Let me urge, dear young reader, the pleasure, the freedom of being able to say-"I am a poor boy it is true, but I never in my life took one single penny which was not my own-or, if I have, I will now return it, and ever after resolve to be free!" To each of us the opportunity of defrauding our Employers comes. To every youth, sooner or later, the temptation comes,-stray silver, stamps, materials, I care not what. Once commence pilfering-in however small a way-you have commenced a fatal habit. It is not for the sake of the Goods, or even the Employer, I urge this, it is for your own! You are inflicting upon yourself a fatal injury! Have done with it at once! Resolve to be free! In the way the Commerce of our country is carried on, youths are now necessarily trusted to perhaps too great an extent; but, in a well conditioned English boy, one ought always to be able to confide.

It seems that the two youths had at first planned to rob a rich old gentleman in the town, but were prevented. They acknowledged that it was suggested to their minds through reading that abominable, vile, weekly rubbish, written, purposely, one would think, to ruin Boys. You know the horrible stuff I allude to! Those tales, without a word of truth, in which highwaymen and bold pirates, dressed in blue coats and top boots, go blustering and swaggering about the world, held up as Heroes for our boys to follow!

If you knew the miserable lives those wretched men, Shepherd, and Turpin, really lived, hunted, and followed like dogs through a short life of misery and crime, ending with a shameful death; you would see the falseness of these tales! God looks with favour and approbation upon an honest youth, and has made many an act of honesty on a boy's part pave the way to fortune. However poor a youth you may be, you possess two priceless treasures, which no one can take from you but yourself, namely, your purity, and your honesty. No youth has any right to rob himself of these possessions. When a Youth injures his character by losing his honesty he deprives himself of a reputation which is priceless.

"My reputation! my reputation ! my reputation!

He that steals my purse steals trash,

But he that robs me of my good name

Robs me of that, which not betters him,

And leaves me poor indeed!"

Who would not be able to say "It was God's providence that I should have been born a poor youth, but, thank God, I am an honest one!"

"Thou shalt not steal."

CHAPTER VII.

EDWIN, THE APPRENTICE.

STORY somewhat similar to the following was published many years ago, believed to have been written either by Miss Jane Taylor or her father. In those days the Apprentices lived with the Employer; generally on the Business premises.

In one corner of a dark Warehouse at the back of a dark house, in the midst of a dark street in London, an Apprentice youth one afternoon seated himself upon a dirty bale of goods, and presently fell asleep.

Poor Edwin-for that was the boy's name-was not at this time very happy in his mind, though had he known a little more of life, he would have seen much more reason to be contented with his circumstances than he now did. He had been brought up in the Country, perhaps too tenderly, by a fond mother, a widow. She died, and the boy was bound apprentice, by the aid of a Relation, to a London Merchant. Edwin fancied that he was treated with little kindness in his Master's Family. Perhaps this partly arose from his ignorance of the world, and mistaken idea of what may reasonably be expected from those with whom we have to do.

Perhaps, too, he did not reflect that in the view of most pushing Men of Business, sentiment or feeling of any kind, is the most useless kind of stock that can lie upon their hands. Being quite unaccustomed to the prompt, brisk despatch of London business, he felt at first quite bewildered, and discouraged, by the smart orders he received, and the strict attention to them that was required, and he saw no one around him whose counsel he could ask, much less whose sympathy he could invite. For he was the youngest of the staff of Clerks in the establishment, and the tall lads, and smart young men, who brushed by him fifty times a day up and down the offices, took no other notice of Edwin than scolding him when they were cross, and laughing at, and teasing the boy, when they were merry. His mistress was, he thought, a very fine lady, but he never saw her more than once a day from the remote perspective of a long dining table (in those days, very different to the present system, the apprentices of a merchant in the large towns, were boarded on the premises) -and then the tone of voice in which she used to ask, "Do you wish for any more?" did not much encourage him

to open his heart to her. As for his master, he was so many removes from him in dignity and office, that very little, if any, intercourse passed between them.

It was one hot afternoon, after having been employed all the preceding part of the day in the Warehouses, that Edwin, fatigued and melancholy, fell asleep as before related, and dreamed the following dream. He thought that he rose to leave the warehouse, but upon entering the passage that led to the front premises, it appeared so unusually dark, that he shrunk back, and would have returned, but something compelled him to proceed. At every step the darkness increased, and the passage became so exceedingly narrow that he could, with difficulty, creep along upon his hands and knees. It was also exceedingly cold, and poor Edwin experienced a kind of horror, altogether indescribable. The passage, too, seemed to lengthen, as he proceeded, and he began to despair of reaching the end, when a distant light proceeded from the end of the passage. Indeed it appeared as if the apartment within must be illumined by something brighter than sunbeams! When, however, he at length reached the door, he perceived that it was fastened with bars of massive iron, and exhausted as the poor boy was, he despaired of being able to open it, when to his great and joyful surprise, it gently unfolded itself, and he entered; and now, instead of the dull apartment he was accustomed to see, he found himself at the extremity of a widely-extended lawn, from which arose, at some distance, a magnificent palace. Noble avenues of flowering trees, spicy groves, beds of delicious. flowers of every colour, bowers of roses, sparkling rivulets, and cascades falling over moss-covered rocks, were all shining beneath a cloudless sky; whilst birds of lovely plumage, rare butterflies of immense size and gorgeous tints, and the happy buzz of bees, and insects flitting over the flowers and amongst the trees, all added to the charming scene.

Whilst Edwin was gazing upon this delightful prospect, several persons-amongst whom he observed not a few youths of his own age, but of extraordinary grace and beauty-respectfully approaching him, courteously informed the boy that he was the sole proprietor of this fine estate.

Thereupon they conducted him to the interior of the palace, which was furnished with everything to gratify his utmost wishes; and where he found himself surrounded by intelligent and affectionate friends, who evidently felt

the greatest love for him, and vied with each other in promoting his happiness. But there was something besides all this which it is impossible for language to express; for over the scenery of a pleasing dream there is spread a rich glow of colouring-an air of enchantment unlike the tints and aspects of anything in this world. Such Edwin now beheld. It was enchanted ground, surpassing even the brightest dreams of youthful fancy. The radiant sunshine; -the richness of the extended prospect; the hills of gold and pearl which glowed in the distance; the magnificence of the palace; and, above all, the delightful intercourse he enjoyed with his beautiful companions-who positively assured him that what he saw was only the beginning of the joys prepared for him for ages to come by the great and good King, who had given him the estate)-all excited in Edwin's mind an indescribable happiness. A beautiful milkwhite steed-richly harnessed, was now led up, on which his companions proposed that he should survey the more distant parts of his domains; but, in the usual tantalizing spirit of a dream-although Edwin made repeated efforts, he could not succeed in mounting the horse. With one foot in the stirrup, and no visible impediment in the boy's way, something constantly retarded him, as often as he endeavoured to rise. At length he had made a resolve to make one effectual spring into the saddle, when just at that moment the rattling of a Mail Coach driving rapidly down the London street, together with the piercing notes of the guard's horn, suddenly awakened Edwin; and as it was now getting dark, the coach lamps flashing upon the ceiling and lumber of the warehouse as they passed, perfectly restored him to his recollection. Note.-At the time this story was written-before any Railways were laid downsome 200 Coaches entered, and left, London alone, each day, proceeding to and from every part of England. On the first of May each year the Guards were equipped in new red coats, the horses with new harness, the Coaches newly painted, and a grand procession took place at the Post Office, St Martin's-le-Grand, before starting that evening to run the Mails, as usual, along the splendid roads constructed by Telford, at ten miles an hour. It is described as having been a splendid sight!

Who has not experienced the blankness of awakening from a pleasant dream to the dull reality of our present circumstances? No wonder that poor Edwin returned to his employments with a deeper feeling of the joylessness of his situation, and present prospects.

For several days the impression of his dream remained so much on his mind and imagination, that the boy began to think that it must be interpreted in favour of his future good fortune. There was a young man in the warehouse (much esteemed by the Firm, Edwin had been told, for his sobriety and fidelity,) who had been in the business for some years, and had, in the case of attempted robbery, rendered great service to his employers by his courage and foresight. He was entrusted with a responsible post, receiving and delivering goods from the Store Rooms and Cellars. This youth's good-natured look, and kind manner, had, from the first, attracted Edwin's liking, and happening to be sent down to him on some business in the store cellars, where John was generally employed, the boy ventured into conversation with him.

Having finished the work for the day, and knowing that Edwin was not, at times, treated well by the others, the young man good-naturedly inquired how he was getting on, and gave him a few hints, in a friendly way, as to his work. Happy in having found some one to be friendly with, Edwin soon confided to him his dream, to which the young man listened attentively. "Well, Edwin," said John, when the boy had finished, "there is no cause for your being so downhearted-for you may one day come into far more than even what you saw in your dream, if you are only willing to go the right way about it!" "Are you in earnest?" exclaimed the boy, "I would willingly work all my life to come into such a possession as I dreamt of. But what hope have I? for you must know, John, (I don't mind telling you, for I know you are goodnatured, and never make game of any one)-that I am a very poor boy; I have no father to help me, nor mother either now, nor any one to be friendly with excepting yourself; how can I hope to get on and obtain such an estate as I saw in my dream?" On hearing that the boy had lost both his parents, John took his hand, saying good-naturedly that he should be quite willing to be his friend, at the same time inviting him to join the Society of several good young men, who met together for mutual improvement, with John for their secretary. "As for the dream, Edwin," he continued, "we are neither of us very likely to come into such a property as you saw,—although boys, as poor as we are, have sometimes raised themselves to vast wealth,-yet do you know, Edwin, I have had for some years now a good expectation,-indeed a certainty,

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