The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-02-25

of the widow and the tatherless, for such, anC
I even worse, was our condition. asked then
to say to father, when he was sober, that, al
: though l scarcely expected to see him again
in this world, freely torgavc all his ill-treat
ment to myself.
, worked hard and strove to please the cap
tain. l soon found that ploughing the sea wa:
: very different affair from ploughing the land
] had good constitution, and a cheerful TEN.
per. l had been taught, at all times, by my
mother, and by my poor, unhappy father also
till he became Incorporate, to put the fullest
confidence in the promises Of God. When
we arrived in China, though we had shipped
out and home,th voyage was broken up and
the ship sold The captain settled with the
crew to their entire satisfaction and shall
always be grateful for his kindness to me-
He got me voyage to England. | laid out
my wages, by his advice. l could not have
had a more shrcwd counsellor We had a
most boisterous voyage from Canton to Liver
pool; but, whenever | pulled rope,I always
pulled q little harder for the sake of my old
mother and sister Rachael. l had saved ev-
cry penny of my wages, that l could lay by,
and my investment in Canton turned out
far beyond my expectations. do not think
| was avarcious but felt it to be my duty,
under existing circumstances, to save my earn
ings for my honored mother. Nevertheless,
| felt myself authorized TO indulge in one lux
ury at least; so,upon my arrival at Liverpool
| went into the first bookstore and bought me
a pocket bible
Five years had now gone by, in which
had sailed many thousands Of miles, and visit
ed various corners Of the world. During this
period | had made larger sum fmoney than
l ever expected to possess at twenty-one be-
sides, having made some rcmttances to the
Squire, for my old mothers use, to whom |
wrote upon every convenient opportunity
They all came to hand, as | afterwards learn
ed, saving one,in gold, which went to the bot
tom with poor Tom johnson, who was lost at
sea. If was fortunate enough TO save my
hard earnings, just let me say, for the advan-
tage Of every brother sailor, that there are
four things which never did never suffer- |
ed glass of grog to go down my matches,
blow high or blow low; never rolled stink
ing weed, like n sweet morscl, under my
tongue never crossed hands with drunk
en- landlord, and | never bore away from a
poor fellow, whose hammock was harder than
my own.
My five years absence from home might
have extended to fifty, but for many recollec-
tons of my mother and sister, which became
more toreible from day to day. My rcmem-
brancc of my father was Of the most painful
character: the very recollection of his ten,
lerncss, in the days Of my childhood, which
often brought tears into my eyes, served only
% render the image Of cruel and degraded
parent more frighttul and revolving
had shipped, about this time, on board the
owlftsure, from London to Oporio One at-
4I,o r. |
ore the ship sailed, had strollcd over to the
south side OF the Thames, to look at the |
Kings dockyards at Depttold. As | was ram ,
ding among the docks, I received smart |
lap on the shoulder, and turning round, who ,
hap as ever broke bread, or wore a tarpaul- {
n. He was born in our village; had follow
ID the sea for nearly forty years and, once r
rived to find his way to the old spot, and {
pend few days in the valley where he was G
,orn Why, Bob" said he, Pm glad to a
ee you, my lad ; so you've taken leg bail of @
he old folks, and turned rover, in good ear i
lest ?" l told him hoped he didn't think | $
lad left my old mother to shrk for herselfin u
Ter old age. "Not a jot," replied the sailor, r
Squire Seely has told me the whole story, b
nd says he has put the sweat of your brow r
more than once or twice either, into the old u
ldys hand, and made her old weather beaten f
cart leap for joy,to hear you was so thought a
al lad. I saw your mother about year @
90, and your sister Rachael / shook old G
'om johnson by the hand ! could not re-
train my feelings for this was the first news h
had received from home for more than five "
ears. Come, Bob" said the old seaman, h
don't be opening your scruppcrs and max r
ne wry faces; though it blows hard enough C
ow, it may get to be calm weather after q h
inc" CLOVIS my father doing now % [ en- il
uired. "Why, as to that" answered Tom l.
ohnson, L" it's about Il twelve month since | |,
1as there. | told the old lady might cross
our hawse in some part of the world. She Fl
as rough time Of it, my boy. The old man G
olds on to mischief, like heavy kedgc in Il a
lay bottom. The temperance folks began, S
bout year ago, to scatter their seed in the h
illage, in the shape Of tracts and tales, and h
ewspapers. Some Of them were thrown at h
our fathers door, and at the door of old II
Deacon Flint, the distllcr There, as you 81
nay guess,the seed fell in stony places Your d
lther was in a great rage, and sworc he'd
boot the first person that left another of their
ascally publications before his door, / am Il
fraid it will be long while, my lad, before 81
nc temperance folks get the weather gage of o
ne rum-sellers and rum drinkers in Our vii n
lge. They have had a miserable seed time, y
nd the Devil and Deacon Flint, am rath- e
+ afraid, will have the best share of the har- d
est" n
AS Tom Johnson was to sail in about a h
eek for the United States, l sent by him G
Nv lines of comfort and a small remittance 81
II my mother. As l have already stated, q
ley never reached their place of destina- 4
Oh The Oronoke, of which Tom was first a
nate, foundered at sea, and the whole crew r.
erished O
After our arrival at Oporto, the crew of il
ne Swiftsurc were discharged and findings |,
.vorabc chance I shipped for Philadelph ii
here we arrived after an extremely short 81