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"I hope you will behave well, and then you will not need punishment. You can do nothing till your frozen foot is healed; so I wish you to observe all that James does, and see if there is nothing you can do for him when you are well."

With this proposal John seemed satisfied, and I left him to make some purchases for his more comfortable clothing.

I felt that great care was necessary, in order to reclaim him, and resolved to proceed with caution.

In a week he could walk about, and appeared favourably impressed with the kind treatment which he constantly received. He attached himself to James, who was a religious, orderly man, and helped him whenever he could find opportunity for so doing.

It was not long before he found a pleasure in work, and executed my little errands faithfully. I gave him short lessons daily, in the form of advice and counsel, and was happy to find him become attracted by the Bible lessons, which James read after the day's work was ended. At prayers, too, he had learnt to fix his mind on what was passing, and it seemed he took great pleasure when the morning hymn was sung.

It was now time that he should learn to read, and I thought a school would be the best place for him. There lived in our neighbourhood a worthy man who kept several boys of this class, a few hours daily; and as I knew John had as yet no fondness himself for books, I did not wish to disgust him entirely, by sending him all day to the public school.

Mr. Brown, the master, heard John's story with interest, and promised to exert his influence in teaching him whatever might be most important for him to learn.

When John heard that he was to go to school, he did not appear much pleased; he had been willing to work about the house, but the idea of books and a school, had the appearance of toil to him. At last his gratitude towards me prevailed; he was conscious that I had already done much for his good, and would not send him to a master, if it were not for his advantage.

He still wished to go to sea; and I had promised him that if he learnt well and was a good boy, he should go in two or three years.

I was pleased to see that his early habits of theft and wickedness were gradually yielding to the influence of steady kindness and discipline. It was at this period that I thought direct religious instruction could be given with success. That a child of his age should suddenly reform, could not be expected in the course of things; but the great mercy of God could now impress him, and he began to pray himself, in language which I had taught him. First shame and then gratitude operated to subdue his sinful habits; and this state of mind, I felt, would be followed by better and higher motives.

Mr. Brown sent me word when John had been with him three months, that he was learning very fast, and that he had never caught him in an untruth; he also said that his honesty was genuine and sincere, as the following anecdote will prove.--Mr. Brown lost, as he thought, somewhere in, or about the school-room, a dollar bill. The boys looked for it a long time without finding it, and the search was given up as fruitless. After many days John, who knew well the value of the money, had the good fortune to find it, as he was sweeping the room in his turn, among some waste papers, which had been thrown from his master's desk. No one was with him; and he looked at the bill with a wish, as he afterwards owned, to keep it, and tell no one that it was found. He might have done this with security, for the bill had been totally given up as lost, and would never again have been inquired for. As he stood with it in his hand, he all at once remembered the commandment which he that very week had learnt, and said to me, "Thou shalt not steal;" and his conscience told him it would be in one sort stealing, if he kept what he had found, when he knew to whom it had belonged.

His master too, had read that very morning from the scriptures, a lesson which now came in aid of his better feelings--"If we sin wilfully after that we have knowledge, then is there no more pardon for sins,"--"but a fearful looking for of punishment." He remembered that he had been told that God loved all who tried to subdue their bad propensities, and become good and honest. He knew that God was angry with the wicked, and that they would not go to him, and be happy when they died, if they did not repent. He knew too, that God was pleased when any sinful thoughts of the heart were driven out.

Just then one of his school fellows came back after a book. Moses Wild was not a good boy, and when he saw the money, and heard John say he should carry it to Mr. Brown as soon as he had done his work, he told him he was a fool for his pains; that if the bill was in his hands, he should keep it, and buy nuts, and oranges, and cake with it. But John's mind was now fixed; he positively said the money should go to his master; and Moses, finding that his evil counsel was unheeded, walked off sneering at what he called John's religious scruples, and disappointed that he had not been able to get the victory and share the spoil.

Now it happened that Mr. Brown had heard all that passed from an adjoining room, where he was writing; John very soon finished his task, and then went to seek his master. He returned the bill, and a gleam of joy thrilled through his heart, when he was commended for his good deeds and the practice he had already made upon the lessons of piety which were given him at school, and those which he also received at home. And happier yet was he when he was told his mistress should be informed of his trustworthy and good behaviour.

That night John attended prayers with more earnestness, and repeated his own lesson with more seriousness, than had been remarked for a long time. He went on day by day making himself more useful and active about the house, and at school doing his best to get forward in his learning.

He could now read fluently, and spent all his leisure in reading those good little books for children, of which there are so many. He tried to imitate James his fellow-servant, in all his good habits, and at the end of two years, one would never have recognised the half starved and wicked Almshouse Orphan.

John was twelve years old; he could read, write, and cypher well, very well, for the time he had been learning, and though he felt attached to my family by gratitude and affection, he still retained a strong desire to go to sea. I told him, as he one day respectfully reminded me of my promise to let him go, that a child like him could know little of the hardships of a seafaring life, but that I had heard of a good Captain, under whose care I would put him to serve as a cabin boy for six months, and at that time he should return to my family if he found his way of life too hard. The tears rolled down his cheeks as he thanked me, and promised to do as well as he could. I sent for Captain Munson, who agreed to take John, and desired that he might be ready to sail for South America, in a week.

He was young, he said, as he looked at the boy, but stout, and appeared as if he might perform a cabin boy's duty.

John, when told he was to go in a week, appeared to feel that it would be more difficult to leave the family and his fellow-servants than he had hitherto thought it would be.

He made himself perpetually busy, early and late; any little thing which he could find to do for any one was carefully performed. He discovered some ingenuity in mending locks and hinges, and other little things, which in a house, are often getting out of order. Every room was looked into; if perchance a nail might be loosened, the putty falling from a pane of glass or a button off--in truth, there was nothing of this sort which escaped his care.

The week soon passed away,--his sea clothes were all made, and sent on board the vessel. John went to take leave of his faithful teacher, Mr. Brown, who gave him several good books and his blessing at parting.

He appeared to delay leaving us till the last hour. It was a fine day, the wind was fair, and all things prosperous, when a summons came for him to go on board. I will not attempt to describe his parting; he had interested every member of the household during the time he had been among them, and now that he was going away, all felt the interest increased.

I gave him his Bible after my last advice, with the injunction to read it daily, and to let nothing deter him from the faithful performance of his religious duties. He promised with tears that he would do as I desired, and try never to forget that great Being who had mercifully reclaimed his soul from sin, and early depravity.

He went from us with a heavier heart than he had expected, but the novelty of his situation soon engaged him, and he was not suffered to remain idle while all were busy around him.

Some months elapsed, and the vessel which sailed with John was expected daily into port. We were impatient to learn how he had conducted himself, and whether he had been happy and serviceable to his master.

One morning, an unusual bustle in the kitchen induced me to inquire the cause personally, when who should I find there, but our young sailor boy. He seemed wholly beside himself with joy, at seeing all his friends, and it was long before he could give any account of his voyage.

He had brought some gift for every member of the family--giving to each such things as were most likely to be valued by them. His Captain had been kind to him, and his love of a seaman's life was nothing lessened. He was glad to get back, glad to see all who had ever befriended him, but he thought he should still keep with Captain Munson. He delighted to talk of the past; to ask a thousand questions concerning the progress of things during his absence, and appeared rejoiced that all was well. He did not forget his schoolmaster, but carried him an offering the first day of his arrival.

Captain Munson himself called, in a few days, to tell me personally how John had deported himself, and it was with true pleasure I learnt that the habits of devotion which had been taught him on land, were not forgotten or neglected at sea.

"His conduct, was," said the Captain, "always worthy of praise; we had two new hands when we put out of port, who had lived disorderly lives in other vessels, and who scrupled not to swear, and abuse their messmates, who had sailed with me a long time, and had been brought to sober thought. These two sailors liked especially to vex and teaze John, or as they called him, "pious Jack." Their taunts produced no other effect on the boy, except to make him more serious and forbearing.

"After a time, they became ashamed of their folly in attempting to provoke one who always returned them good for evil, and who was ready at all hours to oblige them. These men became affected, rough as they were, by the influence of this young cabin boy. He persuaded them, after a time, to hear him read some tracts as they sat unemployed, as they often were for some hours together. They were particularly interested in the story of "George Gordon," and ever after hearing that, listened to John when he offered to read. He carried them his Bible, and they confessed they could not read themselves. He said he would teach them, and I assure you, Madam," continued the Captain, "I never saw more patience exemplified than in this humble work of love, and christian charity.

"The sailors were soon in a fair way to profit from his lessons, and began to study the scriptures for themselves. I gave each of them a Testament, and now, instead of wasting their time in idle conversation, they filled up every spare moment with study and usefulness. In them the text of scripture was reversed;--'Good communication had reformed their manners,'--and they became the most valuable hands on board.

"While off the coast we encountered a heavy gale, and then John's religion was put to the most certain test: for some hours we expected the ship would go to pieces; the night was dark and terrific; we were in danger of being driven on the shoals, and losing life with the cargo.

"We all knew that a moment might end our lives. John was fearless; he ran whichever way he was called, now up the shrouds, then to the pumps below; in fine, he laboured silently and incessantly, and as soon as the tempest had passed, he was the first to fall on his knees and offer up thanks for the preservation of our lives. I believe he sincerely felt that the care of God was over all who served him with sincere purposes, and that he listened to the prayer of the humble and contrite.

"No day passed without some expression of thankfulness to you, who had done so much for him, and I think his constant petitions were for your happiness. He said, that though God was high, yet he had respect to the lowly; that he was a God who heard and accepted prayers, and he would bless and reward his benefactress, and listen even to him, a poor little cabin boy."

I willingly consented now to relinquish John, as it was his wish to continue a sailor. The vessel was soon fit for a second voyage, and he bade us again farewell. Months passed on, and the ship was not heard from; we began to fear that she was lost, and these fears were realized by accounts of destructive tempests in that part of the ocean where Captain Munson had been sailing, and from whence several vessels had arrived much injured.

We could hardly suppress our grief when this sad news arrived, but reflection convinced us, that if it were the will of God thus to take the orphan boy from the world, we had no right to doubt its justice, or its mercy.

We knew that John was prepared to die, and we could not feel regret that he had been indulged in pursuing that course of life for which he had such a decided preference. We rejoiced that the lessons of piety which it had been our happiness to impart, had taken root and produced the fruits of righteousness.

We believed that he was removed, perhaps in great mercy, from the evil to come, and that he was now entered upon a state of existence where the good receive their reward; and that, having here learnt the fear of the Lord, it was now well with him.

You, who read this story, if you are wicked, go now, and delay not that reformation which alone will insure your forgiveness of that great and good Being, from whom you have received the gift of life with many blessings. Pray earnestly that grace may be given you to resist temptation; pray for holiness, and not only pray, but practise that course of life which will alone aid your endeavours, and be likely to merit that your prayers be answered.

"The humble, fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much."--"Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh in sincerity, receiveth; and he that seeketh faithfully, findeth; and to him who knocketh patiently, shall the door be opened."

Transcriber's Notes:

--Text in italics is enclosed by underscores .

--Printer's, punctuation, and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.

--Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.

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