with thegreatest economy, he soon found himself in a worse situation thanever, without a farthing in his pocket, or a morsel of bread to eat.Jack, however, was not of a temper to be easily cast down; he walkedresolutely on all day, but towards evening was overtaken by a violentstorm of rain which wetted him to the skin before he could find a bushfor shelter. Now poor Jack began to think of his old daddy, and thecomforts he had formerly enjoyed upon the common, where he had alwaysa roof to shelter him, and a slice of bread for supper. But tears andlamentations were vain; and therefore as soon as the storm was over,he pursued his journey, in hopes of finding some barn or out-house tocreep into for the rest of the night. While he was thus wanderingabout, he saw at some distance a great light, which seemed to comefrom some prodigious fire. Jack did not know what this could be; but,in his present situation, he thought a fire no disagreeable object,and therefore determined to approach it. When he came nearer, he saw alarge building which seemed to spout fire and smoke at severalopenings, and heard an incessant noise of blows, and the rattling ofchains. Jack was at first a little frightened, but summoning all hiscourage, he crept cautiously on to the building, and, looking througha chink, discovered several men and boys employed in blowing fires,and hammering burning masses of iron. This was a very comfortablesight to him in his present forlorn condition; so finding a door halfopen, he ventured in, and placed himself as near as he dared to one ofthe flaming furnaces. It was not long before he was discovered by oneof the workmen, who asked him, roughly, what business he had there?Jack answered, with great humility, that he was a poor boy looking outfor work; that he had had no food all day, and was wet with the rain;which was evident enough from the appearance of his clothes. By greatgood luck, the man he spoke to was good-natured, and therefore notonly permitted him to stay by the fire, but gave him some brokenvictuals for his supper. After this, he laid himself down in a corner,and slept without disturbance till morning. He was scarcely awake thenext day, when the master of the forge came in to overlook his men,who finding Jack, and hearing his story, began to reproach him as verylazy, and asked him why he did not work for his living. Jack assuredhim there was nothing he so earnestly desired, and that if he wouldplease to employ him, there was nothing that he would not do to earn asubsistence. "Well, my boy," said the master, "if this is true, youshall soon be tried; nobody need be idle here." So calling hisforeman, he ordered him to set the lad to work, and to pay him inproportion to his labour. Jack now thought himself completely happy,and worked with so much assiduity, that he soon gained a comfortablelivelihood, and acquired the esteem of his master.
But unfortunately, he was a little too unreserved in his conversation,and communicated the story of his former life and education. This wasgreat matter of diversion to all the other boys of the forge, who,whenever they were inclined to be merry, would call him Little Jackthe beggar-boy, and imitate the baaing of a goat. This was too muchfor his warm temper, and he never failed to resent it; by which meanshe was engaged in continual quarrels and combats, to the greatdisturbance of the house; so that his master, though in other respectsperfectly satisfied with his behaviour, began to fear that he shouldat last be obliged to discharge him.
It happened one day that a large company of gentleman and ladies wereintroduced to see the works. The master attended them, and explained,with great politeness, every part of his manufacture. They viewed withastonishment the different methods by which that useful and necessaryore of iron is rendered fit for human use. They examined the furnaceswhere it is melted down, to disengage it from the dross with which itis mixed in the bowels of the earth, and whence it runs down in liquidtorrents like fire. They beheld with equal pleasure the prodigioushammers which, moved by the force of water, mould it into massy barsfor the service of man. While they were busy in examining thesedifferent processes, they were alarmed by a sudden noise of discordwhich broke out on the other side of the building; and the masterinquiring into the cause, was told, that it was only Little Jack, whowas fighting with Tom the collier. At this the master cried out in apassion, "There is no peace to be expected in the furnace while thatboy is employed; send him to me, and I will instantly discharge him."At this moment Jack appeared, all covered with blood and dirt, andstood before his angry judge in a modest but resolute posture. "Isthis the reward," said his master, "you little audacious fellow, forall my kindness? Can you never refrain a single instant from broilsand fighting? But I am determined to bear it no longer; and thereforeyou shall never, from this hour, do a single stroke of work forme."--"Sir," replied Little Jack, with great humility, but yet withfirmness, "I am extremely sorry to have disobliged you, nor have Iever done it willingly, since I have been here; and if the other boyswould only mind their business as well as I do, and not molest me, youwould not have been offended now; for, I defy them all to say, that,since I have been in the house, I have ever given any one the leastprovocation, or ever refused, to the utmost of my strength, to dowhatever I have been ordered."--"Indeed that's quite true," said theforeman; "I must do Little Jack the justice to say, that there is nota more honest, sober, and industrious lad about the place. Set him todo what you will, he never sculks, never grumbles, never slights hiswork; and if it were not for a little passion and fighting, I don'tbelieve there would be his fellow in England."--"Well," said themaster, a little mollified, "but what is the cause of all this suddendisturbance?"--"Sir," answered Jack, "it is Tom that has been abusingme, and telling me that my father was a beggar-man, and my mother ananny-goat; and, when I desired him to be quiet, he went baaing allabout the house; and this I could not bear; for, as to my father, hewas an honest soldier, and if I did suck a goat, she was the bestcreature in the world; and I won't hear her abused while I have anystrength in my body." At this harangue, the whole audience werescarcely able to refrain from laughing; and the master, with morecomposure, told Jack to mind his business, and threatened the otherboys with punishment if they disturbed him.
But a lady who was in company seemed particularly interested aboutLittle Jack, and when she had heard his story, said, "This mustcertainly be the little boy who opened a gate several years past forme upon Norcot Moor. I remember being struck with his appearance, andhearing him lament the loss of the goat that nursed him. I was verymuch affected then with his history, and since he deserves so good acharacter, if you will part with him, I will instantly take him intomy service." The master replied, that he should part with him withgreat satisfaction to such an excellent mistress; that, indeed, theboy deserved all the commendations which had been given; but since theother lads had such a habit of plaguing, and Jack was of so impatienta temper, he despaired of ever composing their animosities. Jack wasthen called, and informed of the lady's offer, which he accepted withthe greatest readiness, and received immediate directions to herhouse.
When the lady came home, she inquired concerning Jack, and found thathe had arrived some time before her. She sent for him into theparlour, and kindly entered into conversation with him concerning hissituation since she had first seen him upon the common. She wasgreatly pleased by the feeling manner in which he described the lastmoments of the old Soldier; she saw very clearly that the poor boy hadan excellent disposition, a warm heart, and that what he had most todread was his hastiness of temper. She, therefore, gently, yet veryforcible, laid before him the evils which follow from a quarrelsomehabit; how all persons come at last to dread the company of one who isapt to fall into disputes. She told him how people are always inclinedto think him in the wrong against whom complaints are most frequentlymade, although perhaps he may have been on the right side in everyinstance. She pointed out to him how willing his master was to partwith him; not because he was wrong in his disputes, but because he wasin so many of them. "A quarrelsome boy," said she, "is a nuisance in afamily; there is no peace where he is, and every thing is kept inconstant confusion and ill blood. You know, Jack, that it is yourduty, as a Christian, to forgive others their trespasses against you;if, then, you fight upon every occasion, on which you may havesuffered
even real injury, you disobey your blessed Saviour, byviolating one of his precepts. If any of your fellow-servants shoulddo you any harm, forgive it according to the command of our Lord; ifit should be often repeated, or be of a very heinous nature, come tome, and I shall see justice done between you and him. You know youcannot be a good judge in your own case, especially when your mind isfilled with anger; therefore, I forbid you to take the matter intoyour own hands; you must not cause noise and riot in the family bycoming to blows, even where the insult you may receive has been mostunprovoked."--Jack made very faithful promises of amendment; as indeedhe might very sincerely do, for except when he was hurried away forthe moment, he was ever ready to confess his failing.
Jack was now in a new sphere of life. His face