“The boy of whom you inquire, has run away, and been returned to us a great many times, and has been the cause of much trouble here. His parents were once what the world calls likely people; I knew them when they were both well off, and industrious; but they lived without either the fear or the love of God before their eyes, and so they fell into temptation, and from that into vice.
“It is about two years ago, that John Williams, the father of this poor miserable child, left his occupation on a wood wharf, and engaged in a distillery, one of those manufactories of slow poison for thousands of wretches who eagerly buy, drink, and perish, after laying the foundation, and too often effecting the ruin of their families.—John Williams, as I say, engaged in a distillery, where the custom of tasting a little, and then a little more, gradually grew into a longing desire to taste much and often. In a few months he rendered himself, as others had done before him, useless to his employer, and worse than useless to his family. He was turned away and gave himself wholly up to idleness and drink. He neglected to provide for his wife and child, and at home did nothing but quarrel, and vent the ill humour he acquired abroad; and miserable to relate, in less than a year his wife became as useless and sinful as he. Their once quiet home was now the scene of perpetual strife and discord; mutual dislike succeeded to mutual reproach, and the unfortunate little John had the example of both parents to initiate him in those early lessons of vice;—and deeply have the seeds of corruption been sown in his young heart. These beings had never studied their Bible; they had never sought that holiness, which fortifies against vice; they had first lived merely moral lives, and when the hour of temptation came, they possessed not that grace which alone can withstand its allurements or retreat from its wiles. Alas! they did not reflect that God is angry with the wicked every day; that they who sow in wickedness shall reap the same.
“One by one, this wretched family disposed of the articles of their household comforts for the miserable pittance of a dram. When all was gone, nothing remained for them but beggary, and the child was sent abroad to solicit charity, and beaten if he came back empty handed. The want of success, which sometimes attended his excursions, and the fear of punishment at home, drove him to theft;[A] in fine, matters came to such a pass, that they were all sent here for reformation, but that was not so easily to be effected.
[A] A fact—and we fear one of not rare occurrence.
“They were lost to every feeling of shame, and religion had never influenced them. John had ruined his naturally strong and healthy constitution by his intemperance, and was fast sinking into the grave; his lost situation had no effect on his wife, except to increase her ill feelings. John died about three months since, and his wife four weeks after him, having cut short their lives by their sins, which, if properly spent, might have witnessed them in the enjoyment of a virtuous old age, blessed, perhaps, by the pious and filial cares of their only son. But now all is past, and the end of their doings has returned upon them.
“And this child who has been wandering round the streets, has he any good dispositions by which one might hope to make an honest man of him?”
“Not any that I could ever find out; the works of his hands were here evil continually; he was doing mischief unless closely watched from morning till night, and no punishment made him better; if you choose to take him off our hands we shall be glad to give him up to you, for here I do not see that there is any hope of amending him; he is young to be sure, only ten years old now, so perhaps he can be made something of; and if he can, why society may one day have an honest member more than I now fear it will.”
After a little consideration, I made up my mind, that unless some effectual means were immediately adopted, this poor orphan boy might come to a disgraceful death, and that it was my duty to do all that could be done to avert such an evil. Accordingly I gave my obligation to take the direction of him for one year, thinking that less time would not be giving him a fair trial, nor should we be likely to witness a change, unless it was wrought within that period.
On my return home, I found he had been silent, and quiet in one place, watching with curiosity the various employments of the domestics. I asked him if he would like to live in my family and learn to help James.