cold hand, but was too much moved to speak. "Oh! James, James," cried he in a broken voice, "pray for me, comfort me." James spoke kindly to him, but was too honest to give him false comfort, as is too often done by mistaken friends in these dreadful moments.

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James," said he, "I have been a bad master to you-you would have saved my soul and body, but I would not let you I have ruined my wife, my children, and my own soul. Take warning, oh, take warning by my miserable end," said he to his stupified companions; but none were able to attend to him but James, who bid him lift up his heart to God, and prayed heartily for him himself. "Oh!" said the dying man, it is too late, too late for me -but you have still time," said he, to the halfdrunken terrified crew around him. "Where is Jack?" Jack Brown came forward, but was too much frightened to speak. "O wretched boy!" said he, "I fear I shall have the ruin of thy soul, as well as my own, to answer for. Stop short!take warning-now, in the days of thy youth. O James, James, thou dost not pray for me. Death is dreadful to the wicked-Oh the sting of death to a guilty conscience!" Here he lifted up his ghastly eyes in speechless horror, grasped hard the hand of James, gave a deep hollow groan, and closed his eyes, never to open them but in an awful eternity.

This was death in all its horrors! The gay companions of his sinful pleasures could not stand the sight; all slunk away like guilty thieves from their late favourite friend-no one was left to assist him, but his two apprentices. Brown was not so hardened but that he shed many tears for his unhappy master; and even made some hasty resolutions of amendment, which were too soon forgotten.

While Brown stepped home to call the workmen to come and assist in removing their poor master,

James staid alone with the corpse, and employed those awful moments in indulging the most serious thoughts, and praying heartily to God, that so terrible a lesson might not be thrown away upon him; but that he might be enabled to live in a constant state of preparation for death. The resolutions he made at this moment, as they were not made in his own strength, but in an humble reliance on God's gracious help, were of use to him as long as he lived; and if ever he was for a moment tempted to say or do a wrong thing, the remembrance of his poor dying master's last agonies, and the dreadful words he uttered, always operated as an instant check upon him.

When Williams was buried, and his affairs came to be inquired into, they were found to be in a sad condition. His wife, indeed, was the less to be pitied, as she had contributed her full share to the common ruin. James, however, did pity her, and by his skill in accounts, his known honesty, and the trust the creditors put in his word, things came to be settled rather better than Mrs. Williams expected.

Both Brown and James were now within a month or two of being out of their time. The creditors, as was said before, employed James to settle his late master's accounts, which he did in a manner so creditable to his abilities and his honesty, that they proposed to him to take the shop himself. He assured them it was utterly out of his power, for want of money. As the creditors had not the least fear of being repaid, if it should please God to spare his life, they generously agreed among themselves, to advance him a small sum of money without any security but his bond; for this he was to pay a very reasonable interest, and to return the whole in a given number of years. James shed tears of gratitude at this testimony to his character, and could

hardly be prevailed on to accept their kindness, so great was his dread of being in debt.

He took the remainder of the lease from his mistress; and, in settling affairs with her, took care to make every thing as advantageous to her as possible. He never once allowed himself to think how unkind she had been to him; he only saw in her the needy widow of his deceased master, and the distressed mother of an infant family; and was heartily sorry it was not in his power to contribute to their support: it was not only James's duty, but his delight, to return good for evil-for he was a Christian.

James Stock was now, by the blessing of God on his own earnest endeavours, master of a considerable shop, and was respected by the whole town for his prudence, honesty, and piety. How he behaved in his new station, and also what befell his comrade Brown, must be the subject of another book; and I hope my readers will look forward with some impatience for some further account of this worthy young man. In the mean time, other apprentices will do well to follow so praise-worthy an example, and to remember, that the respectable master of a large shop and a profitable business, was raised to that creditable situation, without money, friends, or connexions, from the low beginning of a parish apprentice, by sobriety, industry, the fear of God, and an obedience to the divine principles of the Christian religion.

PART II.

The Apprentice turned Master.

THE first part of this history left off with the dreadful sudden death of Williams the idle shoemaker, who died in a drunken fit at the Greyhound.

It also shewed how James Stock, his faithful apprentice, by his honest and upright behaviour, so gained the love and respect of his late master's creditors, that they set him up in business, though he was not worth a shilling of his own-such is the power of a good character! And when we last parted from him, he had just got possession of his master's shop.

This sudden prosperity was a time of trial for James; who, as he was now become a creditable tradesman, I shall hereafter think proper to call Mr. James Stock. I say, this sudden rise in life was a time of trial; for we hardly know what we are ourselves, till we become our own masters. There is, indeed, always a reasonable hope that a good servant will not make a bad master, and that a faithful apprentice will prove an honest tradesman. But the heart of man is deceitful; and some folks, who seem to behave themselves while they are under subjection, no sooner get a little power, than their heads are turned, and they grow prouder than those who are gentlemen born. They forget at once that they were lately poor and dependent themselves, so that one would think that with their poverty they had lost their memory too. I have known some who had suffered most hardships in their early days, become the most hard and oppressive in their turn; so that they seem to forget that fine considerate reason which God gives to the children of Israel, why they should be merciful to their servants, "remembering," saith he, "that thou thyself wast a bondman."

He

Young Mr. Stock did not so forget himself. had, indeed, the only sure guard from falling into this error. It was not from any easiness in his natural disposition; for that only just serves to make folks good-natured when they are pleased, and patient when they have nothing to vex them.

James went upon higher ground. He brought his religion into all his actions; he did not give way to abusive language, because he knew it was a sin. He did not use his apprentices ill, because he knew he had himself a Master in heaven.

He knew he owed his present happy situation to the kindness of the creditors. But, did he grow easy and careless, because he knew he had such friends? No, indeed. He worked with double diligence, in order to get out of debt, and to let these friends see he did not abuse their kindness. Such behaviour as this is the greatest encouragement in the world to rich people to lend a little money. It creates friends, and it keeps them.

His shoes and boots were made in the best manner; this got him business: he set out with a rule to tell no lies, and deceive no customers; this secured his business. He had two reasons for not promising to send home goods, when he knew he should not be able to keep his word: the first, because he knew a lie was a sin; the next, because it was a folly. There is no credit sooner worn out than that which is gained by false pretences. After a little while, no one is deceived by them. Falsehood is so soon detected, that I believe most tradesmen are the poorer for it in the long run. is the worst part of a shopkeeper's stock-in-trade.

Deceit

James was now at the head of a family. This is a serious situation, said he to himself, one fine summer's evening, as he stood leaning over the halfdoor of his shop, to enjoy a little fresh air; I am now master of a family. My cares are doubled, and so are my duties. I see, the higher one gets in life, the more one has to answer for. Let me now call to mind the sorrow I used to feel, when I was made to carry work home on a Sunday by an ungodly master; and let me now keep the resolutions I then formed.