ftructions, his voice entirely failed him, his limbs grew cold and stiff, and in a few minutes he expired without a groan. Little Jack, who hung crying over his daddy, called upon him in vain, in vain endeavoured to revive him. At length he pulled off his cloaths, went into his daddy's bed, and endeavoured for many hours to animate him with the warmth of his own body; but finding all his endeavours fruitlefs, he concluded that he was indeed dead; and therefore, weeping bitterly, he dreft himself, and went to the village as he had been ordered. The poor little boy was thus left entirely deftitute and knew not what to do; but one of the farmers, who had been acquainted with him before, offered to take him into his house, and give him his victuals, for a few months, till he could find a fervice. Jack thankfully accepted the offer, and ferved him faithfully for feveral months; during which time he learned 'to milk, to drive the plough, and never refused any kind of work he was able to perform. But, by ill luck, this good-natured farmer contracted a fever, by over-heating himself in the harveft, and died in the beginning of winter. His wife was therefore obliged to discharge her fervants, and Jack was again turned loose upon the world, with only his cloaths, and a fhilling in his pocket, which his kind miftrefs had made him a prefent of. of. He was very forry for the lofs of his master; but he was now grown bigger and stronger, and thought he should easily find employment. He therefore fet out upon his travels, walking all day, and inquiring at every farm-house for work. But in this attempt he was unfortunate, for nobody chose to employ a ftranger: and though he lived with the greatest economy, he foon found himself in a worse fituation than ever, without a farthing in his pocket, or a morfel of bread to eat. Jack, however, was not of a temper to be easily caft down; he walked refolutely on all day, but towards evening was overtaken by a violent storm of rain, which wetted him to the fkin before he could find a bush for shelter. Now, poor Jack began to think of his old daddy, and the comforts he had formerly enjoyed upon the common, where he had always a roof to shelter him, and a flice of bread for fupper. But tears and lamentations were vain; and therefore, as foon as the ftorm was over, he purfued his journey, in hopes of finding fome barn or out-house to creep into for the reft of the night. While he was thus wandering about, he faw at fome distance a great light, which feemed to come from fome prodigious fire. Jack did not know what this could be ; but, in his prefent fituation, he thought a fire no difagreeable object, and therefore determined to ; approach approach it. When he came nearer, he saw a large building which feemed to fpout fire andfmoke at feveral openings, and heard an inceffant noise of blows, and the rattling of chains. Jack was at first a little frightened, but fummoning all his courage, he crept cautiously on to the building, and looking through a chink, difcovered fe veral men and boys employed in blowing fires and hammering burning masses of iron. This was a very comfortable fight to him in his present forlorn condition; fo finding a door half open, he ventured in, and placed himself as near as he dared to one of the flaming furnaces. It was not long before he was discovered by one of the workmen, who afked him, roughly, what bafinefs he had there? Jack answered, with great humility, that he was a poor boy, looking out for work; that that he had had no food all day, and was wet to the skin with the rain, which was evident enough. from the appearance of his cloaths. By great good luck, the man he spoke to was good-natured, and therefore not only permitted him to stay by the fire, but gave him fome broken victuals for his fupper. After this, he laid himself down in a corner, and slept without disturbance till morning. He was scarcely awake the next day, when the master of the forge came in to overlook his men, who finding Jack, and hearing his story, began to reproach him as a lazy vagabond, and asked him why he did not work for his living. Jack affured him there was nothing he fo earnestly defired, and that if he would please to employ him, there was nothing he would not do to earn a 1711 mehow faid the motor if this submitence. Voll, they way, laid uit mailer, - is true, you shall foon be tried; nobody need be idle here; fo calling his foreman, he ordered him to fet that lad to work, and pay him in proportion to his deferts. Jack now thought himself completely happy, and worked with fo much affiduity, that he foon gained a comfortable liveli hood, and acquired the esteem of his master. But unfortunately, he was a little too unreferved in his converfation, and communicated the ftory of his former life and education. This was great matter of diversion to all the other boys of the forge; forge; who, whenever they were inclined to be merry, would call him little Jack the beggar-boy, and imitate the baaing of a goat. This was too much for his irafcible temper, and he never failed to refent it; by which means he was engaged in continual quarrels and combats, to the great difturbance of the houfe; fo that his mafter, though in other respects perfectly fatisfied with his behaviour, began to fear that he fhould at last be obliged to discharge him. It happened one day, that a large company of gentlemen and ladies were introduced to fee the works. The mafter attended them, and explain ed, with great politeness, every part of his manufacture. They viewed with astonishment the different methods by which that useful and neceffary ore of iron is rendered fit for human ufe. They ex |