God has given thee grace to prevent the evil, which might, through my neglect, have befallen thee, the praise be to his mercy. I am fully satisfied in what you have done; and if your master speaks of it to you, as I suppose he will, I would have you tell him the whole truth, as you now do to me; and if he dislikes you for it, offer to go back to your father; and, if he consents, I shall as gladly take you from him, as I received you from God when you were born."

The child encouraged by a father thus to deal plainly with his master, and being a lad very ready of speech, though modest in his behaviour, resolves, the first occasion his master should give him, to do it effectually; which his master not failing to do the same evening, produced the following discourse between them.

The youth, it seems, had been over at the good people's house, as usual during their family-worship, and coming in about nine o'clock at night, his master begins with him thus:

Mast. Thomas, where are you?

Tom. Here, Sir.

Mast. Have you been abroad to night?

Tom. A little, Sir.

Mast. How long have you been out?

Tom. Not above half an hour, Sir, at most.

Mast. Where have you been?

Tom. I have been no farther than at Mr.

the way.

over

Mast. Well, but, Thomas, I must talk with you a little. I have observed it, and others have observed it here in the house, that your conduct is altered very much from what it used to be, and you seem dull and melancholy. I must know what is the matter with you. If you do not like your business, tell me honestly, Thomas, though you are bound, I will not keep you against your will. I have a respect for you, and for your father, and I won't force your inclination; if you are willing to go, Thomas, you shall;

and therefore I would have you speak plainly what it is you dislike the trade for?

Tom. No, Sir, I don't dislike the trade at all; but if you please to let me go, I shall be very—

[Here his master interrupts him.]

Mast. Well, Thomas, but I am willing to know what the reason is too. What do you dislike?

your master?

Do you dislike

Tom. No, Sir, not in the least, I assure you; I have no reason for it.

Mast. What then? Has any body in the house ill used you?

Tom. No, indeed, Sir.

Mast. What then?

Tom. Nothing, but if you think fit to let me

Mast. No, Thomas, never without a reason for it; that would be to have some other reasons given afterwards for it; which are not true.

Tom. If you think so, Sir, I am very willing to stay, and do my business.

Mast. Well, Thomas, but whether you go or stay, I must know the cause of your discontent.

Tom. I'll be better contented, Sir, than I have been, if I can, rather than displease you.

Mast. No, Thomas, that won't satisfy me, neither; for I have some discontents as well as you, Thomas; and if you stay with me, you must remove my discontents, as well as your own.

Tom. I shall be very willing to remove any discontents you have, Sir, if I can; I hope I do not neglect your bu siness, Sir.

Mast. I do not say my business is neglected; but you' take the liberty to go out, and stay out so very often, which makes me uneasy; I must be a little satisfied, Thomas, about that.

Tom. Sir, you were pleased to tell us, when I was first bound, that if we were in the warehouse at such and such

times, when your business required, you cared not whither we went at any other times; and I never have failed your business, Sir, nor your hours.

Mast. But you are out at unseasonable hours, Thomas, and that is not of good reputation to yourself.

Tom. I thought, Sir, you did not regard that, when you left us so entirely to ourselves. If it is offensive to you I will refrain it, though I should be very sorry to be restrained.

Mast. But I must know the occasion of it, as well as of your apparent dissatisfaction also, Thomas. Sure you may be free with me. Come, let me know the truth.

Tom. You will perhaps be displeased with me, Sir, if 1 tell you the truth, or think I do not.

Mast. If that truth be justifiable, why should I be displeased? If not, why should I not be displeased.

Tom. There may be reason for your displeasure, though the thing be justifiable.

Mast. Let the thing then appear to be justifiable first; and, if I am unreasonable, we shall talk of that afterwards. If you can justify the thing itself, why should you be back

ward to let me know it?

Tom. Sir, as you are my master, and I am your servant, I was bound to give you an account of my time; but the liberty you gave all your servants to go where they pleased, provided they were at home, at such and such times, has sufficiently, as I conceived, justified my being abroad, even without giving an account.

Mast, But I did not take from myself the liberty of in quiring whither you went, or of altering that licence I had given, if I saw it abused; and since you have taken the liberty, and refuse to give me a reasonable account of it, I now recal it, and expect you to be found always at home, unless I give you leave.

Tom. As I took only the liberty you gave, Sir, I shall exactly obey you in the restraint, however hard I may think it.

Mast. But there are some other reasons why I ought to insist upon knowing where you have been, and how you have spent your time at the hours you have been missing; and I think it concerns your reputation to have me satisfied.

Tom. Whether it concerns my character or not, Sir, if you command it, I think it my duty to obey you. I avoided it only that you might not be displeased with

me.

Mast. Since you choose to obey it as my command, råther than comply with it as my request, you must be gratified then by telling you, I do demand an account of it.

Tom. Sir, all the time I have spent out of your house, or out of your business, except only the times I have asked you leave to see my father, has been over the way at Mr. -'s the clothier.

Mast. What, is it there you have gone in the morning before day?

Tom. Yes, Sir.

Mast. What can the meaning of that be? Sure you bave earnest business there; and I suppose it must be something he or his wife was not to know, that required you to be there with his servants every day before their master or mistress was up.

Tom. I have told you nothing, Sir, but the truth.

Mast. Well, I shall inquire nothing of your business, know my neighbour is a good man, and it is his business to look after his servants. I shall give him notice to do so. In the mean time, I shall acquaint your father of your practice, and let him inquire after it; it is no business of mine. I don't trouble myself with what courses you take; but while you are with me, I expect you will attend your business.

Tom. I must obey you, Sir, though I think it hard. If you will not dismiss me from your business, it must be as it pleases God.

[The master goes out and leaves him. The boy's father,

being impatient to know what would pass in the conference, was come to the house, though late. The master finds him waiting for him, and begins warmly.]

Mast. How do you, Sir? I doubt I have no very good news to tell you.

Fath. About what, Sir?

Mast. About your son. He and I have had a little brush this evening.

Fath. I am sorry for that. I hope he does not misbehave himself, or neglect his business.

Mast. I can't say much for that; but, as I told you formerly, he has gotten some ill haunts among our neighbour's servants; and he is out with them every night and morning, nay, in the morning before day, and every Sabbath day after sermon. I see nothing of him, at least for that night; and I can get nothing of him; but if I talk a little to him, he is for going away, and coming back to you again.

Fath. What can his business be before day?

Mast. Nay, I have nothing to do with that; take him to task about it yourself; it is your business; he is your son, he is none of mine; you said you would talk with him before.

Fath. But, Sir, though he be my son, yet he is your servant. Though I did talk a little with him, yet I said the less, because I cannot be of your opinion, that you have nothing to do with it. Is he not entirely under your government?

Mast. Aye, as to business, I have the government of him indeed; and I am to teach him his trade, and to see that he does my business; and so I will, while he stays with me. What can I do further?

1

Fath. But, Sir, as I put him apprentice to you, I com mitted him to your government entirely, soul and body. I hope you have some little concern for your servants, besides just their doing their business.

Mast, Why, what can I do more than restrain them, if