XXII.-Willy goes to the Farmer's XXIII.-Agnes becomes School Mistress THE RECLAIMED FAMILY. ་་ CHAPTER I. Large bounties to bestow we wish in vain, THE FRUITS OF DRUNKENNESS. DAVID SMITH, a bricklayer, resided with his wife and family in one of the most populous parishes in London. He was an expert workman, consequently never without employment; and he gained by his calling about five or six shillings a-day, a sum which would have made him and his family comfortable, had it been properly laid out. But, unfortunately, the bricklayer no sooner received his weekly wages on a Saturday night, than he and his wife (who in all things was his helpmate) sought the public house, and seldom left it till a great part of his week's earnings was gone. Their Sundays, and even Mondays were generally spent in the same place, so B that when Tuesday morning came round, David Smith, with a head-ache, and not unfrequently a hungry stomach, recommenced the labours of the week, and again at its close, spent the produce of his labour as unprofitably and improvidently as before. His children in the mean time were neglected; they were neither fed, nor clothed, nor instructed. They had no ideas beyond those of their animal wants. When they felt cold, they would creep under an old blanket which covered a heap of straw, and which served them for a bed; when hungry, they would cry for food, which their wretched mother often had not to give them. Mrs. Smith had been brought up by her mother, in the same way that she herself was bringing up her children therefore, being ignorant herself, she had no idea of instructing them. Thus, ignorance, like the fire of the ancient Persians, was perpetuated and kept up, from generation to generation. As knowledge is said to be power, so is ignorance weakness. This unhappy and unfortunate bricklayer had four children, the eldest of whom was a girl. She had counted eight summers, and did not know the difference between A and B. Being an intelligent looking child, with a mild and thoughtful turn of countenance, a lady, residing in the neighbourhood, took a fancy to her, and sent her to school, where she was taught to read and write, mend her clothes, and understand something of figures. |