoulders."
(Vol. 3,p. 140) "Oh, 'tis you , is it, Miss? how do you do? I hope I sees you well?"
"Pretty well, I thank you," said she; "how is Mrs. Piff?"
"Oh, Miss, she is mighty well and bonny; I thought as how you must have met her in the hall, for she's but just gone out of the room. I'll ring the bell," pulling it; "though, now I think on't , I may as well give her a call myself," and he went out of the room, calling all the way "my dear, my missess , my Mrs. Piff, here's somebody come."
(Vol. 4,p. 146)"Pretty well, I thank you," said she; "how is Mrs. Piff?"
"Oh, Miss, she is mighty well and bonny; I thought as how you must have met her in the hall, for she's but just gone out of the room. I'll ring the bell," pulling it; "though, now I think on't , I may as well give her a call myself," and he went out of the room, calling all the way "my dear, my missess , my Mrs. Piff, here's somebody come."
Speaker #4:The overseer - Overseer of parish workhouse
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:The overseer
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - elderly
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Overseer of parish workhouse
Social Role Category:Professional
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Brighton (assumed from setting)
Place of Origin Category:Brighton, Sussex, South East England, England
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
'Yes, yes, I remembers it well,' said he; 'twas the year as I was overseer, sir; very true; oh yes, yes. I remembers all about it; two cursed fools of women were taken with the romantics , you see ( plague take, this cursed gout, it is tearing me to pieces), and so our parish got rid of two squalling brats that would have been chargeable, you see; well, well, 'tis a bad wind that blows nobody good, as the old saying has it; I remembers it as though 'twere but yesterday; yes, yes , we got clear of 'em both, as I was saying afore ; one of the fine ladies played me a rum trick , and was off, you see , with her booty before one could say Jack Robinson; however, nothing was ever heard of she nor the child to trouble the parish arter , you see; I take it as how she went by an alias , and didn't very well know which name to give in; howsomdever, alls well that ends well, as the saying is--they wern't chargeable to the parish; but the other lady was quite genteel behaved, and very ready to tell where she lived, and all about it; I see'd her times after and before too; she was one madam Elwyn, out of Gloucestershire; but the other madam never came here no more , as ever I heard of.' -- 'What kind of a lady was she?' asked I, my curiosity excited.-- 'Lord, sir, I'll tell you where you may have a story about it, as long as my arm; old Moll Stevens, who nursed the children, and who staid by the cradle till they were taken to by the ladies, is alive now; I do verily think as she must be upwards of fourscore , but she is mighty recollectful and long winded; Moll has got a little maintenance, I believe, and what with a little trifle of begging, and a little trifle from parish, she contrives to make it out, snuff and all.'
(Vol. 4,p. 210-12)