Delaware patriot & American watchman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1828, 1828-02-19

read. cannot boast much OF my acquisitions at
this school they consisted merely of the contents (
Of the .Chds Spelling Book y but, from my
mother, who had stored mp the literature Of
country town, which. about half 4 century ago, |,
amounted 10 little more tlan what was dissent I
mated BY itlnclai.t ballad singers, or ratipr rea
ders. had acquired much cutions knowledge OF
Catskn. and the Golden Bull, and the Bloody
Gardner and many oiaer histories equally inStruc
tive and amusing.
Nv father returned from sea in 1864. Ee had
been at the SIEGE Of Havana: aud thouah he had
received more than an hursed pounds ior uriyc I
nancy, and his waves considerable. set rs lie
had mt acquired anr strIc; habits OF ECONOMY. he t
brought home hnt a tnllln@ sun. The little pro-
prrty yet lett wa, therefore tulied into money. d
trlfle more vas gol by agreeing 70 remove all lu !
ture pieenslons 10 an estate a. i0nesS, and with
THIS my ather set npa second tune as giaAer and
house painter | was now about eight wears old, i
and was put to The ilec school, (kcp by Hugh Smer-
doE) to learn TO read aud write ana c, pher. Here
continued about three Years, making most |
wtetCbed progress, when my father FELL SICK, and
died. lie had not acquitted Misd0m from his mis-
fortunes, but continued wasting his t,mc unprof
table pursuits, to the great detrimcn Of his bust
ness. lie loved drink Tor the sake OF sGciey, and
to this love he fell a MARTYR, dying OF decayed
and ruined constitution before ne was forty. The
town people thought him shrewd and sensible
man aud regretted his death. As fur me never
greatly loved him; ! had not grown up with hin
and he was TOO prone to repnlse nv little advances
to him with coIdDess. or anger. Tic had. certainly
some reason to be displeascd with ne for learned
little at school. and nothing at hume. though he
would now aud then attempt to give me scme IN
sight INTO the business. As impressions Of any kind
are not very strong at tile aye Of eleven twelve,
| did not long feel his loss nor was il subject Of
much sorrow to me that my mother was doubtful
/ Of her ability to continue Inc at schnol though
! had by this time acquired love Tor reading.
never knew il what circumstances aothar
was left: most probably they were inadequate TO
her support, without some kind Of eyerton. espe-
4 cially she was burthenad with a second child,
about SIX or eight montI, old. Unfortunately she
determined to prosecute my fathers business. Tor
which purpose she engaged a couple If journey
men, who, finding her ignorant OF every at OF It,
wasted her property and ernbezzed he money.
What the consequence OF this double fraud would
have been there is no opportunity of knowing. az,
! in somewhat less than twelvemonth, my pcor
mother followed my father to the grave. She was
an excellent woman bore my fathers infrmtles
with patience and good humor, loved her children
dearly, and died AZ last exhausted with anxiety
and grief more on their account than on her own.
i | was not quite thirteen when this happened;
my little brother was hardly two; and we had not
a relation or friend in the world. Every thing
that was left was seized by person Of the name
Of c. for money advanced to my father. 1t
may be supposed that could not dispute the JUS
tice Of his CLAIMS. and as no else intclterel.
he was suffered to do as he liked. Ny little broth
err was sent to the alns-h0use. whittier his nurse
followed him out Of pure affection. and was ia
ken to the house Of the person ! have Just men
toned. who was, also my godfather. Respect Tor
the opinion Of the town (Which. whether correct
or not. was that he had repaid himself BY the sale
Of my mothers ehects) induced him again 10 send
n ls,
I FORE and more successful. grew fond OF arih
I metic. and my master began TO distinguish me !;
but these golden DAYS in less than three
months.--t ----- sickcned at the expense, and, as
c the people were now indifferent to my fate, he
looked round for an opportunity OF rlading him.
: self of useless charge. He had previously en-
n deayorcd to engage me in the druJgery OF hus
bandry. drove the plough for one day to crafty
S him. but left it with firm determination to do
SO no more, and in despite OF his threats adhered
to my determination. In this was guided no
n less BY necessity than will. During my fathers
o life, in attempting to Chamber up table. bad
h fallen back ward aud drawn it after ne; its edge
is fell upon nv breast. and never recovered the ef
y feet Of the blow, of which am now made extreme
d ~ sensible any extraordinary occasion plough
d ing was therefore out Of the question and, as
h have already said, utterly refused to follow it.
h AS could write and cypher las the phrase is
o C next thought OF sending me to Newfound
land to assstin storehousc. For this purpose he
S negotiated with MIR Iioldeswo,thy Of Dart
a mouth who agreed to fit me out left Ash5urtot
o with little expectation of seeing il again, and in
a deed with little care. aud rode with my godfather
e to the dwelling of Mr.. Holdesworhy. On seeing
me. this great man observed, with look Of pity
n and contempt, that was :. too SMALL and sen
e me away sufficiently mortified. ! expected to b.
very ill received by my godfather, but he salt
), nothing. He did not, however, choose to take ms
back himself, but sent me in the passage boat to
Totness, from whncee was to walk home. On th'