The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-02 00:00:00

THE ALTO TRAGJOY.

Frederick Baker is know❑ at Guildford as a man
of considerable intelligencd; but his liabits were of
the most dissipated character. He wag for some
time secretary of the Guildford Institute Debating
Society, but his irregular habits' •induced the. com-
mittee to request him to resign the office. Ilis
animal and bibulous propensities during the last

three or four years were matter of Common remark

in Guildford, and he was looked upon as a " ne'er
do weel," past all hope of reformation. Notwith-
standing his well known profligate habits, he was
at times a great professor of religion, and partook
very regularly of the sacraments at Trinity Church.
There is no doubt that he was very carefully brought
up and instructed in the truths of religion by pious
parents, and until four years since he was a very
pious, steady young man. - At that time he was
paying his addresses, and was engaged to be mar-
ried, to a highly respectable young person who
was in the service of Mrs. Haydon as lady's maid,
but his advances were ' suddenly checked
by certain communications which some persons
thought it their duty to make to the young waman's
parents. The girl's brother also interfered, and the
match was broken off. Young Baker was exces-
sively indignant at this intervention, and talked
loudly about actions for slander and the like, but of
course nothing came of them. From ' this time,
however, he was a changed man. He gave way to
drunkenness and other vices, became utterly reck-
less, and never seemed to have the least regard
either for character or appearance. He was sup-
posed to have been intimately connected with
the Guildford " Guys" and to have shared in
their most dangerous proceedings, but on this
head nothing positive is known outside the im-
mediate circle of the " Guy" fraternity. For some
time after going to Alton he was a total abstainer
from intoxicating drink, and would not enter a
public-house under any circumstances whatever.
At length, however, he relapsed into his old habits
of recklessness and dissipation. About two months
since Mr. Phillips, the hon. sec. of the 'Working
Men's Institute at Guilford, who was also an active
promoter of the debating society, in conjunct ion with
Baker, received a letter from Baker, dated Alton.
In it he said that. Mr. Phillips would be glad to hear
that he (Baker) had entirely reformed his course of
'life, that he abstained from drink, went to bed at
eleven o'clock, and rose at seven. He added that
his employers were very kind to him, and that
he spent his spare time in boating and reading
good authors. lle regularly attended church, and
experienced great comfort from the ministrations
of an excellent and devoted clergyman. He felt
much happier in his mind since he had altered his
course, and he was assured that there was a bright
future before him. He said that he wrote thus
to Mr. Phillips because, as connected with the
old debating society, he was satisfied that it Would
give him great pleasure to hear of this eformation ;
and he concluded by trusting that the great God
would give him grace to persevere in the right path.

Had this been written under the influence of real
conviction, it would have been a very touching
episode in this young man's career ; but when we
learn that at this very time he was pursuing a
course of secret vice and dissipation, we can only
regard it as a transcendent specimen of duplicity.
In writing to another friend about four weeks since
Baker says--" My quiet life here at Alton has en-
abled mi;,i to reflect upon the errors of my past life.
I have quite reformed. I drinK little, go to bed
ear!y, and do not neglect my Sabbath duties. I
often think of my foolish conduct at Guildford, but
I have prayed to God for His grace, and I now'
feel that a better course is open to me. lam very
happy
.here, and my employers are exceedingly
kind to me. Remember me to all old friends,
and tell them that Fred. Baker is not now a drunken
sot, but, by God's grace, a steady, respectable man.
This is a quiet old town, and does not
.offer the
temptations of Guildford. I know that you will be
glad to hear of your old friend, and that is why 1
write." It is said that on a former occasion, when
some of the young man's misdeeds became ktiown to.
his father, the poor old man became almost dis-:-
tracted ; and we are informed that the communica-
tion of this dreadful intelligence has been succeeded
by an utter prostration of the nervous and mental
system. His wife has been dead some years, and
poor Baker is tended in his solitude and bereave-
ment by an affectionate and pious daughter, on
whose
.behalf the sympathies of the neighbours are
earnestly enlisted.— West S'arrey