KNOWS ITS OWN FATHER."

My readers must not expect me to tell them much of what passed during
the first four years of my existence. I have a recollection of a deal
board put at the door of our house, which opened into Fisher's Alley, to
prevent me, and afterwards my sister, from crawling out. Fisher's Alley
is a very narrow street, and what was said in a room on one side of it
can be heard on the other, and I used to hang over the board and listen:
there were drunken men and drunken women, and occasionally scolding and
fighting. My mother, having made up her mind to be saving, had taken a
lease of the house and furnished it; and every day I heard her saying at
the door, "Walk in, gentlemen; I've a nice clean room and boiling hot
water"--for the seamen used to come in to take tea, drink, and smoke;
and so did the old pensioners occasionally, for my mother had made
acquaintance with several of them. I was always very ragged and dirty,
for my mother neglected and ill-treated me; as soon as my sister was
born she turned all her affections over to Virginia, who was always very
much petted, well dressed, and a very beautiful child.

All this I recollect, but little more, except that my mother gave me
several beatings for calling my sister "Jenny," which I had learnt to do
from others who knew her; but when my mother heard them, she was always
very angry, and told them that her child had not such a vulgar name: at
which many would laugh, and make a point of calling out "Jenny" to
Virginia whenever they passed and saw her at the door. When I was a
little more than four years old I would climb over the board, for I had
no pleasure at home. As I grew older, I used to hasten down to the
landing-steps on the beach, where the new inn called the Trafalgar now
stands, and watch the tide as it receded, and pick up anything I could
find, such as bits of wood and oakum; and I would wonder at the ships
which lay in the stream, and the vessels sailing up and down. I would
sometimes remain out late to look at the moon and the lights on board of
the vessels passing; and then I would turn my eyes to the stars, and
repeat the lines which I had heard my mother teach little Virginia to
lisp:--

"Pretty little twinkling star,
How I wonder what you are;
All above the earth so high,
Like a diamond in the sky."

and when I did stay out late I was sure of having no supper, and very
often a good beating; and then Virginia would wak