e to our skipper here. But it pretty nigh broke her heart
to part with the child; and she begged the captain to use him gently
and bear with him a little, for he was not so hardy as many boys of
his age; and, moreover, had been accustomed to kindness and delicate
treatment. The lad is a fine noble-hearted lad, but he is not
strong; and it is my opinion that the master wants to get rid of him
to have the fee for nothing, and he's trying what hard living, hard
work, and hard usage will do towards making him go the faster. But
he had better mind what he is about. There's many a man on board
that can speak a good word for Frederic when he gets ashore; and, if
all comes out, it will go hard with the master. The poor lad cries
himself to sleep every night, and when he is asleep he has no rest,
for in his dreams he talks of his mother and sister, and often sobs
loud enough to wake the men whose hammocks swing near him. I am very
sorry to see all this, for he is a fine boy, as I said before, and
we are all fond of him; but he's not fit for this kind of work,
leastwise not yet. I am glad you have taken notice of him, madam;
for, though you cannot do any good while we're at sea, may be when
you come ashore you won't forget poor Frederic Hamilton.'

"When the boatswain left me, I walked up and down the deck pondering
on these things, and contriving all sorts of schemes for the relief
of my young friend, and wondering how I could manage to have some
conversation with him on the subject; when a circumstance occurred,
which at once enabled me not only to learn all I was anxious to
know, but also in a great measure to improve his condition on board
the 'Neptune.'

"I knew that Frederic must have been trained up in the fear of the
Lord, for his daily conduct testified that he not only knew what was
right, but tried to perform it also; and notwithstanding the severe
trials he had to undergo, while with us on the voyage to Jamaica,
yet I never heard a harsh or disrespectful expression fall from his
lips; but he would attribute all the captain's unkind treatment of
him to something wrong in himself, and he every day tried beyond his
strength to obtain a look of approbation from his stern master. But,
alas! he knew not to whom he looked; although he was cuffed and
kicked about whenever he tried to be brisk in the task allotted to
him, he was always the same patient, melancholy little fellow,
throughout the voyage.

"Sometimes during th