CHEAP REPOSITORY.

i « ■■— — |— v--f»'^-'ta <« w-^'

SORROWFUL SAM;

Or, the Two Blacksmiths.

r

Sold bv J. MARSHALL,
(PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY for
Religious and Moral Traces) No. 1 7, Queen-Street,
Cheapfide, and No. 4, Aldermary Church-Yard^
andR. WHITE, Piccadilly, LONDON.

By S", HAZARD,
PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY, at Bath;
and by all Book fellers, Newfmen, and Hawkery
in Town and Country. — Great Allowance will be
made to Shopkeepers and Hawkers,

•Price One Penny each, or 4s. 6d, per too — 2s. 6d. for ^0 —

is. 6. ! . for

Entered at Stationers Hall*

.On the \Jl of June was publiflied,

The Beggarly Boy, a Parable. — The Shepherd of
Salifbury Plain. Part II.— and Wild Robert, a
Ballad.

On the ijl of July,

The good Mother's Legacy. — Daniel in the Lions'
I>en, — : and the Newcaflle Collier, a Ballad.

On the i ft of Awgufl,

Hints on the prefent Scarcity. — The Happy Wa-
terman. — The Riot, a Ballad, — and the Plow-
Boy's Dream, a Ballad.

On the if of September,

Noah's Flood. — The Second Part of Tom White ;
cr, the Way to Plenty, — and Dame Andrews,
,a Ballad.

On the tft of Oclober,

The Two Farmers, Part L — The HarveA Home,
■ — and the Honeft Miller, a Ballad.

On the tft of November,

The Parable of the Vineyard. — The Two Farmers,
Part II. — and the African Woman's Lamenta-
tion, a Ballad.

On the iji of December.

The Troubles of Life. — Sorrowful Sam, — and
the Merry Chriftmas and Happy New Year,
a Ballad.

And other Pieces on a fimilar Plan t on the iji of

every Month.

SORROWFUL SAM, &c.

MR. Stephens a very worthy gentleman
having bought a confiderable eftate in
Devonshire, had no fooner taken poflefTion
of the manor-houfe, than he began to turn
in his mind, how he might prove ufeful
to his induftrious neighbours. He thought
the fureft means to find out the moft de-
ferving, was to obferve what families were
moft regular at Church on Sundays. The
wife and children of one John Parker a
blackfmith, drew his notice above all the
reft, he refolved to go and fee them,
which he did the firft opportunity; he
found Mary Parker in the beft fituation
in which a good mother can be found,
that is to fay, taking care of her family ;
an infant lay aileep acrofs her lap at the
fame time fhe was putting a patch on her
hufband's waiftcoat, her eldeft girl was
fpinning, the fecond was learning to knit,
a third was getting by heart her catechifm,
whilft a fine boy was unbinding a faggot to
heat the oven; a lord's houie could not
be neater, the tables were rubbed as bright
as a looking-glafs, and the pewter difhes on
the flielf fhone like (liver.

Mr. Stephens fat down and kindly tak-
ing the children by the hand, gave each
of them a {hilling, telling them it was a lit-'
tie reward for their good behaviour at

r 4 ,;■) :

church, and he was fo obliging as to add,
he never heard little folks fay their cate-
chifm better.

"■Bleflcd be God, Sir, faid Mary, we have
both an excellent Sunday and weekly fchool
in the parifh, where every poor family,
may have their children inftru£ted for no-
thing, would they but be at the trouble to
fend them in a clean, decent manner; y
there is many a mother, I am forry to fay, f®
little thankful for it they won't even be at
the pains to do that. A fmall matter of
education. Sir, as I take it, is quite a little
portion to a peor child if their parents knew
how to value it. My Bettv there can make
a fhirt as well as her miitrefs, and Sally,
who is but feven years old, has faved e-
nough by (pinning at odd hours after fchool
to buy her a frock ; bringing up children
in lazinefs is the root of all evil, befides
Sir, continued (he, every year there are
great rewards given at the fchool to all chil-
dren who are regular in their hours and be-
have well; my girls" have an handkerchief
or white apron given them, and my boy
gets a hat or a pair of fhoes, befides Bibles
and many other good books proper to bd
had in all chriftian families, which they reac
to me every night, and which are a grea
comfort to my poor heart, under very try]
ing affli&ions." — Mr. Stephens faid he war
forry to find fhe was not happy, and afkcjj
tier what was the matter ? f

My lot, Sir, replied Mary, is not harder
than that of many others, there is an alg-
houfe on the common called the Tennis-
Court, which caufes more poverty in the
parifh, than cither dearnefs of provisions,
or want of labour. But children you may
go to play on the green ; they were no fooncr
gone than ftre went on, I don't like, Sir,
laid flic, that my innocent babes mould
ever hear me talk of the vices of their fa-
ther* as it may harden their little hearts and
make them undutifui to him : but as I laid
before, my lot after all is not harder than
that of many of my neighbours. There is
Sufan Waters, the other blackfmith's wife,,
whofe hufband is more drunken than mine
if poffible. Sam could earn his two guineas
a week as well as my hufband if he would
but work, but no fooner does either of
them earn a few Ihillin^s, than off they are
gone tippling, nor do they think of return-
ing to their families, till every farthing is
fpent. As to that, Sufan Waters loves
work as little as Sam, fhe is a lazy, dirty,
goffipping body, and won't even take the
trouble to clean and fend her children to
fchool, only becaufe they were properly
corrected for curling and fwearing, and for
feldom getting to fchool of a morning till
other children were going home to dinner^
fo fhciets them go ftrolling like vagabonds
all about the parifh, fteaiing apples, break-
ing hedges, and committing a multitude j

( 6 )

of other little trefpaffes on the neighbours.

I humblv thank God, Sir, no one can
fay my fcolding temper drives my hufband
to the Ale-houfe becaufe he can have no
peace at home, which I am forry to fay is
too often the cafe; a man that works hard
all day, Sir. ought to be kindly received by
his wife when his labour is done: my John
Is a very good-natured fellow in the main,
and he might have been much worfe than
he is, if I had provoked his temper inftead
of trying to mend it by gentle means. I am
not without hope he will live to fee the er-
ror of his ways; but all will be right in
God's good time who knows what is beft
for us : a life of patient fullering I think.
Sir, is a daily preparation for death to
poor people. — Aye and for rich people al-
io my good woman faid .Mr. Stephens, or
elfe the Almighty fends his warnings to us
in vain ; believe me there is no rank of
people in life, free from calamity — man is

bom to fuffer. O dear Sir, faid Mary,

wiping her eyes, why we poor folks never
think rich folks can be unhappy. — I can
prove to you the contrary, faid Mr. Ste-
phens, and I can prove alfo, that he is the
happieft of men, who has the ftrongeft faith
in God, and the feweft fins to repent of, let
liis condition in life be what it will; yet the
beft people we often fee, are mod griev-
oufly afflifted; the Almighty only knows
what is beft for us; befides Mary, you may

If)

be fare great riches were never intended
by Providence to make men wife, or good,
or happy y that man is always poor, who
is always coveting ; the only rich man
is he who is content with what he hath, for
riches fays the wife Solomon, " make to
them (elves wings, and fly a way, 5 ', that is to
fay, when they are not applied to the cha-
ritable purpofes for which they were given.
Riches indeed may fupply a man with food,
but they cannot give him an appetite to
eat it : riches can't heal a broken confti-
tution, or quiet the inward gnawings of a
guilty confcience. An abundance of wealth
oftener proves a fnare to a man's foul than
the means of making him h^ppy; believe
me, my good woman, it is not either in the
nature of wealth, titles or power to prevent
a man from partaking of all the evils of life,
which the fins of his nature have brought
upon him; I have a very handfome for
tune Mary, but I much queition if any
labouring man in the parifh would accept
it, if he muft take all my afflictions into the
bargain. Why Sir, faid Mary, there is not
a family in this place that does not envy
your good fortune.

I will now fhew you Mary, whether "it'
has made me a happy man. I will give you ;
a fhort hiilory of myfelf, and then leave
you to judge what fhare of happinefs has
fallen to my lot. As I have laid before, I
have a very handfome fortune* I have &

^ ( 8 )

fine houfe in London, from which my bad
fpirits oblige me to fly, as my dear wife
died fuddenly in it, my eldeft fon is turned
ou| in fpite of all my care and pains, one
of the mo ft profligate young men of his
tims. I. had three fine daughters., who al!
died in the fpace of three years; I fhould
have funk under this fevere ftroke, had not
God's goodnefs fupportcd rne, the fhock
of it deftroyed my health, though it did not
make mv belief, that this gfigat affliction
was meant in mercy to my foul.

I have beds of down Mary, but my
phyficians order me to lie on a ftraw mat-
trafs, and though my bed-chamber is crowd-
ed with the moft coftly furniture, I feldom
get two hours fleep in a night. My table
every day is covered with the moft dainty
difhes, yet I can only eat a turnip, or a
potatoe : my cellars are filled with the beft
wines, yet I can drink only water. I have
a coach, a poft-chaife, and a variety of
faddle-horfes, yet I have an inward com-
plaint, which prevents my making ufe of
either, without fuffering great pain; thus
you fee Mary, how wrong it is to envy
people for their great wealth; do you {how.
me a miferable poor man, and I'll fhow
you ten miferable rich ones.

What you have been faying to me, fa ill*
do me more good than a fermon, and I
hope it will teach me for the time to come r
to be quite fatisfied with any ftatiom

( 9 ) _ ,

At this moment John Parker 'came in ;
you have fome of the lovelieft children
John I ever faw in my life, faid Mr,
Stephens. What a pleafure it mud be to
you of an evening when your work \i*
done; to fit here in your great chair, with
your little prattlers on your knees, to hear
them read their pretty books, and fay their
prayers before they go to-bed. Here John's
confcience fiafhed in his face which became
as red as fire, fo foreiy did it finite him.

True enough, Sir, however ftammered
he, but I fuppofe your worfhip muft have
heard, I am not quite as kind a hufband
and father as I ought to be, though I have
the beft wife and children in the world ;
I know my fault, Sir, and hope in time I
fhall mend it.

I hope you will John, faid Mr. Stephens,
as your own eyes muft convince you, what
poverty and diftrefs a drunken tradefman
brings m\ his family t that man has a hard
heart, John, who lives upon ale, whilft his
poor wife, who fuckles his children, drinks
nothing but water; a pint of good beer,
John, makes an Englifhman ftrong, and
hearty, but drurftennefs makes him both a
beggar and a beaft.— May God's bleffing for
•ever attend you Sir, cried Mary, for giving
my dear hufband fuch good advice; I fhould
be the happieft woman in the world, were
he to turn from his prefent evil courfes.

Soon alter this Mr. Stephens went away.

( ™ )

anti on his road home, called on Sam
Waters, and though it was the middle of the
day, he found him ftretched at his length
. and faft afleep in his fhop, though his yard
■was full of waggons, ploughs, &c. waiting
■ to be repaired; but not a fpark of fire was
\ there in the forge, nor a bit of iron to work
upon if there had. Several of his children
all rags and tatters, lay -bafking in the fun,
and kicking up their heels on a bank of
cinders. When Mr. Stephens peeped into
rthe houfe, it ftunk with filth, it fhockcd
him to think, how people could confent to
iive like pigs, rather than take the fmalleii
pains to keep themfelves frefh and clean 5
for though folks may be ever fo poor, 'tis no-
thing but their own lazincfs need keep them
dirty. The furniture of the kitchen he
.obferved, had all been very good, but for
want of the fmith's driving an occafional
nail, every thing was gone to rack and ruin ;
a large oak table was without a flap, the
clock had no pendulum; the bellows was
without a nofe ; the {kiinmer without a
handle; the brafs pot without a hanger;
the gridiron had hardly any ribs; the fry-
ing pan was burnt through ; the ftairs'-door
hung without a hinge; the window-bench
was full of the parings of potatoes, and on
a round table in the middle of the houfe,
flood a parcel of broken tea-difhes, and
faucers, fome bits of cake lying in the flop
of a pewter di ill 3 the brim melted off.

{ M )

*Mr. Stephens here feeing Sufan Watery
who was fitting over the fire, with her
hands idling before her, told her he wifhed
her hufband would call, and look at one of
his coach-horfes that was fick.

Ah Sir, faid fhe, you may as welt preach
to a man without ears, as talk to our Sam
about work, a lazy drunken dog !

'Tis a fad thing to be lure faid Mr.
Stephens, for a poor woman to have a
drunken hufband, but that need not hinder
you from difcharging your duties as a wife;
what a pity it is you keep your houfe fa
filthy, and your children fo Ragged; clean
water cofts nothing, and needles and thread
are very cheap; don't you think your chil-
dren would be much better at fchool, than
beating about the parifh all day ?

My children Sir faid Sufan, don't love
confinement at fchool, and they (han't go
any where to be put upon, nobody {hall
heftor over them but myfelf.

Then take my word for it, faid Mr.
Stephens, you will live to fee yourfelf the
caufe of their ruin: many a poor fellow
Sufan has been brought to the gallows by
his mother's folly : we are all corrupt by
nature, and therefore if our faults are not
correftcd in our infancy, how can we ex-
peft to obtain favour of the Almighty,
when we come to riper years.
< O Sir 5 replied Sufan, with a tofs of her

A §

head, Vis mighty fine talking, you don*t
know how hard the times are. Yes, fays
Sam Waters, who at that moment came for-
ward daggering, and ftretching himfelf,
times, and pleafe your worfhip$ are very
hard, taxes are high, and work is fcarce.

From what I. have heard, and' from what
I fee Sam, faid Mr. Stephens, your idle-
■nefs and your drink are the heavieft taxes,
that are laid on your family- — you have a
deal of work about you, and here I find
you fa ft afleep in the middle of the day.
Lazy folks Sam, are always complaining of
the hardnefs of the times, whilft induftri-
ous ones are driving to amend them. As
I fliall now re'fide .great part of the year,
at the manor-houfe ; I intend to keep a
good look out among my tenants, and
the poor, that I may have an opportunity
to aflift the mo ft deferving, but remember
Sam, there is no helping thofe, who won't
help themfelves ; however as I find you
are neither a difhoneft, nor an ill-natured
fellow, I flatter myfelf you will not be
-deaf to good advice, and as foon as I fee
you prefer your workfhop, to the ale-
houfe, I will advance a fum of money
that you may lay in a ftock of goods, and
I will cloath your children if you will in-
lift on your wife's fending them to fchool.

Here Sam humbly thanked Mr. Stephens
for his promifed favours, faying, he hoped
he fhould live to deferve them*

(%;):}

I have told his worfhip already, faid
'Sufaa, our children don't love fchool, and
. they fhan't go to be put upon, poor things!
. ,fo they fhan't, they fliall have their own
way, for they are likely to have nothing
eifc.

Unhappy miftaken woman, replied Mr.

Stephens, I now dee nothing but God's
I grace can turn the crooked heart to ways

of righteoufnefs ; don't be furprifed Sufan
; if your own wilful obftinacy (hould bring

your children to ruin, and you fhould die

of a broken heart in co»iifequence of your

t folly-
One fummer's evening, as Mr.. Stephens

happened to pafs by the Tennis-court, he
faw a number of jolly fellows fitting un-
der a large tree before the door, finging
and roaring as if there were neither pover-
ty or forrow in the world ; among this
merry crew he perceived Parker and
Waters, the former blufhed up to the ears
on feeing Mr. Stephens, for Parker was not
at all difguifed in liquor, but Waters was
too drunk to fee any thing beyond the
quart-pot, which he held to his lips. The
moment he had drank it off, he began to
roar aloud the old fong of " Let us drink
and drive care away," at that inftant his
wife appeared with her rags flying behind
her, and her face as black as a chimney-
fweeper, her eyes (taring with rage, and
Iter lips white with paffion, carrying one

f *4 )

child under her arm and leading another
by the hand; after having fet them both on
the ground, fhe flew like a Tyger on her
hufband, and fo belabour'd him with her
clenched lift, that the blood began at length
to ft ream from his mouth and nofe, for he
was fo top-heavy, he had not power to de-
fend himfelf; (he called him at the fame
time by names too (hocking to repeat, fo
true it i§ : that bad words always follow bad
aCtions ; at length fhe twifted one hand in
the hair of his head, fnatched up her infant
with the other, and in this manner fhe lugged
him off' in triumph.

The violence of her behaviour ftruck
every one prefent with difmay, Parker tur-
ned as white as a fheet. — I hope you will not
take unkindly the advice of a friend, who
has both the power and will to ferve yon.

The men all bowed very civilly, faying
they were very much obliged to him, for
as he was to get nothing by it, they were
fure he would fay nothing but what was
for their good. Mr. Stephens then went on.
It is a ftrange thing my friends, faid he,
that chriftian men, who have fouls to be
faved, fhould call any thing a pleafure which
muft certainly bring on their ruin. Kow
frequently has it happened that men have
died drunk, confider I befeech you what an
awful thing it is, for a being to be launched
into eternity in a fit of intoxication, in
which the foul cannot offer up one prayer

( *5 >

for mercy to that great God, before whom it
is about to appear.— Let me kindly advife
you then to think ferioufly of what I have
been faying, live foberly if you would live
happily, drink lefs abroad at the ale-houfe,
that you may eat more with your families at
home. ' Lip .

O Sir, cried Parker, looking ghaftly .pale
with fhame, may the bleffing of heaven for-
fake me, if ever I am feen drunk in this
houfe again ; my poor dear wife and children
how often have I ftarved your bodies, to
pamper my own ; merciful Father, forgive
the hardnefs of my heart ! I have not the
excufe fome men will make for running to
ale-houfes, who have fcolding, ill-tempered
wives at home; my Mary" is the belt tem-
pered, meek creature in the world, and tho'
I have drunk gallons of liquor in a week, 5
whilft flie has been lying-in and fuckling
my children upon a drop of cold water, flic
never once faid, John Parker why do'ft do
fo ? Nothing but her truft in God I am
certain could make her bear unkindnefs with
fo muc h patience, O Sir, Sir, I am afraid
I am too wicked for heaven's pardon to
reach me.

Never defpair, John, faid Mr. Stephens,
the only thing we are fure of, is pardon for
fin, upon our fincere repentance : practice
mult keep pace with pcayer ; yet it is only
daily prayer that can keep us from the com-
million of bad attions.

C \f J

Here the tyhrfle company humbly thank-
ed Mr. Stephens, for having condefcended
fo talk fo kindly to them, obferving at the
fame time, what a fine thing it was for fo
great and wife a gentleman, to have fo
little pride, it was turning his learning to
a fine ax: count, and they all knew he faid
nothing to them, which he did not pra&ife
himfelf every day. — Mr. Stephens now
wifiied them a good-night, hoping they
would all return home to their families, and
then walked away with Parker to his houfe.
Parker's confidence, forely fmote him, when
he faw his fupper neatly covered up before
the fire, whilft his children were kneeling
round their mother, praying for a bleffing,
before they went s to-bed. — We faw no fuch
fight as this at the Tennis-court John, faid
Mr. Stephens — No indeed, Sir, fobbed
John, this is a bleffed fight, which I am not
worthy to behold. Have you not read in
the facred fcriptures John, faid Mr. Sre-
phens, that the unbelieving hufband, (hall
be faved by the believing wife. He then
told Mary, what '-had happened, and hoped
he had brought her home a penitent huf-
band.— Merciful God, I thank thee, cried
this worthy woman, clafping her hands,
for all thy many favours towards me and
mine ; may I hope, that the father of my
precious babes, has refolved to leave off
his evil oourfes, and that with God's al-
fiftance, he will endeavour to lead .a-.fo.ber

religious life, we fhall then not only abound
in the good things of this life, but fhall
have the promife alfo of enjoying far bet-
ter things in the life to come.

Sam Waters for fome weeks kept clear
of temptation, and leemed to be going
on tolerably well ; he looked very down
and fhecpifh, when ever Mr. Stephens cal-
led upon him, this gentleman encouraged
him and bid him have a good heart, tel-
ling him at the fame time, the fureft way
to avoid fhame, was to flee from fin.-— All
the fault I affure your worfhip again, and
again, cried Sam, is not. on my fide ; my
wife is of fuch a terrible temper, that
the houfe is often too hot to hold us both.
I can fcarcely ever get to church of a
Sunday, for want of a clean fhirt, and my
coat aud waiftcoat are gone all to rags

O O

for want of a ftitch in time : w T hilft Ma-
ry Parker, who is a clean, neat, tidy w t o-
man,- keeps her hufband as well dreffed
as any farmer in the parifh ; alas ! Sir, the
deaths you were fo kind as- to give my
children, are all gone to tatters alrea-
dy, and they have never appeared at
fchool fince the fir ft Sunday they put them
on, 'tis enough to weary the great folks to
fee what a flight many poor folks often
put upon their favours, however, Sir, I-
hope my limbs will perifh on my body if
ever I a.m caught drunk at the Tennis*
court again.

( i8 )

Take care of what you fay Sam, faid
Mr. Stephens, you have now called on
your Maker, to witnefs the oath you have
made, and very dreadful to you may be
the confequence fhould you break it. The
fafeft way Sam, for the rich as well as poor,
is to keep their accounts with heaven Jhort,
which fhould be fettled daily, as merchants
and tradefmen -fettle their books, as we may
have but a Ihort notice, to pay off a long
reckoning — We can do nothing of our-
felves Sam, but God's grace accompanying
us, we have every thing to hope, it is a
tower of ftrength in the hour of danger.

How long Waters kept his vow unbro-
ken will fhortly be feen; in one of Mr.
Stephens's evening rides, juft below the
Tennis-court, he fpied Sam lying dead
drunk acrofs the road, when at the fame
inftant almoft a waggon, whofe horfes had
taken fright, ran over him, the waggoner
{laying behind to drink. By the time Mr.
Stephens reached the fpot where Sam Iay T
they found Waters not dead indeed yet
there was little appearance of life in him,
the waggon had gone over his two legs. When
the waggoner came to fee the woeful mifery
his negle6t had caufed, he was ready to*
tear his hair for vexation, for he knew he
had broken the laws of God by getting
drunk, and the laws of the land for leaving
his plough., and he expected every moment

J *9 )

when Mr. Stephens would commit him to
jail for his offence.

Mr. Stephens kindly gave up his carriage
to carry Waters home, ordering his fer~
vant at the fame time, to gallop off for a
fu rgeon, who on his arrival, found it ne-
eeffary to take off both Waters's legs, one
above, the other a little below the knee.
During his long ilinefs Mr. Stephens or-
dered every thing to be fent him, that was
neceffary for a man in his condition: it was
obferved by all about him, that the firft
words Sam uttered on coming tor himfelf
were, O my good God, my punifhment is
but my juft reward for my fin; did I not
call on thy holy name, to witnefs I would
not get drunk, and make a beaft of myfelf
any more ? After fome time, Sam and his
whole family were carried to the poor-
houfe; people flocked from all parts to hear
him tell, how the ftrength of his own wick-
ed prayers, had brought down heavn's ven~
geandb upon him.

Mr. s Stephens called in upon him one
day, juft as he had been telling fome of his
neighbours the hiftory of his misfortunes;
ah, Sir, cried Sam to Mr. Stephens, Divine
Vengeance has overtaken me at laft, had I
taken your kind advice, this misfortune
would never have befallen me, my own
bitter oaths, and curfes have brought on
my own deftruttion; what a poor mifera-

( 2D )

ble wretch have they made me. My dear
friends, {aid he to the by-ftanders, learn
wifdom from the woeful example of Sor-
rowful Sam, and remember the rod of
the Almighty is always hanging over your
heads, however his tender mercy may with-
hold his hand from ftriking, but juftice
often provoked, fooner or later will over-
take us.-— O neighbours, neighbours; let me
befcech you not to put off the day oi your
repentance till you are brought to a fick
bed, keep holy the fabbath, and never fail
of attending to your church, for if you do
not hear God's word, how can you keep his-
commandments; if you really pity my fuf-
ferings take warning by them, to avoid fail-
ing into my crimes, and if you wifli to live
and profper in the land, O my friends, take
warning by Sorrowful Sam.

The mod hardened fellow prefent did
not fail to fhed tears at fuch a moving dif-
courfe. Mr. Stephens was alfo much afV
fefted, kindly fhook him by the hand, and
laid he was delighted to hear him talk fo
like a chriftian, and hoped if his life were
fpared, he fhould fee him live like a chrif-
tian alfo, fince that alone could prove the
fmcerity of his repentance.. He then fpoke
to Sufan Waters, telling her he believed
no misfortunes could touch her heart, or
keep her from goffiping, and idling about,,
making her children more wicked by her
own example. Now mark the end of this

t 21 .) . |

indalgent mother, who lived to experience
the mifery her own bad conduct had
brought upon her children; before her
eldeft fon, who was her favourite, was
eighteen years of age, he was tranfported
to Botany Bay, and the laft words he faid
to his mother, when loaded with chains and
put on board the fhip, were, " mother the
fight of you is hateful to my eyes, for had
you kept me to my fchool, when I was a
child, I fhould not have fpent my days in
idlenefs, learning all manner of wickednefs,
which has brought me fo early in life, to
this miferable pais." Though Sufan tore
her hair and wrun^ her hands to lofe her
darling fon, yet no one pitied her; your
trouble is of your own feeking Sufan, the
neighbours would fay, for as you brew, fo
you muft bake. The reft of her children
likewife turned out very badly.

Poor Sam Waters languifhed in great pain
and mifery about two years, but the pati-
ence with which he fuffered his afflifclion,
proved the beft teftimony of his repentance,
and made every one kind to hirft, for a har-
dened finner under affli&ion is a [hocking
fight indeed. He fpent the greater part of
the day reading the Bible and other good
books, which Mr. Stephens fent him. Some
of the old men and women in the poor houfe,
would croud into Sam's room, to hear him]
read chapters and prayers, for in his youtW
he had received a pretty education though!

( 22 )

in his piper years he had not turned it to ac-
count. How thankful I ought to be Sam
would fay, that heaven in taking away the
ufe of my limbs, was gracioufly pleafed to
open my mind to receive the truths of the
gofpel, for now truly can I cry out, it is
well for me I have been affli&ed, and though
I cannot run a race, I can fing a pfalm ;
and fince I have left off* the wicked cuf-
tom of drinking and fwearing, I have taken
up a much better one for my foul's fafety,
of reading and praying ; thus he went on
refigned to his dying hour, and his laft
words were, u O neighbours, neighbours !
remember to avoid the fate of Sorrowful

AM.

It is pleafant to obferve, that John Park-
er after the frav of the Tennis-court, w T as
never feen difguifed in liquor ; and what a
Ihining example was his wife to thofe vio-
lent women, whofe quarrelfome tempers
drive their hufbands to public houfes,
whereby their families are often brought to
poverty and fhame, whereas the mild man-
ners and patient temper of Mary Parker,
caufed fuch an entire reformation in her
hufband, that in a fhort time they began to
thrive prodigioufly, bufincfs was more brifk
than ever, becaufe it was well followed
up. His wife did her part to make the molt
of his earnings, for after all, a man's labours
can do but little, if the kind diligent hand

( 2 3 )

of his wife, does not help him to bear the
heat, and burden of the day.

Mr. Stephens no fooner faw how dili-
gently Parker applied himfelf to his bufu
nefs, than he lent him a fum of money,
that he might laft in a ftock of goods at the
beft hand, which would greatly increafe
the profits of his labour; at length money
came in as faft as he could wifh, and Mr.
Stephens was fo much pleafed with his eld-
eft boy, who was an honeft, fenfible lad,
that at his own expence, he put him two
years to a creditable boarding-fchool, that
he might be well inftrufcted in writing and
arithmetic, and afterwards had him bound
out apprentice to the firft tanner in the
country.

It is here proper to notice a little kind-
nefs of Parker, as long as Waters lived, he
fent one of his children with a plate of
roaft meat and pudding to him every Sun-
day, for he would fay, Sam Waters was
the beft friend he ever had in his life, fince
in the lookins-^lafs G f Sam's vices, he had
been able to fee the usdinefs of his own.

When the fat landlord of the Tennis-
court died of a dropfy, brought on him by
hard drinking, the juftices would never
grant the houfe another licence, as it ftood
in the village far from the road fide, and
could be of no fervice to travellers. 'Tis
fucprifmg to tell, how much in the courfc
of a few years this leffened the poor rates*

( *4 y

there being no temptation at hand, to draw
labouring men from their families, info-
much that by not drinking the earnings of
a week in an evening at the public houfe,
they were foon enabled to brew a cafk of
good beer at home.

In the courfe of a few years, the whole
parifh had reafon to blefs God for fending
fo good a gentleman as Mr. Stephens
am on git them, whofe hand and heart were
ever open to fuccour the diitreifed, and to
help forward the induftrious; but he would
never wafte his fubftance to pamper lazi-
nefs, or to fuccour vice ; he looked upon
the induftrious poor as his children and
friends, but from the drunkard, the liar, the
fwe-rer, and the thief, his bounty was with-
held. And what is very extraordinary
there never was a reprobate in the pari ft,
but all the little children would run after
him and tell him to take warning by
Sorrowful Sam. R

i