be able to sit on a horse and drive all day long; and when Captain W.,
pleased with the boy's bright face and prompt motions, sought to enlist
him as one of his drivers, he found a delighted listener. "If he could
only persuade mother, there was nothing like it." For many nights after
the matter was proposed, Mary only cried; and all Fred's eloquence, and
his brave promises of never doing any thing wrong, and being the best of
all supposable boys, were insufficient to console her.

Every time she looked at the neat, pure little bed, beside her own, that
bed hallowed by so many prayers, and saw her boy, with his glowing
cheeks and long and dark lashes, sleeping so innocently and trustfully,
her heart died within her, as she thought of a dirty berth on the canal
boat, and rough boatmen, swearing, chewing tobacco, and drinking; and
should she take her darling from her bosom and throw him out among
these? Ah, happy mother! look at your little son of ten years, and ask
yourself, if you were obliged to do this, should you not tremble! Give
God thanks, therefore, you can hold your child to your heart till he is
old enough to breast the dark wave of life. The poor must throw them in,
to sink or swim, as happens. Not for ease--not for freedom from
care--not for commodious house and fine furniture, and all that
competence gives, should you thank God so much as for this, that you are
able to shelter, guide, restrain, and educate the helpless years of your
children.

Mary yielded at last to that master who can subdue all wills--necessity.
Sorrowfully, yet with hope in God, she made up the little package for
her boy, and communicated to him with renewed minuteness her parting
counsels and instructions. Fred was bright and full of hope. He was sure
of the great point about which his mother's anxiety clustered--he should
be a good boy, he knew he should; he never should swear; he never should
touch a drop of spirits, no matter who asked him--that he was sure of.
Then he liked horses so much: he should ride all day and never get
tired, and he would come back and bring her some money; and so the boy
and his mother parted.

Physical want or hardship is not the great thing which a mother need
dread for her child in our country. There is scarce any situation in
America where a child would not receive, as a matter of course, good
food and shelter; nor is he often overworked. In these respects a
general spirit of good nature is perceptibl