Weeps by the cocoa tree, And my young children leave their play, "I take thy gold-but I have made 8 His heart was broken-crazed his brain,— EXERCISE 37. Riches of a Poor Barber.-EDINburgh Paper. Conscientious regard to the Sabbath, providentially rewarded. In the city of Bath, during the last century, lived a barber, who made a practice of following his ordinary occupation on the Lord's day. As he was pursuing his morning's employment, he happened to look into some 5 place of worship, just as the minister was giving out his text, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." He listened long enough to be convinced that he was constantly breaking the laws of God and man, by shaving and dressing his customers on the Lord's day. He 10 became uneasy, and went with a heavy heart to his sabbath task. At length he took courage, and opened his mind to the minister, who advised him to give up sabbath dressing, and worship God. He replied, beggary would be the consequence. He had a flour 15 ishing trade, but it would almost all be lost. At length, after many a sleepless night spent in weeping and praying, he was determined to cast all his care upon God, as the more he reflected the more his duty became apparent. He discontinued sabbath dressing, went constantly and 20 early to the public services of religion, and soon enjoyed that satisfaction of mind which is one of the rewards of doing our duty, and that peace of God which the world can neither give nor take away. The consequences he foresaw actually followed. His genteel customers left 25 him, and he was nicknamed a Puritan or Methodist. He was obliged to give up his fashionable shop, and in the course of years became so reduced, as to take a cellar under the old market-house, and shave the common people. 30 One Saturday evening, between light and dark, a stran ger from one of the coaches, asking for a barber, was directed by the ostler, to the cellar opposite. Coming in hastily, he requested to be shaved quickly, while they changed horses, as he did not like to violate the Sabbath. 85 This was touching the barber on a tender chord.-He burst into tears-asked the stranger to lend him a halfpenny to buy a candle, as it was not light enough to shave him with safety. He did so, revolving in his mind the extreme poverty to which the poor man must 40 be reduced. When shaved, he said, "There must be something extraordinary in your history, which I have not now time to hear. Here is half a crown for you. When I return, I will call and investigate your case. What is your name?" "William Reed," said the as45 tonished barber. "William Reed!" echoed the stranger: “William Reed; by your dialect you are from the west?" Yes, sir! from Kingston, near__Taunton!" William Reed, from Kingston, near Taunton! What was your father's name?" "Thomas. Had he any 50 brother?" Yes, sir; one after whom I was named; but he went to the Indies, and as we never heard from him we supposed him to be dead." Come along, follow me," said the stranger, "I am going to see a person who says his name is William Reed, of Kingston, near Taun55 ton. Come and confront him. If you prove to be indeed he who you say you are, I have glorious news for Your uncle is dead, and has left an immense fortune, which I will put you in possession of, when all legal debts are removed." you. 66 60 They went by the coach-saw the pretended William Reed, and proved him to be an imposter. The stranger, who was a pious attorney, was soon legally satisfied of the barber's identity, and told him that he had advertised him in vain. Providence had now thrown him 65 in his way, in a most extraordinary manner, and he had much pleasure in transferring a great many thousand pounds to a worthy man the rightful heir of the property. Thus was man's extremity, God's opportunity. Had the poor barber possessed one half-penny, or even 70 had credit for a candle, he might have remained unknown for years; but he trusted God, who never said, Seek ye my face in vain.” 66 EXERCISE 38. Burning of the Fame and escape of the Passengers. "We embarked on the 2d inst. and sailed at daylight for England, from the E. Indies, with every prospect of a quick and comfortable passage. The ship was every thing we could wish; and having closed my charge 5 here, much to my satisfaction, it was one of the happiest days of my life. We were, perhaps, too happy; for in the evening came a sad reverse. Sophia had just gone to bed, and I had thrown off half my clothes, when a cry of fìre! fìre!—roused us from our calm content, and in 10 five minutes the whole ship was in flames! I ran to examine whence the flames principally issued, and found that the fire had its origin immediately under our cabin. () Down with the boats!-Where is Sophia? Here -The children? Here.-A rope to the side! Lower 15 Lady Raffles. Give her to me, says one. I'll take her, says the Captain. Throw the gunpowder overboard. It cannot be got at; it is in the magazine, close to the fire. Stand clear of the powder. Skuttle the water casks!— Water! Water!-Where's Sir Stamford? Come into the 20 boat; Nílson! Nilson!-come into the boat. Push off, push off. Stand clear of the after part of the ship. () All this passed much quicker than I can write it. We pushed off, and as we did so, the flames burst out of our cabin window, and the whole after part of the ship was in flames. The masts and sails not taking fire, we moved to a distance sufficient to avoid the immediate explosion; but the flames were coming out of the main hatchway; and seeing the rest of the crew, with the 25 captain, still on board, we pulled back to her under the bows, so as to be more distant from the powder. As we approached, we perceived that the people on board were getting into another boat on the opposite side. She pushed off; we hailed her; have you all on board? 30 Yes, all, save one. Who is he? Johnson, sick in his cot. Can we save him? Nò, impòssible. The flames were issuing from the hatchway. At this moment, the poor fellow, scorched, I imagine, by the flames, roared out most lustily, having run upon the deck. I will go 35 for him, says the captain. The two boats then came together, and we took out some of the persons from the captain's boat, which was overladen. He then pulled under the bowsprit of the ship, and picked the poor fellow up. Are you all safe? Yes, we have got the 40 man: all lives safe. Pull off from the ship. Keep your eye on the star, Sir Stamford. There's one scarcely visible. We then hauled close to each other, and found the captain fortunately had a compass, but we had no light 45 except from the ship. Our distance from Bencoolen, we estimated to be about fifty miles, in a southwest direction. There being no landing place to the southward of Bencoolen, our only chance was to regain that port. The captain then undertook to lead, and we to follow, 50 in a N. N. E. course, as well as we could: no chance, no possibility being left, that we could again approach the ship; for she was now one splendid flame, fore and aft, and aloft, her masts and sails in a blaze, and rocking to and fro, threatening to fall in an instant. 55 There goes her mizzen-mast; pull away my boys; there goes the gunpowder. Thank God! thank God! You may judge of our situation without further particulars. The alarm was given at about twenty minutes past eight, and in less than ten minutes she was in 60 flames. There was not a soul on board at half past eight, and in less than ten minutes afterwards she was one grand mass of fire. My only apprehension was the want of boats to hold the people, as there was not time to have got out the long boat, or to make a raft. All we had to rely upon were two small quarter-boats, which fortunately were lowered without accident; and in these two, small, open 65 boats, without a drop of water or grain of food, or a rag of covering, except what we happened at the moment to have on our backs, we embarked on the ocean, thankful to God for his mercies! Poor Sophia, having been taken out of her bed, had nothing on but her wrapper; 70 neither shoes nor stockings. The children just as tak en out of bed, whence one had been snatched after the flames had attacked it. In short, there was not time for any one to think of more than two things. Can the ship be saved?-Nò. Let us save ourselves then. 75 else was swallowed up in one grand ruin. All To make the best of our misfortune, we availed ourselves of the light from the ship to steer a tolerably good course towards the shore. She continued to burn till about midnight, when the saltpetre, which she had 80 on board, took fire, and sent up one of the most splendid and brilliant flames that ever was seen, illuminating the horizon in every direction, to an extent not less than fifty miles, and casting that kind of blue light over us, which is of all others most horrible. She burnt and 85 continued in flame, in this style, for about an hour or two, when we lost sight of the object in clouds of smoke. Neither Nilson nor Mr. Bell, our medical friend, who had accompanied us, had saved their coats; but the tail of mine, with a pocket handkerchief, served to 90 keep Sophia's feet warm, and we made breeches for the children with our neck cloths. Rain now came on, but fortunately it was not of long continuance, and we got dry again. The night became serene and star light. We were now certain of our course, and the men be95 haved manfully; they rowed incessantly, and with good heart and spirit; and never did poor mortals look out more for day light and for land, than we did. Not that our sufferings or grounds of complaint were any thing to what has often befallen others; but from So100 phia's delicate health, as well as my own, and the stormy nature of our coast, I felt perfectly convinced that we were unable to undergo starvation, and exposure to sun and weather many days; and aware of the rapidity |