t-mannered
lad, and from the expression of his countenance, independent of his
size, he looked much younger. He had no friends, having been sent on
board the ship from the workhouse when she was first fitted out. He had
belonged to her ever since, having remained to assist the ship keeper in
sweeping her out, and looking after her when he had to leave her. He
had never, I believe, set foot on shore since the first moment he had
been sent on board. He was as cheap to keep as a dog, and was as
vigilant and more useful, and he got dog's fare, and received dogs
thanks--more kicks than halfpence. He had no parents and no friends.
His father, he told me, was a sailor; and as he had gone away some years
ago, and never come back, it was supposed that he had been lost at sea.
He had a fond recollection of his father as the only being who had ever
cared for him, and he remembered how he used to carry him in his arms,
and jump with him, and bring him all sorts of curious things to play
with, and how he kissed him and wept when he had to go away again to
sea. Tommy had been left in charge of a poor woman, who treated him
very kindly, but she died, and no news coming of his father, he had been
sent to the workhouse of the parish to which one of the owners of the
_Orion_ belonged. Through him Tommy was sent on board to fight his way
onward in the world. Under Captain Seaford his life had been happy
enough--now it was very much the contrary; and poor Tommy, when kicked
and cuffed without mercy, often in his misery threatened that he would
jump overboard and drown himself, and that his ghost would ever after
haunt the ship. I heard him one day make the threat, and at once spoke
to him on the subject, showing him that it was wicked even to threaten
to do so, although he might not intend to commit the act; but much more
horrible would it be actually to destroy his life, because he would have
to appear in the presence of an offended God without having the
possibility of repenting and seeking for forgiveness for one of the
greatest crimes a man can commit--murder--self-murder being of equal
magnitude with it. Tommy listened very attentively; a new light seemed
to beam upon him--he had evidently not considered the subject in that
way, and in very thoughtlessness might have thrown himself overboard. I
had early in the voyage observed the poor lad, and taken an interest in
him from his seeming youth and helplessness; and I resolved,