that he stirred not hand or foot, till so late the next morning, that the caravan (in a snug birth, whereof he had been securely deposited) had long passed the small town, where Andrew had halted on the first day's chase. that paragon of earth-born steeds. But then came in review, the rival glories of the piebald, and Joey's remorseful feelings became less troublesome, and he longed ardently for the hour of emancipation. It came at last; a brief and unceremonious toilet was despatched by the female group; and great was Joey's indignation, when, in lieu of the silver and azure, or his own good raiment, he was compelled to dress himself in the every-day suit of his deceased predecessor-a most villainous compound of greasy tatters, which, had he dared, he would have spurned from him with contemptuous loathing; but a very short experience, and the convincing language of a few hearty pletives, had satisfied him of the danger of rebellion, and he was fain to gulp down his rising choler, and the scraps of last night's meal, which were chucked over to him, as his portion of the slovenly breakfast. Joey's awakening sensations were nearly as astonishing as those of Abon Hassan, when he unclosed his eyes in his own mean mansion, after his waking vision of exaltation to the throne of the Caliph., Poor Joey, who had fallen asleep in the intoxication of supreme enjoyment and gratified vanity, among knights and ladies, glittering with gold and spangles, himself radiant in all the glories of the blue and silver, and the fancied master of the prancing piebald-cuffs, accompanied with no tender exfound himself, on awaking, stowed away into a corner of the dark, suffocating, jolting caravan, of course divested of his finery, huddled up on a bag of straw, and covered with a filthy horse-rug. The whole ambulating dormitory was heaped with similar bedding, from which peeped out heads and arms and dirty faces, which Josiah was some time in assigning to the blooming heroines of the preceding evening. At last, however, he satisfied himself of the identity of the lovely Columbine; and as she lay within reach, and had taken him under her especial protection, he made bold to pluck her rather unceremoniously by the outstretched arm, which salutation had the desired effect of rousing the fair one from her innocent slumbers, but only long enough to obtain, for Joey, a sound box of the ear, and a drowsily-muttered command, "to lie still, for a little troublesome rascal." So there he lay, half frightened, and half repentant, and quite disgusted with his close and unsavoury prison, from whence his thoughts wandered away to the pleasant cottage on the thymy common-his clean, sweet, little chamber, where the honeysuckle looked in at the window-his breakfast of new-milk and sweet brown bread-his own little garden and his bee-hives, and Greybeard, In the meantime, the door and little square window of the caravan had been thrown open, and at last the machine came to a full stop on the high-road, by a hedge-side, and the ladder was hooked to the high door-way, and the manager, who, with his spouse, had occupied a back compartment of the van, descended to review his cavalry, while the equestrians snatched a hasty meal dispensed to them by their associated Hebés. There was the piebald shining in the morning sun, in all the perfection of piebald beauty-pawing, and sidling, and curving inward his graceful neck, and small elegant head, as if impatient of the rein by which he was led at the side of a large Flemish-looking-mare. At sight of his appointed palfrey, Joey was about to scramble down the ladder after Signor Angelo, when the latter most uncourteously repelled him, with such a push as sent him sprawling backwards on the floor of the caravan, and more than revived his late incipient feelings of disgust and repentance. But now the whole party, females and all, held parley of no completely stunned him, but left him very amicable nature about the door such a ghastly and bloody spectacle, of their migratory council-chamber. as stilled in a moment the uproar of The success of the late performance the conflicting parties, and made at C had by no means been them unanimous in their apprehensuch as to sweeten the manager's sions of the serious consequences iu temper, or to harmonize the "many which they might all be involved, minds" he had to deal with; and should the accident prove fatal, of loud, and surly, and taunting accusa- which there was every appearance. tions and recriminations were ban- The child had ceased to breathedied about, the most acrimonious of not the faintest pulsation was perwhich, Joey soon gathered, related ceptible. The panic became geneto himself, and to some dispute re- ral, and the decision immediate, to specting him, which had occurred consider their own safety, by moving the preceding night, after they had on as fast as possible, leaving the deposited him in his luxurious rest- unhappy boy (who was pronounced ing place. It appeared, that some quite dead) on the grass bank by the of the party had even then begun to road side. think with apprehension of the danger to which they exposed themselves by the abduction of a boy, whose father had ample means to pursue and punish them, should he discover that his son had left Cin their company. These prudent suggestions were made light of by others of the troop, words had run high even then, and the insides and outsides had arranged themselves for the night in no very placable moods. During the many silent hours of darkness, they had jogged and jolted in company; almost every one, however, in his secret mind, came over to the side of the doubters, and when at last they halted and called council, each accused the other of having caused the present dilemma. From words they proceeded to rough arguments, and at length to something very near a general battle, in which their fair companions, descending from "their high estate," took part so heartily, that Joey, finding himself quite unobserved, seized the opportunity to scramble down after them; but in his haste to reach terra firma, he missed his footing, and fell headlong among the horses, already fretted and fidgety at the disorder of their riders, so that Joey's sudden precipitation set them rearing and p wig furiously, and he-the luckless truant!-received such a kick on the head, from the hard hoof of the ungrateful piebald, as not only 12 ATHENEUM, VOL. 9, 2d series. In two minutes the troop was in motion-in ten more, quite out of sight-and there lay poor Joey to all appearance a corpse, and soon to have become one in reality, but for the providential intervention of that poor woman, by whom Andrew Cleaves was conducted to the bedside of his recovered child. That woman (as she briefly explained to Andrew on their stealthy progress towards the little chamber) was, indeed, the poor Soldier's widow, who, with her orphan babe, had owed to his compassion in her utmost need, the seasonable mercy of a night's lodging and a wholesome meal; and she had never forgotten the name of her benefactor, nor thought of him without a grateful prayer. She had travelled far on to her dead husband's birthplace in the Scotch Highlands, to claim, for his orphan and herself, the protection and assistance of his kindred. Her claims had not been disallowed, and among them she had dwelt contentedly till her child died. Then she began to feel herself a stranger among strangers, and her heart yearned towards her own country and kinsfolk; and she wrote a letter home to her own place, Manchester, the answer to which told her, that her friends, who were too poor to help her when se was left a widow, were now bettered in circumstances, and would give her a home and welcome; and that, now head had undergone a second dress ed, that all would go well with him, if he were kept for a time in perfect quiet. It need not be told how rigidly that injunction was attended to, nor how carefully, when he was in a state to be removed, the father conveyed back his truant child to the shelter of his own peaceful cottage— nor how anxiously he was nursed up there to decided convalescence-nor how solemnly, yet tenderly, when the boy was so far recovered, his father set before him the magnitude of his offence, and the fatal consequences which had so nearly resulted from it. Joey wept sore, and looked down with becoming humility, and promised, over and over again, and really with a sincere intention, never, never again to give his father cause for uneasiness or displeasure. she had no living hindrance, she might obtain a comfortable subsisting, and the surgeon had pronouncence by resuming her early labours at the loom. So she set out for her native place, a leisurely foot traveller, for she was no longer unprovided with means to secure a decent resting place, and a wholesome meal; and she it was, who having so far proceeded on her way, had discovered the young runaway lying by the way-side in the condition before described. Her feelings (the feelings of a childless mother!) needed no incentive to place her in a moment beside the forlorn deserted child, whose head she tenderly lifted on her bosom, and parting off the thickly clotted hair, bound her own handkerchief about his bleeding temples. There was water within reach, with which she laved his face and hands, and had soon the joy of perceiving a tremulous motion of the lips and eye-lids-and at last the boy breathed audibly, and his fair blue eyes unclosed, and he uttered a few words of wonder and distress, among which -"Oh, father! father!" were most intelligible, and to the woman's gentle inquiry of "who was his father? and did he live far off?" he answered faintly, that he was the son of Andrew Cleaves, who lived at Redburn. A second fit of insensibility succeeded those few words, but they were sufficient for the widow. Pro- Andrew had continued his son at vidence had sent her to save (she the academy to an unusually advanctrusted) the child of her benefactor, ed period of youth, from the difficuland all her homely but well-directed ty of knowing how to dispose of and energies were called into action. employ him profitably, during the Partly carrying him in her own interegnum between school and the arms, and partly by casual assistance, earliest time of admission in the she succeeded in conveying him to counting-house, where, at the prothe nearest dwelling, that small way- per age, he was to be articled. At side ino. There he was put com- last, however, in consideration of his fortably to bed, and medical aid ob- really forward and excellent abilities, tained promptly-the longer delay of the gentlemen of the firm consented which must have proved fatal. And to receive him; and now the time then a message was sent off to Far- arrived when the human bark was to mer Cleaves, (a man and horse, for be launched from its supporting crathat poor woman was a creature of dle into the tumultuous stream of acnoble spirit, and impatient to relieve tive life. Insomuch as it advanced the father's misery,) and then the him, in his own estimation, to the widow quietly took her station by honour and dignity of confirmed the pillow of the little sufferer. His manhood, Josiah was elated at the Time travelled on-school-days and holidays revolved in regular succession-and Joey comported himself just well enough to gain the character of a very good scholar in school, and a very idle dog out of it, except at home and in his father's sight, when he comported himself with such a show of sanctity and correctness, as was quite edifying to behold, and too easily lulled to rest the awakened caution of the still credulous old man. A change; but had he been left to follow the lead of his own inclinations, to a surety they would not have hoisted him up with a pen behind his ear, before a dingy desk, in a dark gloomy counting-house, there to pore away the precious hours he could have disposed of so much more agreeably. Had Joey been allowed to choose his own lot in life, to a certainty he would have enrolled himself a bold dragoon, a dashing lancer, a trooper of some denomination, anything that would have clothed him in a showy uniform, and given him the command of a horse; but all military professions were SO abhorrent to Andrew Cleaves, that he would as lieve have placed his son in the Devil's Own, as in "The King's Own ;" and the boy was too well aware of his father's in veterate prejudices, even to hint at his own longings; still less did he hazard the more debasing avowal, that he would have preferred the situation of a dashing groom to a station at the desk; and that to be a jockey! a real, knowing Newmarket jockey! (he had heard a vast deal . about Newmarket,) would have been the climax of his ambition. Happy disposition, to qualify him for the staid clerk of a commercial establishment! But knowing the decree was irreversible, he submitted to it with a tolerably good grace, consoling himself with the reflection, that many young men so situated were nevertheless very fine fellows, and contrived, at odd hours, evenings, and holidays, to indemnify themselves very tolerably for their hours of durance vile. He had great confidence, moreover, that good fortune would introduce him to some of those choice spirits, whose experience would initiate him into many useful secrets. Joey's expectations were but too well founded; temptation lies in wait for youth at every turning and bypath; but when youth starts with the design of voluntarily entering her fatal snare, the toils are wound about the prey with treble strength, and rarely, if ever, is it disentangled, Joey was soon the associate and hero of all the idle and dissolute youth in C, the hero of cock-fights, of bull-baitings, of the ring, of the skittle ground, of every low, cruel, and debasing sport, that prepares the way, by sure and rapid advances, through all the gradations of guilt, towards the jail, the convict ship, and the scaffold. Nevertheless, for a considerable time, Josiah contrived to keep up a very fair character with his employers-so clear and prompt was his despatch of business, and (with a very few exceptions) so punctual and assiduous his attention to office hours. Beyond those seasons, their watchfulness extended not, and no glaring misdemeanour, on the part of their young clerk, bad yet awakened any degree of suspicious vigilance. The heart of Andrew Cleaves was, therefore, gladdened by such reports of his son's official conduct, as, coming from so respectable a quarter, were, in his estimation, sufficient surety of general good conduct, and he was consequently lulled into a fatal security, not even invaded by any of those vague and flying rumours, which generally lead the way to painful but important discoveries. Andrew Cleaves had no friends, it could scarcely be said, any acquaintance-alas! it is to be feared, no well-wishers. Beyond the cold concerns of business, he had maintained no intercourse with his fellow men. His world was a contracted span; two objects of interest occupied it wholly-his wealth and his son. But there was no equipoise between the scales that held those treasures. He would not, in Shylock's place, have been in suspense between "his ducats and his daughter." Gold had been his idol, till superseded by that living claimant, to whose imagined good all other considerations became secondary and subservient, and for whom (looking to worldly aggrandisement as the grand point of attainment, though Andrew talked well of "the ons thing needful") he continued to improve upon his habits of parsimony and accumulation, so as to deny himself the common comforts becoming necessary to his advancing years. But the hard gripe occasionally relaxed at the persuasive voice of Josiah's eloquence; and that hopeful youth, as he advanced in the ways of iniquity, made especial progress in its refined arts of specious hypocrisy, to which, alas! his early training had too favourably disposed him. It would be a tedious and distasteful task minutely to trace the progressive steps by which Josiah attained that degree of hardened profligacy, which marked his character by the time he had completed his nineteenth year-the second of his clerkship in Messrs. countinghouse. The marvel is, that his seat on the high office stool had not been vacated long before the expiration of that period. The eyes of his employers had for some time been open to his disreputable and ruinous courses. Their keen observation was of course upon him in all matters that could in any way affect their own interests; and at length, on that account, as well as from more conscientious motives, which ought to have had earlier influence, they deemed it requisite to arouse the fears of the still-deluded parent, and to recommend his interference, to avert, if possible, the dangerous career of his infatuated son. Alas! it was a cruel caution, for it came too late. Too late, except to excite the father's fears to a sudden pitch of agony, which provoked him to bitter upbraidings, and violent denunciations, and thus contributed to sear the already corrupted heart of the insensate youth, and to accelerate his desperate plunge into irretrievable ruin. It was well known at C— that Andrew Cleaves had (for a man in his station) amassed considerable wealth, and that his idolized and only son would inherit it undivided; and in that confidence, there were not wanting venturous and unprincipled persons, who not only gave him credit in the way of trade, to an unwarrantable amount, but even advanced him loans from time to time, on the speculation of future re-payment, with usurious interest. By such means, added to the not inconsiderable gratifications he at different times obtained from his father, under various specious pretences, Josiah had been enabled to run a course of low and profligate extravagance, far exceeding anything which had entered into the suspicions of his employers, or the tardily aroused apprehensions of the distressed father. Among the threats of that abused parent, there was one which Josiah doubted not would be promptly executed—a public advertisement in C, that Andrew Cleaves held himself nowise answerable for any debts his son might think proper to contract—an exposure which would not only cut him off from all future supplies, but probably create such distrust of his hitherto undoubted heirship, as to bring forward all the claims standing against him, and irritate his father, beyond hope of accommodation. But the idea of absconding from Chad long been familiar to Josiah, and he had for some time past been connected with a set of characters, whose daring exploits, and communication with the metropolis, had fired his ambition to emulate the former, and to transfer his genius to a theatre more worthy its enterprising capabilities. Yet, Josiah's heart was not quite hardened. It had not lost all pleasant remembrance of his days of boyish happiness-of the indulgences of his father's dwelling, and of the repressed, but ill-dissembled fondness of that doating parent, whose proud and severe nature had even accommodated itself to offices of womanly tenderness, for the feeble infant left motherless to his care. There were still moments-even in the circle of his vile associates— even in the concerting their infamous schemes-or while the profane oath still volleyed from his tongue-and the roar of riotous mirth and licentious song resounded-there were |