a child: but, Jack, I was almost mad then-I had that which would have turned any one's brain-I was reckless, wretched; but I don't do so any more. Even now I am a poor sinful wretch-I know it; but I'm not so crazy as I was then. I have done so, Jack, more's the shame for me, and I wish I could recall it ; but, Jack, we can't recall the past. Oh that we could!" Here old Nanny pressed her hands to her temples, and for some time was silent; at last she continued

"Why did I love you, Jack? because you were honest. Why did I lend you money-I, an old miserly wretch, who has been made to dote on money-I, who have never spent a shilling for my own comfort for these ten years-but because you were honest? Why have I longed the whole day to see you, and have cared only for you? because I thought you honest, Jack. I don't care how soon I die now. I thought the world too bad to live in; you made me think better of it. Oh! Jack, Jack, how has this come to pass? How long have you known these bad people ?"

"Why, mother," replied I, much affected, "only last night."

66

Only last night! Tell me all about it; tell the truth, dear boy, do."

I could hold out no longer, and I told her everything that had passed.

Jack," said she, "I'm not fit to talk to you; I'm a bad old woman, and you may say I don't practice what I preach; but, Jack, if you love me, go to Peter Anderson and tell him everything: don't be afraid; only be afraid of doing what is wrong. Now, Jack, you must go."

“I will, I will,” replied I, bursting into tears. "Do, do, dear Jack! God bless your heart-I wish I could cry that way."

I walked away quite humiliated; at last I ran, I was so eager to go to Anderson and confess everything. I found him in his cabin-I attempted to speak, but I could not-I pulled out the money, put it on the table, and then I knelt down and sobbed on his knee.

"What is all this, Jack ?" said Anderson, calmly; but I did not reply. "I think I know, Jack," said he, after a pause. "You have been doing wrong."

"Yes, yes," replied I, sobbing.

"Well, my dear boy, wait till you can speak, and then tell me all about it."

As soon as I could, I did. out interruption.

Anderson heard me with

"Jack," said he, when I had done speaking, "the temptation (pointing to the money) has been very great; you did not resist at the moment; but you have, fortunately, seen your error in good time, for the money is still here. I have little to say to you, for your own feelings convince me that it is needless. Do you think that you can read a little? then read this." Anderson turned to the parable of the Prodigal Son, which I read to him: "And now," said he, turning over the leaves, "here is one verse more." I read it :-" There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety-and-nine that need no repentance." "Be careful, therefore, my dear boy; let this be a warning to you; think well of it, for you have escaped a great danger; the money shall be returned. Go now, my child, to your employment.

and if you do receive only halfpence, you will have the satisfaction of feeling that they are honestly obtained."

I can assure the reader that this was a lesson which I never forgot; it was, however, succeeded by another variety of temptation, which might have proved more dangerous to a young and ardent spirit had it not ended as it did, in changing the course of my destiny and throwing me into a new path of action: to this I shall now refer.

Hardly a month passed but we received additional pensioners into the Hospital. Among others, a man was sent to the Hospital who went by the name of Sam Spicer. I say went by the name, as it was not the custom for the seamen to give their real names when they were entered or pressed into the service; and of course they were discharged into the Hospital by the same name which they bore on the ship's books. Spicer was upwards of six fect in height, very large boned, and must, when he was in his prime, have been a man of prodigious strength. When he was admitted to the Hospital he was nearly sixty years of age; his hair was black and grey mixed, his complexion very dark, and his countenance fierce and unprepossessing. He went by the name of Black Sam, on account of his appearance. He had lost his right hand in a frigate action; and to the stump he had fixed a sort of socket, into which he screwed his knife and the various articles which he wished to make use of; sometimes a file, sometimes a saw-having had every article made to fit into the socket, for he had been an armourer ou board ship, and was very handy at such work. Ho

was, generally speaking, very morose and savage to everybody; seldom entered into conversation; but sat apart, as if thinking, with a frown upon his countenance, and his eyes, surmounted with bushy eyebrows, fixed upon the ground. The pensioners who belonged to the same ward said that he talked in his sleep, and from what they could collect at those times he must have been a pirate: but no one dared to speak to him on the subject, for more than once he had been punished for striking those who had offended him: indeed, he nearly killed one old man who was jesting with him when he was at work, having made a stab at him with his knife screwed in his socket; but his foot slipped, and the blow missed. Spicer was brought up before the Council for this offence, and would have been discharged, had he not declared that he had done it only by way of a joke, to frighten the man; and, as no one else was present, it could not be proved to the contrary. For some reason or another, which I could not comprehend, Spicer appeared to have taken a liking to me; he would call me to him, and tell me stories about the West Indies and the Spanish Main, which I listened to very eagerly, for they were to me very interesting. But he seldom, if ever, spoke to me inside of the Hospital; it was always when I was at the steps minding my vocation; where he would come down and lean over the rail at the top of the wharf. He made and gave me a boat-hook, which I found very convenient. He had a great deal of information, and, as the ships came up the river. he would point out tho flags of the different nations, tell me where they traded from, and what their cargoes probably consisted of

If they had no ensign, he would tell by their build, and the cut of their sails, what nation they belonged to; pointing out to me the differences, which I soon began to perceive. He had been in every part of the world; and scarcely a day passed in which I did not gain from him some amusing or useful information. Indeed, I became so fond of his company that Peter Anderson spoke to me on the subject, and asked me what Spicer talked about. I told him, and he replied,

"Well, Jack, I dare say that he is a very pleasant companion to one who, like you, is so anxious for information, and I have nothing to say against him, for we have no right to listen to foolish reports which may probably have been raised from his savage appearance. Still, I confess, I do not like the man, as he is decidedly of a violent temper. As long as he talks to you about what you say he does, there is no harm done; but when once he says anything which you think is wrong, promise me to let me know and even now, if you will take my advice, you will not be so intimate with him."

A little while afterwards, my father and Ben the whaler both spoke to me on the same subject, but with much less reservation.

My father said,—

"Jack, I don't like to see you always in company with that old pirate; no good can come of it; so haul off a little further for the future." And Ben told me,

"That a man who couldn't sleep o'nights without talking of killing people must have a bad conscience.