and all about him, except to me, who was so blinded by
my love. As he advanced to manhood his temper showed itself to be
violent and uncontrollable; he was the terror of others, and prudent
people would shake their heads and prophesy. He would not submit to any
profession; the only wish that he had was to go to sea, and that was my
terror. I implored him on my knees not to think of it, but in vain; at
first he used to threaten when he wanted money for his extravagances,
and it was a sure way to obtain it; but one day I discovered that he had
quitted the port without saying farewell, and that he had sailed in a
vessel bound to the coast of Africa. A short letter and a heavy bill was
received from Portsmouth, and I did not hear of him for two years. I was
heartbroken, but not weaned from him; I counted the days for his return.
At last he came--browned by the climate, full of oaths, savage in his
bearing, and occasionally referring to scenes which made me shudder; but
he was my son, my only son, and I loved him as much as ever. He was now
but seldom at home, for he lived almost at the gaming-tables; if he came
to me, it was to extort money, and he never failed. I sold out my
property to support his extravagance, and by degrees it was rapidly
diminishing. I begged him, I entreated him, to be more prudent, but he
laughed, and promised to return me all the first lucky hit he should
make; but that lucky hit never came, and at last I had but two thousand
pounds left. This I positively refused to part with: the interest of it
was barely sufficient for my wants; I asked no more, but I expostulated
and I reasoned with him in vain. He only begged me for five hundred
pounds; if I sold the money out, he would tell me where I might have as
good interest for the fifteen hundred pounds as I now received for the
two thousand pounds. He begged and entreated me, he kissed, and he even
wept. I could not withstand his importunities: I sold out the money, and
gave him the sum he wanted; the fifteen hundred pounds I put by in my
desk, to invest as he had pointed out. That very night he forced the
lock, took out the money, and left me without a sixpence in the world."

"What a villain!" exclaimed I.

"Yes, you may so. Jack; but who made him such a villain but his foolish
doting mother? Had I done him justice, had I checked him when young, had
I brought him up as I ought to have done, he might now have been a
happiness and a blessing to his mot