Winchester gazette. [volume] (Winchester, Va.) 18??-1826, 1822-10-26
APPRENTICES.

anu importan, duty devoives upon
their masters. Boys frequently depri.
we'd OF iheir psronts by death, are
rbouni by indsnlures to those who have
undertaken to supply the place Of their
parents. Many do not conceive tho
force of this obligation; they are sat-
ished with teaching apprentices the ru.
| diments of their trade, or occupation,
and as soon AS they become servicea-
BILE, with munopolizins their labor, aud
suffering every other consideration aud
duty, TO remain at loose ends, uncher-
ished, unpatronized aud uufostered,
more especially their. obligation. TO
God, aud 10 their fellowsQh. Salts
tied that they remain atfheir b6sts
during the hours devoted to labor, they
abandon them to tbeir own guidance
afterwards. Sunday of course, becomes
an holiday, day Of recreation from
labor; when these boys meet, confede.
rate and carOuse that time away, in
which our temples are resoundiug with
the praises of our Creator. Thus, ear
Fly habits of iDpiety and vice; aud con-
tempt of holy institutions, are formed
III their youthful bosoms; aud let il be
deeply remembered tina, 1ohen once the
Deity IS despised, man ceases to be an
OBJECT Of reverence and regard: this
Is the 1epPing stone to every crime,
that 6lackenS our criminal calender.
from the petty pickpoeket, to the man
monster, that robs and murders on the
highway, aud repays the penalty Of
his crime by the batter. Fl ought TO
be impressed id ps charaeisrs, on
the heart of eve znas.aqS tiArs ,lse
law has appointed him the legal parent
OF these poor, frisndles. aud uuprotec-
ted orphans. The morals ofwiis child
are placed under his custody and gui-
dance. He il b aaslp TEACH him the
road TO heaven, n as the road
to professional ehssShce. Bat what
would be the condition OF the rising
race, if parents paid no more regard 40
the morals and manners, aud religious
habits of their ehildren, than masters
usually do to their apprentices The
| social ehain would be bruken-there
would be 40 end Of confidence betw cen
man aud man, and our criminal cata.
logue would exhibit the melancholy
| proof Of the pernieioGs consequence
of parental Indulgence. The master
himself, before the legal time OF scryi.
tude has expired, is made to .uRer
from the habits of the boy.--Condem-
ned to drudge for stated period,
aud brought up in habituai neglect,
and contempt ofthe all.seeins eye of
mis- Maker. sensible Of no morai res
lraint, appfehending nothing but de
lection from man, he INDUCES The vi.
cious propensities of nature, asuantiets,
wastes, or perhaps embezzies The prsr
per,y OF his master, end resorts 20
falsebood 10 screen the deed. Detect.
ed finally, hs is dismissed from The
roof OF his master, with scorn and con-
tempt as thief, or ID runaway, in the
public papers, and at his frs. appear.
aare "n tile public stage, is b'anded
| with q crime. How is this wonderful
and mysterious change bfo't about
The boy when he pas.ed under Tie pa
rental care OF his master, came with d
character n1eOntaniinated by blOtciIes
SO foul aud pollutins. He was then q
tsstrsnSer TO the world, and its tempta-
lions --he entered into the presen ce
Of his master for the first time, with
the blush of modesty upon his chesk !;
he has been turned out an hardened
and confirmed criminal, capable of
hrow-beatiDS court CT justice. The
master viii say III the honest yimpiici.
~ OF his heart, never taught the child
his vicious habits; they are the har.
vest, The productions OF mind radi.
caliy and incurably bent on iniquisy..--
Alas how short does this answer fail
OF a masters duty He has not, il is
true, sown The evil ssei.; but he has
suffered them to grow; in other words.
he has MOI weeded them cut. fine
: child has been at all hours but those
devoted to labour, his owu masier-his
passions have formed his law, and no-
thing but personai incompsteney has
prevented eiriaduISence. When We see
30 many yawniuS ciusms Of iniqai ty,
both above ground aud under ground,
for the devotees of idieness 10 assemble
and become hardened 10 vice; go many
places where spirituous poisous are
sold, and Distributed at a price 30
cheap; when we further consider that
such temporary insanity leads to the
PerPetration Of every Thing else that
Is monstrOus and abominabie; when we
connect this startling fact with the
negligence and indifference, on the
part OF masters, to suffer their appren-
lices to run al largo: what can he ,rnec.