Blundell’s Improvement Page #4

"Blundell's Improvement" is a humorous short story by W. W. Jacobs that features the titular character, Mr. Blundell, who embarks on a misguided attempt to improve his family’s financial situation. Faced with challenges and humorous misadventures, Blundell's efforts often lead to unexpected and comical consequences. Jacobs skillfully uses wit and irony to explore themes of ambition, folly, and the unpredictability of fortune, making for an entertaining read that captures the idiosyncrasies of human nature.

• Humour
• Short story

								


“Oh, father! how can you?” demanded Venia, angrily. “He saved your
life.”

“He pushed me in,” repeated the farmer. “Told me to look at a
jelly-fish and pushed me in.”

“What for?” inquired Sergeant Daly.

“Because—” said Mr. Turnbull. He looked at the unconscious sergeant,
and the words on his lips died away in an inarticulate growl.

“What for?” pursued the sergeant, in triumph. “Be reasonable, Mr.
Turnbull. Where’s the reason in pushing you overboard and then nearly
losing his life saving you? That would be a fool’s trick. It was as
fine a thing as ever I saw.”

“What you ’ad, Mr. Turnbull,” said the stout fisherman, tapping him on
the arm, “was a little touch o’ the sun.”

“What felt to you like a push,” said another man, “and over you went.”

“As easy as easy,” said a third.

“You’re red in the face now,” said the stout fisherman, regarding him
critically, “and your eyes are starting. You take my advice and get
’ome and get to bed, and the first thing you’ll do when you get your
senses back will be to go round and thank Mr. Blundell for all ’e’s
done for you.”

Mr. Turnbull looked at them, and the circle of intelligent faces grew
misty before his angry eyes. One man, ignoring his sodden condition,
recommended a wet handkerchief tied round his brow.

“I don’t want any thanks, Mr. Turnbull,” said Blundell, feebly, as he
was assisted to his feet. “I’d do as much for you again.”

The stout fisherman patted him admiringly on the back, and Mr. Turnbull
felt like a prophet beholding a realised vision as the spectators
clustered round Mr. Blundell and followed their friends’ example.
Tenderly but firmly they led the hero in triumph up the quay toward
home, shouting out eulogistic descriptions of his valour to curious
neighbours as they passed. Mr. Turnbull, churlishly keeping his
distance in the rear of the procession, received in grim silence the
congratulations of his friends.

The extraordinary hallucination caused by the sun-stroke lasted with
him for over a week, but at the end of that time his mind cleared and
he saw things in the same light as reasonable folk. Venia was the first
to congratulate him upon his recovery; but his extraordinary behaviour
in proposing to Miss Sippet the very day on which she herself became
Mrs. Blundell convinced her that his recovery was only partial.
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