The next morning early I was awakened by my family, whom I found in
tears at my bedside. The gloomy appearance of everything about us, it
seems, had daunted them. I gently rebuked their sorrow, assuring them I
had never slept with greater tranquillity, and next inquired after my
eldest daughter, who was not among them. They informed me that
yesterday's uneasiness and fatigue had increased her fever, and it was
judged proper to leave her behind. My next care was to send my son to
procure a room or two to lodge my family in, as near the prison as
conveniently could be found. He obeyed, but could only find one
apartment, which was hired at a small expense for his mother and
sisters, the gaoler with humanity consenting to let him and his two
little brothers lie in the prison with me. A bed was therefore prepared
for them in a corner of the room, which I thought answered very
conveniently. I was willing, however, previously to know whether my
little children chose to lie in a place which seemed to fright them upon
entrance.
"Well," cried I, "my good boys, how do you like your bed? I hope you are
not afraid to lie in this room, dark as it appears."
"No, papa," says Dick, "I am not afraid to lie anywhere where you are."
"And I," says Bill, who was yet but four years old, "love every place
best that my papa is in."
After this I allotted to each of the family what they were to do. My
daughter was particularly directed to watch her sister's declining
health; my wife was to attend me; my little boys were to read to me.
"And as for you, my son," continued I, "it is by the labour of your
hands we must all hope to be supported. Your wages as a day-labourer
will be fully sufficient, with proper frugality, to maintain us all, and
comfortably too. Thou art now sixteen years old, and hast strength, and
it was given thee, my son, for very useful purposes; for it must save
from famine your helpless parents and family. Prepare then this evening
to look out for work against to-morrow, and bring home every night what
money you earn for our support."
Having thus instructed him, and settled the rest, I walked down to the
common prison, where I could enjoy more air and room. But I was not long
there when the execrations, lewdness, and brutality that invaded me on
every side, drove me back to my apartment again. Here I sat for some
time pondering upon the strange infatuation of wretches who, finding all
mankind in open arms against them, were labouring to make themselves a
future and a tremendous enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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