37 CHAP. IV. JOHN HOWARD. Louisa. EVENING is come, mamma, and Henry and myself are quite ready for another account. Mamma. Well, then, I will give you a few particulars of the Christian Philanthropist, as he is sometimes termed. Louisa. Who do you mean, mamma? -what do you mean by philanthropist? Mamma. A person who devotes his time and property to benevolent purposes, in mitigating the sufferings and promoting the happiness of his fellow-creatures, is rightly designated a philanthropist. Philanthropy means love of mankind. E I alluded to John Howard, the indefatigable friend of the poor and unfortunate, when I used the words "Christian Philanthropist," which may, with the greatest propriety, be applied to this excellent man; who spent his whole life in visiting the prisoner, the sick, and the destitute, not only in his own country, but throughout Europe. Louisa, Thank you, mamma, I think I shall like this account very much. Will you please to tell us where and when Howard lived? Mamma. John Howard was born at the well-known village of Clapton, in the year 1727. When quite an infant he was sent to Cardington, near Bedford, to be nursed by a cottager residing there upon a small farm, which was all the property his father ever possessed in that village, afterwards so celebrated as the favourite residence of his son. Henry. Then did his mother die when he was young? Mamma. Yes: and the care of his education consequently devolved upon strangers, as his father's time was fully occupied in business. When he left the rural habitation, where his infantine hours had passed away in many an innocent pastime, he was sent to a school kept by a person of the name of Worsley, at Hertford; and afterwards to another academy of a superior description, in London, where, though he made but inconsiderable progress in his learning, he imbibed those principles of religion, which continued with him steady and uniform through life: and, as the dawn of youth is an important era in the history of every man's mind and character, I will relate an anecdote, which shows at what an early age benevolent feelings actuated the mind of Howard. Louisa. Do, if you please, dear mamma. Mamma. His father died while he was quite a boy; and, as he was even at that time remarkable for prudence and discretion, his guardians entrusted a considerable part of the management of the estate, to which he was the sole heir, to his immediate oversight, and allowed him to superintend the masons and work-people who were employed in making some repairs in the house at Clapton. He went there for this purpose every other day; and a venerable old man, who had been gardener to his father for many years, would, when he had attained the age of ninety years, take great pleasure in relating, as an instance of his young maśter's punctuality and kindness of disposition, that he never failed to be at the long buttressed wall, which separated the garden from the road, just as the baker's cart was going past; when he would purchase a loaf, throw it over the wall, and, on entering the garden, good-humouredly say: "Harry, look among the cabbages, and you will find something for your family." Louisa. I like this anecdote extremely, mamma. Mamma. I thought you would; and, indeed, it is very interesting, as affording the first traces of youthful benevolence, in a character, which, at a more advanced period of life, became the admiration of the world. As very little relating to Howard's childhood is left on record, I must conclude my history with a few beautiful lines by Dr. Aikin, written on the occasion of his death: "Howard, thy task is done! thy master calls, To walk the paths of danger by thy side, From death to shield thee, and thro' snares to guide. And shot through dungeon glooms a leading ray, |