Wise Saws and Modern Instances, Volume 2 (of 2)

In Short

This volume gathers a series of character-driven tales that examine the tension between traditional village life and the cold, modernizing impulses of the industrial age. The narratives focus on outsiders, dreamers, and the "odd" figures who fail to fit into rigid social hierarchies. Through these varied lives, the writing explores how individuals navigate poverty, ambition, and the weight of public opinion. It endures as a vivid, idiosyncratic record of English society, offering a blend of sharp social critique and a surprising, compassionate warmth toward those whom the world deems eccentric.

The Story

The collection opens with the figure of the "odd" man, exemplified by the local benefactor Alderman Lob, whose quiet charity in Lincoln stands in stark contrast to the judgmental gossip of his neighbors. This theme of social misunderstanding continues through the tragic arc of Ned Wilcom. Driven by ambition to seek his fortune in London, Ned finds himself abandoned by his father and cast into the city’s indifferent sprawl. After a grueling descent into destitution, he is saved not by grand success, but by the simple, unexpected kindness of a stranger, illustrating the fragility of life for those without a safety net.

The narrative scope then shifts to the rural landscape, specifically the Isle of Axholme and the village of Stow. Here, we meet Diggory Lawson, a lad whose parents, blinded by misguided notions of gentility, force him into a life of idle, uncomfortable pretension. Diggory’s struggle to find his place among the "highly respectable" highlights the absurdity of social climbing. In another vein, a tourist named Mr. Mortimer attempts to launch a newspaper in Kent, only to be systematically humbled by the local populace, who recognize the futility of his vanity project long before he does.

As the volume progresses, the focus settles on the interplay between the spiritual and the mundane. The inhabitants of Stow find themselves in a chaotic series of parochial disputes, while Dame Deborah Thrumpkinson, a steady and compassionate woman, raises an orphan named Joe. Joe is an intellectual youth whose thirst for books is constantly stifled by the village parson’s narrow-minded dictates. Joe’s development, however, is tempered by his association with Toby Lackpenny, a tailor obsessed with astrology and the supernatural. Toby’s journey is one of self-delusion; he attempts to transcend his earthly lot through visions and fasts, only to be brought back to reality by the ridicule of his neighbors and the practical intervention of Dame Deborah.

The volume closes with the gentle decline of these figures. Toby, despite his lifelong eccentricities, eventually finds a kind of peace in his final days, passing away with a serene expectation of the afterlife. Joe, having grown into his own, returns to pay his final respects to his foster-mother. The concluding tone is one of quiet reflection on the passage of time, the inevitability of change, and the enduring dignity of those who—despite their flaws, their poverty, or their "odd" reputations—sought to live with purpose and human connection in a world that often prioritized the cold arithmetic of Mammon.

How It Unfolds

The portrait of the outsider The narrative introduces the idea that true goodness is often buried under the label of "eccentricity." It observes how community members misjudge those who do not conform to standard behaviors.

The descent of the ambitious Ned Wilcom’s story tracks the brutal reality of the London labor market for a vulnerable newcomer. It shows the collapse of youthful hopes when faced with the indifference of both family and the business establishment.

The folly of social status Diggory Lawson’s experience provides a satirical look at the "gentleman" ideal. The plot beats emphasize the misery of enforced leisure and the hollow nature of "respectable" social gatherings.

The failure of the entrepreneur Mr. Mortimer’s quest to start a newspaper acts as a comedy of errors regarding regional pride and commercial reality. It culminates in the physical destruction of his tools, underscoring the finality of his defeat.

The conflict of faith and intellect In the village of Stow, the narrative contrasts the rigid, often petty authority of the clergy with the growing curiosity of the youth. It follows Joe as he learns to reconcile his love of reading with his domestic duties.

The visionary’s end The final movement centers on Toby Lackpenny, charting his transition from a misguided seeker of signs to a content old man. It concludes with a funeral that brings together the past and the inevitable close of a life.

The People

Alderman Lob serves as the moral anchor, a bulky, gout-stricken man whose life is defined by the secret charity he provides to the poor of Lincoln. His presence highlights the gap between public perception and private worth.

Ned Wilcom begins as an eager young man seeking professional success but is transformed by the trauma of urban poverty. He ends his arc as a man hardened by isolation, eventually finding solace in a rare, genuine human connection that saves him from total despair.

Diggory Lawson represents the stifled potential of the rural youth. Initially a sensitive, bookish boy, he is turned into an aimless "fish out of water" by his parents' obsession with respectability, eventually learning the emptiness of a life lived for mere appearances.

Dame Deborah Thrumpkinson is the steady, maternal force. She balances a deep, traditional reverence for her faith with a genuine, protective love for her foster-son, Joe. She evolves from a woman who follows the parson’s advice blindly to one who recognizes the value of the boy’s intellectual independence.

Toby Lackpenny is the dreamer, a tailor whose imagination is far larger than his means. He struggles with his desire for "astral" knowledge, often facing humiliation, but he remains consistent in his pursuit of wonder, eventually finding a quiet, smiling peace in his final moments.

In Its Own Voice

"And how much more often are they affixed to the memories of the living or dead, who have been real brothers among men, and have thus earned these epithets from jaundiced envy, or guilty selfishness, or heartless pride and tyranny."

The narrator reflects on the unfairness of the label "eccentric" when applied to truly kind people.

"The press was only fit to burn, and the types had to be sold for old metal!!"

After the failure of his newspaper scheme, the protagonist learns the cold, hard price of his own vanity.

"He may talk in that way to green geese like himself, but not to me."

Dame Deborah muses on the limitations of her foster-son's skepticism regarding the supernatural, asserting her own lived experience.

What It's Really About

The central argument concerns the inherent value of the individual against the crushing weight of social conformity. It questions who truly deserves the label of "mad" or "odd" in a society driven by the pursuit of wealth and the maintenance of rigid, often hollow, class structures. The book asks whether the "modern instances"—the shifting economic and social currents of the 19th century—actually improve the human condition or merely strip away the traditional, communal supports that once allowed the poor and the peculiar to survive. It is a defense of the quiet, the marginal, and the imaginative against the loud, judgmental machinery of the "respectable" world.

Why Read It Today

This book is best suited for readers who enjoy the slow, observational pace of 19th-century prose and have an interest in the social history of the English Midlands. You will appreciate it if you value character studies that prioritize human complexity over neat moral endings. The language occasionally dips into local dialect, and the narrative style can be discursive, shifting from sharp, biting irony to heartfelt, almost sentimental domestic scenes.

The experience of reading this is much like visiting an old, cluttered museum where every object has a story tied to a specific, bygone way of life. While some of the period-specific attitudes—particularly regarding the "spiritual" and the role of the Church—may feel distant or even alien to a modern reader, the underlying anxieties about the volatility of the economy and the search for belonging in a cold city remain remarkably relevant. What stays with you is not the resolution of the plots, but the intimate, often poignant portraits of people struggling to remain themselves in a world that demands they be something else. It is a quiet, thoughtful volume that rewards patience and a keen interest in the texture of ordinary lives.