ave; "still, it is strange that he did not do
something."

"It was very strange, sir,--at least, so it appeared at the time, but he
was very fond of money, and irritated at the reports and observations
which were made about him. But, to go on, sir, I was a strong, hardy
boy, and, whenever I could escape from my mother or school, was always
found by the water-side or on board of the vessels. In the summer-time
I was half the day in water, and was a very good swimmer. My mother
perceived my fondness for the profession, and tried all she could to
divert my thoughts some other way. She told me of the dangers and
hardships which sailors went through, and always ended with my father's
death and a flood of tears.

"We certainly are of a perverse nature, as I have often heard the
clergyman say, for it appears to me that we always wish to do that which
we are told not to do. If my mother had not been always persuading me
against going to sea, I really believe I might have stayed at home.
I've often thought since, how selfish and unfeeling I must have been. I
was too young to know what pain I was giving my mother, and how anxiety
was preying upon her, all on my account. Children cannot feel it; if
they did, they would do otherwise, for our hearts are seldom hard until
we grow older."

"I agree with you, Ready," said Mr Seagrave. "If children really knew
how much their parents suffer when they behave ill, how alarmed they are
at any proofs of wickedness in them, they would be much better."

"We never find that out, sir, till it is too late," continued Ready.
"Well, sir, I was little more than nine years old, when, on a very windy
day, and the water rough, a hawser, by which a vessel was fast to the
wharf, was carried away with a violent jerk, and the broken part, as it
flew out, struck a person who was at the edge of the wharf, and knocked
him into the sea. I heard the crying out, and the men from the wharf
and from the ships were throwing ropes to him, but he could not catch
hold of them; indeed, he could not swim well, and the water was rough.
I caught a rope that had been hauled in again, and leapt off the wharf.

"Young as I was, I swam like a duck, and put the rope into his hands
just as he was going down. He clung to it as drowning men only can
cling, and was hauled to the piles, and soon afterwards a boat, which
had been lowered from the stern of one of the vessels, picked us both
up. We were taken to a publ