I was not assigned to any particular occupation, or watch; but no advantage was taken of this circumstance, on the captain's part, to make me do too much, or by me to do too little. I was generally on deck all the day; and whenever I saw anything useful that I could do, it was done. In this way, both watches had the aid of my valuable services--which, however, were not always sufficiently appreciated to prevent a few sharp words being applied to me. But a boy aboard of a ship soon learns to take no notice of such trifles. I was ordered to mess with the sailmaker, who--as I afterwards learnt-- was directed by the captain to look well after me. On our arrival in Liverpool, the ship was docked, and the crew went ashore, with the exception of two men--both strangers to me--who with myself were left on board. One of the men had something to do with the Custom House; and tried hard to induce me to go ashore, along with the rest of the crew. But the ship being my only home, I was not willing to leave her; and I resisted all the inducements held out by the Custom House officer to that effect. The captain had gone away from the ship, after seeing her safe into port; but I would not leave the vessel lest I should never meet him again: for something told me he was my truest friend. The next day he came on board again; and seemed rather surprised at finding me there. "Ah! little Rolling Stone," said he, "I've been inquiring for you; and am pleased to see you have not gone ashore. What do you intend to do with yourself?" "Stay here," I answered, "until the ship sails again." "No, you can't stop here," said the captain. "You must come ashore, and live somewhere--until the ship is made ready for sea." He continued to talk with me for half-an-hour; and obtained from me a full account of the circumstances under which I had left my home. "If I thought that you would stay with me, and do something for yourself," said Captain Hyland, after hearing my story, "I would endeavour to make a man of you." My reply to this was, that I preferred a life on the sea to any other, and that I left Captain Brannon, for the simple reason that I did not like either him, or the man who had placed me under his control. "Very well," said the captain, "I'll keep you awhile on trial; and if you prove ungrateful for what I shall do for you, you will injure yourself, more than you can me." After this conversation, he took me ashore, bought me a suit of clothes; and then told me to accompany him to his own home. I found that Captain Hyland had a wife and one child--a girl about ten years of age. I thought there could be nothing in the universe more beautiful than that girl. Perhaps there was not. Why should not my opinion on such subjects be as correct as that of others? But no man living could have looked upon Lenore Hyland, without being convinced that she was very beautiful.