writing, and arithmetic by the clergyman of the parish, who also
officiated as schoolmaster. He afterwards contrived to acquire a knowledge
of the classics; and, becoming in this manner qualified for taking holy
orders, was ordained, and appointed to the curacy of his native parish,
which was at this time (about the year 1735) of the value of five pounds
per annum. On obtaining possession of this living Walker married, his wife
bringing him what he calls himself, in one of his letters, "a fortune" of
forty pounds. We must refer to Mr. Wordsworth's pages, and the documents
which will be found printed there, for a detail of all that the industry
and economy of the curate and his wife contrived to accomplish upon these
scanty resources. Suffice it to say, that about twenty years after
Walker's entrance upon his living we find its value, according to his own
statement, increased only to the amount in all of seventeen pounds ten
shillings. At a subsequent period it received a further augmentation, to
what amount is not stated; but it was not considerable. Before this Mr.
Walker had declined to accept the adjoining curacy of Ulpha, to be held,
as proposed by the bishop, in conjunction with that of Seathwaite,
considering, as he says himself, that the annexation "would be apt to
cause a general discontent among the inhabitants of both places, by either
thinking themselves slighted, being only served alternately, or neglected
in the duty, or attributing it to covetousness in me; all which occasions
of murmuring I would willingly avoid." Yet at this time he had a family of
eight or nine children. One of his sons he afterwards maintained at the
college of Dublin till he was ready for taking holy orders. He was, like
his predecessors in the same cure, schoolmaster as well as clergyman of
his parish; but "he made no charge," says his biographer, "for teaching
school; such as could afford to pay gave him what they pleased." His
hospitality to his parishoners every Sunday was literally without
limitation; he kept a plentiful table for all who chose to come.
Economical as he was, no act of his life was chargeable with any thing in