e, that this free expansion is not required by the
vast majority of boys, who are only far too ready and able to spread
themselves into "life" without any aid whatever. What is for one meat
may be for another poison, and mine was a very exceptional case, which
required very peculiar treatment.

My father had sold out his business in 1832 to Mr. Charles S. Boker, and
since then been principally engaged in real estate and stock speculation.
When I returned, he had bought a large property between Chestnut Market
and Third Streets, on which was a hotel called Congress Hall, with which
there were connected many historical associations, for most of the noted
men who for many years visited Philadelphia had lived in it. With it
were stables and other buildings, covering a great deal of ground in the
busiest portion of the city, but still not in its condition very
profitable. Then, again, he purchased the old Arch Street prison, a vast
gloomy pile, like four dead walls, a building nearly 400 feet square. It
was empty, and I went over it and into the cells many times. I remember
thinking of the misery and degradation of those who had been confined
there. The discipline had been bad enough, for the prisoners had been
allowed to herd freely together. My father tore it down, and built a
block of handsome dwelling-houses on its site. As the _trottoir_ or side-
walk was narrow, he, at a considerable loss to himself, made a present to
the city of a strip of land which left a wide pavement. I say "at a
loss," for had the houses been deeper they would have sold for much more.
The City Council graciously accepted the gift, with the special condition
that my father should pay all the expenses of the transfer! From which I
learned the lesson that in this life a man is quite as liable to suffer
from doing good as doing evil, unless he employs just as much foresight
or caution in the doing thereof. Some of the most deeply regretted acts
of my life, which have caused me most sincere and oft-renewed repentance,
were altogether and perfectly acts of generosity and goodness. The
simple truth of which is that a _gush_, no matter how sweet and pure the
water may be, generally displaces something. Many more buildings did my
father buy and sell, but committed withal the very serious error of never
buying a house as a permanent home or a country place, which he might
have easily done, and even to great profit, which error in the long-run
c