the money; he thought that I intended to leave the kingdom,
without taking up my bonds, and immediately repaired to Mr Evelyn's
counting-house, to communicate with the head clerk, and ascertain if the
report was correct, stating also the sums I was indebted to him. The
head clerk informed Mr Evelyn, and on the day upon which I became
twenty-one years of age, he sent for me into his private room, and,
after some remonstrances, to which I replied very haughtily, it ended in
my being dismissed. The fact was, that Mr Evelyn had, since his last
interview with me, made inquiries, and finding out I had been living a
very riotous life, he had determined upon my leaving his service. As
soon as my first burst of indignation was over, I felt what I had lost;
my attachment to Miss Evelyn was stronger than ever, and I bitterly
deplored my folly; but after a time, as usual, I had recourse to the
bottle, and to drowning my cares in intemperance. I tried very hard to
obtain an interview with Miss Evelyn previous to my quitting the house,
but this Mr Evelyn would not permit, and a few days after, sent his
daughter away, to reside, for a time, with a relation in the country. I
embarked my capital in the wine-trade, and, could I have restrained
myself from drinking, should have been successful, and in a short time
might have doubled my property, as I stated to Mr Evelyn; but now I had
become an irreclaimable drunkard; and when that is the case, all hope is
over. My affairs soon became deranged, and, at the request of my
partner, they were wound up, and I found myself with my capital of 1,500
pounds reduced to 1,000 pounds. With this I resolved to try my fortune
in shipping; I procured a share in a brig, and sailed in her myself.
After a time, I was sufficiently expert to take the command of her, and
might have succeeded, had not my habit of drinking been so confirmed.
When at Ceylon, I fell sick, and was left behind. The brig was lost,
and as I had forgotten to insure my portion of her, I was ruined. I
struggled long, but in vain--intemperance was my curse, my bane, the
millstone at my neck, which dragged me down: I had education, talents,
and energy, and at one time, capital; but all were useless; and thus did
I sink down, from captain of a vessel to mate, from mate to second mate,
until I at last found myself a drunken sailor before the mast. Such is
my general history; to-morrow I will let you know how, and in what way,
your f