Peter Biddulph | Page 5

than to wait for the coming of good luck, as is the
case too often with certain people, who then grumble and find fault
with the world because their luck never comes. I do not mean to say
that opportunities do not occur to some men more frequently than to
others, but I believe that they visit most of us at some time or other of

our lives, and that it is our own fault if we do not take advantage of
them.
"But I will learn what the boy himself has to say on the subject," said
Mr Wells.--"What would you like to do, my lad?"
"I want to be a sailor, sir," I answered, promptly; for such had been the
earnest desire of my life; "I wish to go to some of the places the ships I
see passing up and down the river visit."
"You are too young yet to go to sea, but when you are old enough you
cannot perhaps do better. The sea requires people of sense more than
any other, and yet some persons send the dunce of the family on board
ship, and then are surprised that he does not get on. You shall now go
back to the friends who have taken care of you, and who seem good
people. We must find somebody to whom you may go when you wish
to get some more learning, and I dare say you will find some means of
earning your bread till you are old enough to go to sea.
"By-the-by, I must not forget the reward I promised you for finding my
ring. I will bring it down to you to-morrow or next day, if you will in
the meantime trust me."
He said this smiling, and I felt sure he would not deceive me. At the
same time I told him that he had paid me before handsomely, and that I
did not want any other reward. He told me that must rest with him, and
that I was fairly entitled to it. He then bade me good-bye.
With a joyful heart I returned home to record to my friends all that had
happened.
Mr Wells was as good as his word, and the following day I saw him on
horseback, inquiring his way to the street where I lived. I went up to
him, and led him to the house. He then dismounted, and giving his
horse to another boy to hold, he called me in, and told my friends that
he had spoken to the curate of the parish about me, and that I might go
to him two hours every evening after I had done my work. He then
gave me five pounds, advising me to rig myself out neatly; and he told

me besides that he had spoken to some of the boatmen in the
neighbourhood, who he thought were very likely to employ me if I
applied to them. After a few more words of advice the good gentleman
took his departure.
Now Mr Wells was a man of sound sense, and his conduct was, I have
reason to know, most judicious. He saw that I was accustomed to act
for myself, young as I was, and that I should have less chance of
slipping off the ladder, if I mounted each ratlin by myself; and he
considered that as I was of somewhat a poetical temperament, if my
mind received a hot bed forcing at too early an age, I should be unfitted
to struggle on in this every-day working world. Had he, as his wife
recommended him, sent me to a boarding school, where I should have
had everything done for me, I should probably very soon have lost that
habit of dependence on my own exertions which has been the great
cause of my success in life; and the routine style of education I should
there have received would certainly not have compensated for the loss
of the other advantage, nor would the amount of knowledge I should
have gained have been in all probability in any way equal to that I
obtained from my evenings' study with the good curate, Mr Hamlin.
Depend upon it, after children are shown what is right, the sooner they
are taught self-reliance the better. It is the principle I have followed out
with my own, and they are now independent men, and are grateful to
me for it. I began with them as soon as they were weaned; before that
time I did not consider I ought to interfere with my wife. I never let one
of them have a meal before he had performed some task for it, nor a
new frock or jacket. Sometimes I would set a week's work, and let them
get through