the chap
to run away with a woman's heart, and that my eyes were not made for the
good of my soul, and such-like foolish and wicked talk. My weak head
could not stand the punch, nor my vain heart the flattery, and I was
soon regularly used up. Instead of having a dollar to take home to my
poor old mother, I found myself, in a few days, the second time
penniless; was forced to ship again; got back; the same scenes were
acted over; and here I am, the miserable wretch that you see me--light
in purse, sick in body, and tormented in mind; the past a curse, the
future despair.

TOM. Well, Jack, I must say, that your case is hard enough. But don't
despair, my boy. Many a poor fellow who has hung to a plank in mid-ocean
until he thought it was surely all over with him, has been picked up and
saved. The same kind Providence who has watched over us, and preserved
us in so many dangers, will not desert us. What we have to do is, to
turn from every evil way, and humbly trusting in the merits of Christ
our Saviour, look up to him for mercy, repent of all sin, and resolve,
in his strength, to fear and obey him in future. And I trust, Jack, that
all will yet be well with you; and I rejoice that I have wherewithal to
give you a lift towards fitting you out, and heading you off towards
your old mother.

JACK. A thousand thanks, Tom--a thousand thanks. "A friend in need is a
friend indeed." You have lightened my mind of a heavy cargo of care by
your kind offer, made with the frankness of a sailor, and which I must
gratefully accept. And now that I have finished my long and mournful
yarn, it is your turn; and to tell the truth, Tom, I am exceedingly
anxious to hear all about you. So heave ahead.

TOM. Well, Jack, here goes. You know when we left the Alert we had
plenty of rhino in our pockets. So I intended to steer straight for my
native village, in the state of Pennsylvania, where I had left my old
father and a sweet, dear little sister, three years before, to cheer
their hearts with a sight of their sailor-boy, and to make them
comfortable with the cash. Unfortunately, as I passed through
Philadelphia, I went with some wild fellows to the theatre--to so many
the gateway to hell--and having grog enough aboard to make me pretty
crank and foolish, I soon found myself in the third tier among the
painted fire-ships; and as the proverb says, "When the wine is in, the
wit is out," so I was led as the simple one of Scripture, "like an ox to