s out of him at every pore, when a
robbery or desperate murder shall have placed him at the same bar of
infamy at which his father stood, then we will cure this inheritor of
crime,--as we cured his progenitor. At the galleys or on the scaffold
the son will find his father's seat still warm."

Society thus reasons; and it is astonished, and indignant, and
frightened, to see how robberies and murders are handed down so fatally
from generation to generation.

The dark picture which is now to follow--The Freshwater Pirates--is
intended to display what the inheritance of evil in a family may be when
society does not come legally or officially to preserve the unfortunate
victims of the law from the terrible consequences of the sentence
executed against the father.[4]

[4] In proportion as we advance in this work, its moral aim is
attacked with so much bitterness, and, as we think, with so much
injustice, that we ask permission to dwell a little on the
serious and honourable idea which hitherto has sustained and
guided us. Many serious, delicate, and lofty minds, being
desirous of encouraging us in our endeavours, and having
forwarded to us the flattering testimonials of their approval, it
is due, perhaps, to these known and unknown friends to reply over
again to the blind accusations which have reached, we may say,
even to the bosom of the legislative assembly. To proclaim the
odious immorality of our work is to proclaim decidedly, it
appears to us, the odiously immoral tendencies of the persons who
honour us with the deepest sympathies. It is in the name of these
sympathies, as well as in our own, that we shall endeavour to
prove, by an example selected from amongst others, that this work
is not altogether destitute of generous and practical ideas. We
gave, some time back, the sketch of a model farm founded by
Rodolph, in order to encourage, teach, and remunerate poor,
honest, and industrious labourers. We add to this: Honest men who
are unfortunate deserve, at least, as much interest as criminals;
yet there are numerous associations intended for the patronage of
young prisoners, or those discharged, but there is no society
founded for the purpose of giving succour to poor young persons
whose conduct has been invariably exemplary. So that it is
absolutely necessary to have committed an offence to become
qualified for these institutions, which are, unquestionably, most