Shewing how Mr. STOCK behaved to his APPRENTICES.

When he got up in the world ſo far as to have apprentices, he thought himſelf as accountable for their behaviour as if they had been his children. He was very kind to them, and had a chearful mer⯑ry way of talking to them, ſo that the lads who had ſeen too much of ſwearing, reprobate maſters, were very fond of him. They were never afraid of ſpeaking to him, they told him all their little trou⯑bles, and conſidered their maſter as their beſt friend, for they ſaid they would do any thing for a [5] good word and a kind look. As he did not ſwear at them when they had been guilty of a fault, they did not lie to him to conceal it, and thereby make one fault two. But though he was very kind, he was very watchful alſo, for he did not think ne⯑glect any part of kindneſs. He brought them to one very pretty method, which was, of a Sunday evening to divert themſelves with writing out half a dozen texts of Scripture in a pretty copy book with gilt covers. You may have the ſame at any of the Stationer's; they do not coſt above four pence, and will laſt nearly a year.

When the boys carried him their books, he juſtly commended him whoſe texts were written in the faireſt hand. "And now my boys," ſaid he, "let us ſee which of you will learn your texts beſt in the courſe of the week; he who does ſhall chuſe for next Sunday." Thus the boys ſoon got many pſalms and chapters by heart, almoſt without knowing how they came by them. He taught them how to make a practical uſe of what they learnt; for," ſaid he "it will anſwer little pur⯑poſe to learn texts if we do not try to live up to them." One of the boys being apt to play in his abſence, and to run back again to his work when he heard his maſter's ſtep, he brought him to a ſenſe of his fault by the laſt Sunday's texts, which happened to be 6th of Epheſians. He ſhewed him what was meant by being "obedient to his maſter in ſingleneſs of heart as unto Chriſt," and explained to him with ſo much kindneſs what it was, "not to work with eye-ſervice as men pleaſers, but do⯑ing the will of God from the heart," that the lad ſaid he ſhould never forget it, and it did more to⯑wards [6] curing him of idleneſs than the ſoundeſt horſe whipping would have done.

How Mr. STOCK got out of Debt.

Stock's behaviour was very regular, and he was much beloved for his kind and peaceable temper. He had alſo a good reputation for ſkill in his trade, and his induſtry was talked of through the whole town, ſo that he had ſoon more work than he could poſſibly do. He paid all his dealers to the very day, and took care to carry his intereſt money to the creditors the moment it became due. In two or three years he was able to begin to pay off a ſmall part of the principal. His reaſon for being ſo eager to pay money as ſoon as it became due was this. He had obſerved tradeſmen, and eſpecially his old maſter, put off the day of pay⯑ment as long as they could, even though they had the means in their power. This deceived them. For having money in their pockets they forgot it belonged to the creditor, and not to themſelves, and ſo got to fancy they were rich when they were really poor. This falſe notion led them to in⯑dulge in idle expences, whereas, if they had paid regularly they would have had this one tempta⯑tion the leſs. A young tradeſman, when he is going to ſpend money, ſhould at leaſt aſk himſelf whether this money is his own or his creditors'. This little queſtion might help to prevent many a bankruptcy.

A true Chriſtian always goes heartily to work to find out what is his beſetting ſin; and when he has found it, (which he eaſily may if he looks ſharp) againſt this ſin he watches narrowly. Now I know it is the faſhion among ſome folks (and a bad faſhion it is) to fancy that good people have [7] no ſin; but this only ſhews their ignorance. It is not true. That good man St. Paul knew better. And when men do not own their ſins, it is not be⯑cauſe there is no ſin in their hearts, but becauſe they are not anxious to ſearch for it, nor humble to confeſs it, nor penitent to mourn over it. But this was not the caſe with James Stock. "Exa⯑mine yourſelves truly," ſaid he, "is no bad part of the catechiſm." He began to be afraid that his deſire of living creditably and without being a burthen to any one, might, under the maſk of ho⯑neſty and independence lead him into pride and covetouſneſs. He feared that the bias of his heart lay that way. So inſtead of being proud of his ſobriety; inſtead of bragging that he never ſpent his money idly, nor went to the alehouſe; inſtead of boaſting how hard he worked, and how he de⯑nied himſelf, he ſtrove in ſecret that even theſe good qualities might not grow but of a wrong root. The following event was of uſe to him in this way.

One evening as he was ſtanding at the door of his ſhop, a poor dirty boy without ſtockings and ſhoes came up and aſked him for a bit of broken victuals, for he had eaten nothing all day. In ſpite of his dirt and rags he was a very pretty, lively, civil ſpoken boy, and Mr. Stock could not help thinking he knew ſomething of his face. He fetched him out a good piece of bread and cheeſe, and while the boy was devouring it, aſked him if he had no parents, and why he went about in that vagabond manner? "Daddy has been dead ſome years," ſaid the boy, "he died in a fit over at the Greyhound. Mammy ſays he uſed to live at [8] this ſhop, and then we did not want for cloaths nor victuals neither." Stock was melted almoſt to tears on finding that this dirty beggar boy was Tommy Williams, the ſon of his old maſter. He bleſſed God on comparing his own happy condition with that of this poor deſtitute child, but he was not proud at the compariſon, and while he was thankful for his own proſperity, he pitied the help⯑leſs boy.—"Where have you been living of late," ſaid he to him? "for I underſtood you all went home to your mother's friends." "So we did Sir," ſaid the boy, "but they are grown tired of maintaining us, becauſe they ſaid that Mammy ſpent all the money which ſhould have gone to buy vic⯑tuals for us, on ſnuff and drams. And ſo they have ſent us back to this place, which is Daddy's pariſh."

"And where do you live here?" ſaid Mr. Stock. "O Sir, we are all put into the pariſh poor-houſe." —"And does your mother do any thing to help to maintain you?" "No Sir, for Mammy ſays ſhe was not brought up to work like poor folks, and ſhe would rather ſtarve than ſpin or knit; ſo ſhe lies a-bed all the morning, and ſends us about to pick up what we can, a bit of victuals or a few halfpence." "And have you any money in your pocket now?" "Yes, Sir, I have got three half⯑pence which I have begged to-day." "Then, as you were ſo very hungry, how came you not to buy a roll at that baker's over the way?" "Be⯑cauſe, Sir, I was going to lay it out in tea for Mammy, for I never lay out a farthing for myſelf. Indeed Mammy ſays ſhe will have her tea twice a-day if we beg or ſtarve for it." "Can you read my boy?" ſaid Mr. Stock. "A little, Sir, and [9] ſay my prayers too." "And can you ſay your catechiſm?" "I have almoſt forgot it all, Sir, though I remember about honoring my father and mother, and that makes me ſtill carry the half⯑pence home to Mammy inſtead of buying cakes." "Who taught you theſe good things?" "One Jemmy Stock, Sir, who was a pariſh 'prentice to my Daddy. He taught me one queſtion out of the catechiſm every night, and always made me ſay my prayers to him before I went to bed. He told me I ſhould go to the wicked place if I did not fear God, ſo I am ſtill afraid to tell lies like the other boys. Poor Jemmy gave me a piece of gingerbread every time I learnt well; but I have no friend now; Jemmy was good to me, though Mammy did no⯑thing but beat him."

Mr. Stock was too much moved to carry on the diſcourſe, he did not make himſelf known to the boy, but took him over to the baker's ſhop; as they walked along he could not help repeating aloud, a verſe or two of that beautiful hymn, ſo deſervedly the favourite of all children,

The little boy looked up in his face, ſaying, "Why Sir, that's the very hymn which Jemmy Stock gave me a penny for learning." Stock made no anſwer, but put a couple of three-penny loaves into his hand to carry home, and told him to call on him again at ſuch a time in the following week.

How Mr. STOCK continued to be charitable without any Expence.

Stock had abundant ſubject for meditation that night. He was puzzled what to do with the boy. While he was carrying on his trade upon borrowed money, he did not think it right to give any part of that money to aſſiſt the idle, or even to help the diſtreſſed. "I muſt be juſt," ſaid he, "before I am generous." Still he could not bear to ſee this fine boy given up to certain ruin. He did not think it ſafe to take him into his ſhop in his preſent igno⯑rant unprincipled ſtate. At laſt he hit upon this thought. I work for myſelf twelve hours in the day. Why ſhall I not work one hour or two for this boy in the evening? It will be but for a year, and I ſhall then have more right to do what I pleaſe. My money will then be my own, I ſhall have paid my debts.

So he began to put his reſolution in practice that very night, ſticking to his old notion of not putting off till to-morrow what ſhould be done to-day; and it was thought he owed much of his ſuc⯑ceſs in life, as well as his growth in goodneſs, to this little ſaying. "I am young and healty," ſaid he, "one hour's work more will do me no harm; I will ſet aſide all I get by theſe over hours, and put the boy to ſchool. I have not only no right to puniſh this child for the ſins of his father, but I conſider that though God hated thoſe ſins, he has made them be inſtruments for my advancement."

Tommy Williams called at the time appointed. In the mean time Mr. Stock's maid had made him a tidy little ſuit of cloaths out of an old coat of her maſter's. She had alſo knit him a pair of [11] ſtockings, and Mr. Stock made him ſit down in the ſhop, while he himſelf ſitted him with a pair of new ſhoes. The maid having waſhed and dreſſed him, Mr. Stock took him by the hand and walked along with him to the pariſh poor-houſe to find his mother. They found her dreſſed in ragged filthy finery, ſtanding at the door, where ſhe paſ⯑ſed moſt of her time, quarrelling with half a dozen women as idle and dirty as herſelf; when ſhe ſaw Tommy ſo neat and well dreſſed, ſhe fell a-crying for joy. She ſaid it put her in mind of old times, for Tommy always uſed to be dreſſed like a gen⯑tleman. "So much the worſe," ſaid Mr. Stock, "if you had not begun by making him look like a gentleman, you needed not have ended by making him look like a beggar." "Oh Jem," ſaid ſhe, (for though it was four years ſince ſhe had ſeen him, ſhe ſoon recollected him) "fine times for you! ſet a beggar on horſeback — you know the proverb. I ſhall beat Tommy well for finding you out, and expoſing me to you."

Inſtead of entering into any diſpute with this bad woman, or praiſing himſelf at her expence; or putting her in mind of her paſt ill behaviour to him; or reproaching her with the bad uſe ſhe had made of her proſperity, he mildly ſaid to her, "Mrs. Williams I am ſorry for your misfortunes; I am come to relieve you of part of your burthen. I will take Tommy off your hands. I will give him a year's board and ſchooling, and by that time I ſhall ſee what he is fit for. I will promiſe nothing, but if the boy turns out well I will never forſake him. I ſhall make but one bargain with you, which is, that he muſt not come to this place to hear all this railing and ſwearing, nor ſhall he [12] keep company with theſe pilfering idle children. You are welcome to go and ſee him when you pleaſe, but here he muſt, not come."

The fooliſh woman burſt out a crying, ſaying, "ſhe ſhould loſe her poor dear Tommy for ever. Mr. Stock might give her the money he intended to pay at the ſchool, for nobody could do ſo well by him as his own mother." The truth was, ſhe wanted to get theſe new cloaths into her clutches, which would all have been pawned at the dram ſhop before the week was out. This Mr. Stock well knew. From crying ſhe fell to ſcolding and ſwearing. She told him he was an unnatural wretch, that wanted to make a child deſpiſe his own mother becauſe ſhe was poor. She even went ſo far as to ſay ſhe would not part from him; ſhe ſaid ſhe hated your godly people, they had no bowels of compaſſion, but tried to ſet men, women, and chil⯑dren againſt their own fleſh and blood.

Mr. Stock now almoſt loſt his patience, and for one moment a thought came acroſs him to ſtrip the boy, carry back the cloaths, and leave him to his unpitiful mother. "Why, ſaid he, ſhould I work over hours, and wear out my ſtrength for this wicked woman?" But he ſoon checked this thought, by reflecting on the patience and long-ſuffering of God with rebellious ſinners. This cured his anger in a moment, and he mildly rea⯑ſoned with her on her folly and blindneſs in op⯑poſing the good of her child.

One of the neighbours who ſtood by, ſaid, what a fine thing it was for the boy, but ſome people were born to be lucky! She wiſhed Mr. Stock would take a fancy to her child, he ſhould have him ſoon enough. Mrs. Williams now began to b [...] [13] frightened leſt Mr. Stock ſhould take the woman at her word, and ſullenly conſented to let the boy go, from envy and malice, not from prudence and gratitude; and Tommy was ſent to ſchool that very night, his mother crying and roaring, inſtead of thanking God for ſuch a bleſſing.

And here I cannot forbear telling a very good-natured thing of Will Simpſon, one of the work⯑men. By the bye it; was that very young fellow who was reformed by Stock's good example when he was an apprentice, and who uſed to ſing Pſalms with him on a Sunday evening when they got out of the way of Williams's junketting. Will coming home early one evening was ſurpriſed to find his maſter at work by himſelf, long after the uſual time. He begged ſo heartily to know the reaſon, that Stock owned the truth. Will was ſo ſtruck with this piece of kindneſs, that he ſnatched up a laſt, crying out, "Well maſter, you ſhall not work by yourſelf however; we will go ſnacks in maintaining Tommy: it ſhall never be ſaid that Will Simpſon was idling about, when his maſter was working for charity. This made the hours paſs chearfully and doubled the profits.

In a year or two Mr. Stock▪ by God's bleſ⯑ſing on his labours, become quite clear of the world. He now paid off his [...] he never forgot his obligation to them, and found many opportu⯑nities of ſhewing kindneſs to them, and to their children after them. He now caſt about for a pro⯑per wife, and as he was thought a proſper us man, and very well looking beſides, moſt of the ſmart girls of the place with their tawdry finery, uſed to be often parading before the ſhop, and would even go to church in order to put themſelves in [14] his way. But Mr. Stock when he went to church had other things in his head, and if ever he thought about theſe gay damſels at all, it was with concern at ſeeing them ſo improperly tricked out, ſo that the very means they took to pleaſe him, made him diſlike them.

There was one Betſy Weſt, a young woman of excellent character and very modeſt appearance. He had ſeldom ſeen her out, as ſhe was employed night and day in waiting on an aged widowed mo⯑ther who was both lame and blind. This good girl was indeed almoſt truly eyes and feet to her helpleſs parent, and Mr. Stock uſed to ſee her through the little caſement window lifting her up and feeding her with a tenderneſs which greatly raiſed his eſteem for her. He uſed to tell Will Simpſon, as they ſat at work, that ſuch a duti⯑ful daughter could hardly fail to make a faithful wife. He had not, however, the heart to try to draw her off from her care of her ſick mother. The poor woman declined very faſt. Betſy was much employed in reading or praying by her while ſhe was awake, and paſſed good part of the night while ſhe ſlept, in doing ſome fine works to ſell in order to ſupply her ſick mother with little nice⯑ties which their poor pittance could not afford, while ſhe herſelf lived on a cruſt.

Mr. Stock knew that Betſy would have little or nothing after her mother's death, as ſhe had only a life income. On the other hand Mr. Thompſon, the Tanner, had offered him 200l. with his daugh⯑ter Nancy. But he was almoſt ſorry that he had not in this caſe an opportunity of reſiſting his natural bias, which rather lay on the ſide of loving money: "For," ſaid he, ‘putting principle and putting [15] affection out of the queſtion, I ſhall do a more prudent thing by marrying Betſy Weſt, who will conform to her ſtation, and is a religious, hum⯑ble induſtrious girl, without a ſhilling, than by having an idle dreſſy laſs, who will neglect my family and fill my houſe with company, though ſhe ſhould have twice the fortune which Nancy Thompſon would bring.’

At length poor old Mrs. Weſt was releaſed from all her ſufferings. At a proper time Mr. Stock pro⯑poſed marriage to Betſy, and was accepted. All the diſappointed girls in the town wondered what any body could like in ſuch a dowdy as that. Had the man no eyes? They thought Mr. Stock had had more taſte. Oh! how it did provoke all the vain idle things to find, that ſtaying at home, dreſſing plainly, ſerving God, and nurſing a blind Mother, ſhould do that for Betſy Weſt which all their con⯑trivances, flaunting, and dancing could not do for them.

He was not diſappointed of meeting with a good wiſe in Betſy, as indeed thoſe who marry on right grounds ſeldom are. But if religious perſons will chuſe partners for life who have no religion, do not let them complain that they are unhap⯑py; they might have known that beforehand. Tommy Williams was now taken home to Stock⯑houſe and bound apprentice. He was always kind and attentive to his mother; and every penny which Will Simpſon or his maſter gave him for learning a chapter he would ſave to buy a bit of tea and ſugar for her. When the other boys laugh⯑ed at him for being ſo fooliſh as to deny himſelf cakes and apples to give his money to her who was [16] ſo bad a woman, he would anſwer, "it may be ſo, but ſhe is my mother for all that."

Mr. Stock was much moved at the change in this boy, who turned out a very good youth. He re⯑ſolved, as GOD ſhould proſper him, that he would try to ſnatch other helpleſs creatures from ſin and ruin. "For," ſaid he, "it is owing to God's bleſſing on the inſtructions of my good miniſter when I was a child, that I have been ſaved from the broad way of deſtruction. He ſtill gave God the glory of every thing he did aright, and when Will Simp⯑ſon one day ſaid to him, "Maſter, I wiſh I were half as good as you are." "William," anſwered he gravely, "I once read in a book, that the Devil is willing enough we ſhould appear to do good actions if he can but make us proud of them."

But we muſt not forget our other old acquain⯑tance, Mr. Stock's fellow 'prentice. So next month you may expect a full account of the many tricks and frolicks of idle Jack Brown, being the third part of the Hiſtory of the Two Shoemakers.