Seamen can now go to a church of their own, under the charge of a kind pastor, who, it may be said, in truth too, is to them a father and a friend. I had now reached a period in my life, when it might be supposed, that I had become pretty well acquainted with mankind, or to use the common phrase, " had my eyeteeth cut." But I regret to say it was not so. The knowledge that a man gains at sea, is quite different from that which he requires for a life on shore. The seaman, may understand the management of his ship on the ocean, perfectly well, and be well posted in all nautical knowledge, well acquainted with their methods of transacting business in most foreign countries.
And, even let him come under the appellation of " Model Captain, " who has by prudence and economy laid up a few thousand dollars, and now wishes to leave a seafaring life, and engage in some business on shore. He gets into business, and at first has many friends. But ere long finds himself completely stripped, and must go to sea again. Yes, he must "hard lee" again. The landsmen were too many guns for him. He once thought that he knew something; and so he did. He knew what was honest, and if he had dealt with honest men only, would in all probability have been successful, and would have accomplished that for which he left the sea.
But those who were his pretended friends, and by whose cunning he has been robbed, now pass him unnoticed, giving him the cold shoulder! Reader, this is no fancy sketch. Many of those who have been thus victimized, and who are now " where the weary are at rest, and the wicked cease from, troubling," were well known everywhere, and whose names now stand registered among the members of the Boston Marine Society, with the prefixed asterisk. And there are, now, among us, living witnesses of the truth of what I have said before. There are now, livino- among us, some of those threadbare rascals, who would not hesitate, for the sake of gain, to take the last crumb of bread from a family of starving children.
These fellows may be seen prowling around State street with a sort of "sneaking, hang-dog look; " the tools of the note shaver, and of the dishonest speculator. Then there are knaves of a higher grade, who stand behind the screen, and when a case^of oppression has been perpetrated by the myrmidons in their employ, pretend to know nothing about it! And yet these are looked up to, and respected f because they are rich. I once had occasion to meet a gentleman, in State street, at a certain hour. And, at the appointed time, I saw him beside an elegant carriage, in earnest conversation with the occupant, and not wishing to intrude upon the conversation, just passed the open door, and quickly recognized the old gentleman with whom my friend was conversing.
I stood aside, quietly awaiting the termination of what now appeared to be earnest entreaty. Soon the door was closed, my friend approached me wiping the perspiration from his brow, exclaiming " Oh, dear! it really seems that some men's hearts are harder than flint. I have been half an hour begging him to remit a debt of fifteen dollars, which was due him for the rent of a small tenement, by a widow woman, who washes in my family. She has been confined to her bed with rheumatism for several weeks, which has put her behindhand, and she is not able to pay it. The agent threatens to turn her out of doors, neck and heels, if the money is not paid.
He refuses to have anything to do in the matter, saying, * that his agent must collect tiie rents.' Thus legalizing an act of brutality, that would disgrace a savage. _ And this modern Dives having in his possession half a million of dollars.". The kind gentleman, who endeavored so hard to alleviate the widow, paid the money, and procured her another tenement. " The rich man also died, and was buried." His property, of course, was disposed of according to ^ the will. Four of the sons turned out to be miserable inebriates, and went off, nobody knows where. I do not mention these facts through invidiousness, or a desire to he personal. But, like the explorers of the northwest passage, who get among icehergs and icefloes, and who are often in imminent danger, and must quietly await the movements of the waters, which alone can extricate them from the chilling influence of these dangerous neighbors.