— First act of mischief. — Punishment. — Object for relating it. — Narrow escape from drowning. — Slight reference to New York sixty years ago. — Description of my first school and my first whipping. — Removal to Worcester, Roxbury and Boston. — Remarks on Boston in 1798. — My father enters into partnership. — Is defrauded. — Return to New York at the solicitation of my maternal grandfather. — Come back to Boston for education. — Enter school. — Comparison between then and now, respecting school advantages. — Cruelty of the masters, and description of the punishment. — Had been much injured by keeping bad company. — Quarrel between boys of different grades. — Frequent fights, not condition that makes the man. — Folly of personal resentment. — Narrow escape from injury. — Good counsel from a good boy. — Forsake my bad companions, and lead a different life. — Punishment of offenders by public whipping. — A lesson for me.
It may be immaterial to the reader, where, and when I was born, but in order to make a beginning, my birthplace was New York City, July 16, 1793. The first act of my life, of which I have a distinct recollection, was voluntarily taking up a stone, and breaking an earthern vessel belonging to an old lady, residing in the same house with myself. I was then about three years of age. Now what could have induced me to commit this mischievous trespass on the old lady's property I cannot tell, excepting only that I wanted to see if 1 could hit it, at a certain distance; in which, unfortunately for me, I succeeded, for on complaint of Mrs.
Morrell, my father took me across his knee, and the concussion of his brawny hand made me resolve never to break another " old lady's jug." I name this trifling incident, to illustrate the truth of what is sometimes called, innate sin, or an inherent disposition or propensity in children, to do wrong. All who have brought up families are well acquainted with this matter, and see the necessity of watching the incipient developments of their children, and to check everything that is wrong, following the precept of the Bible, " Train up a child in the way he should go." Many who have suffered an ignominious death upon the scaffold, while standing with the halter about their necks, have declared to the gazing crowd, that had their parents discharged their duty, in correcting them for the first lie, or the first petty theft, they in all probability would have been saved from this untimely end.
And so with the other sex. How many there are, now leading lives of infamy and disgrace, who attribute their downfall to errors in early education. The next event of my early life which is indelibly fixed on my mind, is the sensation of drowning, when about four years old. I went with some boys to see a dead animal thrown into the river; and in my eagerness to view the launch, fell overboard, and as the distance from the top of the wharf to the water rendered it impossible for any one to reach me, I remained in the water until rescued by means, the particulars of which I never knew. It so happened that, notwithstanding the river is always running rapidly, either one way or the other, the place where I fell was a short eddy, just around the corner of the wharf.
Had I been out only a few feet further, the tide would have swept me away, and of course, that would have been the last of me. I remember to this day as though it were but yesterday, while struggling under water trying to get up as I thought, the recollection of playing on the wharf, the swallowing a large quantity of salt water, and a perfect knowledge that I was drowning. I was taken from the water, resuscitated, and carried home, but knew nothing more until consciousness returned. How many times since have I regretted being taken from the river. Had I have drowned, how much anguish would have been averted. But this is all wrong, since our lives belong to God.
He takes thorn when and how he pleases. Every man was born for something, known only to Him who created us; and as for trouble, that man or woman is a coward who expects to get Still question'd me the story of my life From year to year; the battles, sieges, fortunes, That I had passed. I ran it through, even from my boyish davs, To the very moment that I was bade to tell it; Wherein I spoke of most disastrous changes, Of moving accidents, by flood and field, Of hairbreadth 'scapes 'i imminent, deadly breach; Of being taken by the insolent foe And held a. prisoner of my redemption thence, And with it all my travel's history, "Wherein of countries vast, and deserts wild, Rough quarries, rocks, and hills, whose heads touch heaven, It was my hint to speak.