rous and charitable, too, and delighted in making glad the hearts of the poor; and from the beggar who met him in the street and asked alms, he turned not coldly away. Of his public charities we hardly need speak ;they will remain to consecrate his memory, long after this brief notice of his life shall have been cast aside and forgotten. Nor were his benefac. tious confined to that noble institution we have before mentioned, and which bears his name: the broadest views of the most generous philanthropist, could not have extended them more widely. His gold was freely bestowed to aid the spread of the gospel in heathen lands; and he gave too without ostentation, as becometh the Christian and the good man. Without that parade of godliness which ever detracts so much from the true value of the most liberal bounty, he often assisted the church at home, with heavy contributions; and by the calm and steady influence which the man who passes a long life wisely and well may at all times exercise, aided by the energies of a mind that loved the promotion of good works, he united his exertions with those of others, in advancing the cause of morality and religion, wherever his fortune or personal efforts could accomplish those objects. As he drew nearer the grave, the love he had ever borne his race seemed to grow more strongly upon him, and all the kindlier feelings of his nature were manifested with no less warmth than in the prime of manhood. With those whom disease had stricken in mind or body, he had always sympathized; and that while standing on the borders of another world, he forgot not to provide for the afflicted among his fellows, most impressively appears in the following bequest extracted from one of the codicils annexed to his last Will and Testament.

"And whereas it has long been deeply impressed on my mind, that an Insane or 'Lunatic Hospital, or Retreat for the Insane, should be established upon a firm and permanent basis, under an act of the Legislature, where that unhappy portion of our, fellow citizens, who are by the visitation of Providence deprived of their reason, may find a safe retreat and be provided with whatever may be most conducive to their comfort, and to their restoration to a sound state of mind: therefore, for the purpose of aiding an object so desirable, and in the hope that such an establishment may soon be commenced, I do hereby set apart and give, devise and bequeath, the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars towards the erection of an Insane or Lunatic Hospital, or Retreat for the Insane, or by whatever other name it may be called, to be located in Providence or its vicinity; and I do hereby order and direct my said executors, to pay the said sum of thirty thousand dollars in the promotion and advancement of an institution for that object, trusting, and fully confiding in my executors, that they will carefully examine, and be satisfied that the establishment is placed on a firm and legal basis; and that the payment of the above amount be made at such times, and in such sums, as will best promote the desired object, and be least prejudicial to the settlement of my own estates; hoping that my sons and other friends will co-operate in the humane and benevolent design, that the benefits of the Institution may soon be realized."

This is a generous gift for a most noble purpose, and we trust no time will be lost in incorporating an institution equal in permanency and usefulness to the one contemplated by the departed donor. That it should bear his name upon its portals, to perpetuate the memory of its founder, is a matter of such bare and common justice, as well to him as to his descendants, and all those who love his name, that we need hardly say it

can be called by no other; and ere long we hope to see "Brown's Retreat for the Insane," rearing its ample architecture in or near the city in which he was born, and loved to dwell. It is not long since, that those whom reason deserted, were treated with as much, nay more cruelty, than the worst of felons; were chained like raving devils, and made to endure stripes, and starvation, and privations unknown to malefactors as though the most effectual way to restore man's intellect to its majesty and strength, were to treat him like a beast of prey;-as though, in fact, he had no intellect at all. We do not mean to say that in our own land they have endured such barbarous and unchristian usage; though until some few years back, we believe more expense and care have been bestowed, and more anxiety manifested, to rid society of the wretched maniac by sequestering him from home and friends, and all the comforts that God's creatures possessed of sane mental faculties enjoy, than were expended in curing the disease that daily shattered his expiring intellect. But could the cells of some private mad-houses, that once disgraced old England, speak, they would tell tales of suffering and horror, endured by their inmates, more dreadful than any we have described, or can picture here. We thank heaven, though, that the cruelties which once cursed the miserable lunatic, rendering his recovery little short of a miracle, no longer exist: a humane, an enlightened system of treatment has been adopted and carried out, both in this and other lands; and in our own opinion, the liberal bequest we have mentioned could not have been so well bestowed, as for the truly wise and charitable purpose to which it will be appropriated.

From what we have here written of Mr. Brown, no one will doubt that he was a religious and good man. His views of Christianity were broad and comprehensive, and we cannot more clearly and strongly express the opinion he entertained of responsibility to his Maker, than by presenting the following extract from the will we have before mentioned:

"Be it remembered, that whereas I, Nicholas Brown, of the city of Providence, of the county of Providence, in the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, merchant, have heretofore made and published my last will and testament, bearing date on the thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord 1825, in and by which I made large devises and bequests, and invested extensive trusts and powers severally in my then honored and affectionate wife, Mary Brown; in my kind and beloved daughter, Ann Brown Francis, then the wife of John B. Francis, Esquire, and in my highly esteemed friend, partner, and brother, Thomas P. Ives, Esq.: and whereas the all-wise Dispenser of events has seen fit, in his infinite wisdom, to remove by death my said wife, daughter, and brother, and has also seen fit mercifully to extend the period of my own earthly existence far beyond what I had reason to expect, thereby affording to me time and opportunity for carrying into effect many of the benevolent plans and designs which formerly I had in view: in order, therefore, to provide for what remains yet to be performed, and under a deep sense of the high account I shall soon be called to render to Him who bestows earthly good and immortal joy, I do hereby revoke and annut my said will under the date aforesaid, and proceed to make, publish, and declare, this as my last will and testament."

We have remarked that Mr. Brown was a Christian man; but he was no sectarian: nor did he ever make any public declaration of the faith he

worshipped. No man read the scriptures more devoutly, and few attended more steadily in God's temple on the sabbath; and none were more ready than he to discover and trace the hand and the providence of his Maker in all the works of his creation. Through the varied changes of a prolonged life, he maintained a spotless reputation, an honored name: his heart was pure and kind, his sentiments noble by nearly all who knew him he was loved and reverenced; and none could say he oppressed the poor, or inflicted wrong upon his fellow-men. His career is closed-he is gathered to his fathers-his body is in the grave-his spirit in a better world.

ART. VI.-FAMILIAR SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A CLERK.

So much of a man's character in after life depends on what kind of an employer he had when young, that it is worthy of being much more seri. ously considered by parents and young men than it is. How often do we see men, in whom we can trace the effect of this kind of education, and see the exact resemblance of their former masters in the manners, thoughts, habits, and vices, which they have copied unaware! Happily we sometimes see virtues, too, and can trace their foundation to the same sources. This thought has been suggested by a knowledge of the character of the gentleman referred to in the following sketch, whose proper name I have changed, because I have no liberty to use it; and as he still lives, he might not be altogether pleased at being made conspicuous.. This gentleman lived in an eastern seaport town, and was a grocer, doing a considerable business. He had a boy apprenticed to him, whose name was John,-certainly no great marvel in these days of so many Johns. Mr. Mason, for so we will call the grocer, carried his principles of honesty as far as any man I ever knew; I had almost said, as far as any man ever ought to do. He made it an invariable rule to tell the whole truth respecting his goods, even their defects. It was the custom then, as well as now, to compound and adulterate wines; and if any person asked him if a wine was pure, he told them no; and he did not stop there, for he told them what it really He was also perfectly candid in regard to his neighbors' goods, and I have seen him more than once lose the sale of a chest of tea, of which he was an excellent judge, and on which he would have made a profit of six or eight dollars in those days of high prices, in consequence of telling his customer that his neighbor had better. The effect of this course, after many years, was to gain him a reputation, and inspire such a confidence, that he could sell any sort of goods at higher prices than other people could, because purchasers, who did not depend entirely on their own judg ment, knew they would not be deceived. But John, at the time, did not like it much; he thought it was going rather too far, and as he soon began to take a lead in the store, being a little disposed to mischief, he would sometimes annoy Mr. Mason by the most extravagant encomium in his hearing on goods that would not bear it. And sometimes he carried his impudence so far, as to assert, in his hearing, that his recommendations were on the opinion and judgment of Mr. Mason. They had a neighbor, a drygoods shop-keeper, who was a notorious liar; and he had indulged

was.

the habit so long, that he had become careless, and sometimes committed himself most grossly. Him, in the recklessness of his fun, John would imitate and caricature in his palaver with customers. When a particular article was called for, John would say, "This is just like it, only a great deal more so ;" and in spite of correction several times, he frequently indulged his frolicksomeness, and sometimes imposed on a customer. From the experience I have had as a clerk in a store, I am induced to think that much of what is called cheating, is the result of a bantering among the boys, to see who will perform the greatest feat, or show the longest tongue, or use most soft soap, as the slang phrase among them is. It was the practice of Mr. Mason in his store, as well as in his family, to show the effect of bad habits, by illustrating their consequences by example, as often as he had opportunity, rather than to administer correction himself. He was vigilant in caution; and if that was not attended to, the first opportunity was embraced to make an example, and John had laid himself open to the latter course.

One morning an enraged countryman came into the store with very angry looks; he had left a team in the street, and held a goad-stick in his hand. "Mr. Mason," said the angry countryman, "I bought a paper of nutmegs-here in your store, and when I got home, they were more than half walnuts; and that's the young villain that I bought 'em of," pointing to John.

"John," said Mr. Mason, " did you sell the man walnuts for nutmegs?" "No, sir," was the ready answer.

"You lie, you little villain," said the countryman, still more enraged at his assurance.

"The fact is, he does tell a great many lies," said Mr. Mason; "and I don't know what to do with him, unless I leave you to chastise him:" and with this license to his enraged feelings, the countryman made at John with his goad-stick, which compelled him to scamper up a flight of stairs; and he threw down the scuttle after him, that, in its fall, crushed the countryman's hat over his eyes, and nothing allayed his wrath. These scuttle-doors were, in those days, common in warehouses, at the heads of stairs, instead of casements built around them, as now; and John fastened it down, and kept the countryman from following him, not, however, without having got two or three licks of the goad-stick across his legs and thighs, as he went up the stairs.

Mr. Mason, who had just come into the store, withdrew to the countingroom, but with scarcely repressed laughter, determined to let things take their course; while the rest of us, and you will see that I was one of the number, were enjoying John's predicament with great glee. When, however, Mr. Mason saw that the countryman was foiled, and was still complaining of the abuse, while John was secure in his beleaguered position, he came out again, and told the countryman that, if he had been imposed upon, it should be made up to him, trouble and all.

John, who overheard what was said, now came to the hoist-away, and rubbing his thighs, at the same time said, "If the goose had taken the trouble to weigh his nutmegs, he would have found that I put in the walnuts gratis."

"Oh, you gave them to him, did you?"

"Yes, sir, I threw in a handful for the children to crack," said John, laughing at the same time.

"You were certainly very considerate," said Mr. Mason, turning away, and unable to repress a sympathy with John's mirth.

"Well, now, if that ain't a young scamp," said the countryman, his features relaxing into a grin, as he saw through the truth.

The fact was, John had thrown in the handful of walnuts unobserved, and enjoyed beforehand all the countryman's disappointment and rage when he should see them, but without anticipating the present consequence of it. Mr. Mason improved the opportunity to say, when the countryman was gone, "There was no great harm in the trick, John, but truth is always sacred, and trifling improper, and I hope you will hereafter think

so too."

The moral was good, and as far as might be expected from a mind so young and buoyant as his, John did correct his habit of trifling with his customers and his word.

Mr. Mason always encouraged in his boys a spirit of trade in their own behalf, and on purpose that they might procure for themselves a reasonable amount of pocket-money, and thus be kept from temptation to be dishonest towards him; they were allowed the privilege of selling certain light articles for their own benefit; and an extensive grocery store, in a small town, affords a better opportunity for that than in this city, where the separate dealers in each article are so much more by themselves. There were, also, in former times, many opportunities of adventures by sea, particularly to the West Indies, from ports where lumbering and fishing are carried on. These opportunities are grown less now, from the fact, that we then had access to every island in the Atlantic and could the young adventurers in the New England states be consulted in the matter, I am persuaded that, one and all, they would condemn the policy that has surrendered the trade of so many of them.

The manner of sailing West India vessels formerly, was to give the captain so much wages, and so much privilege of freight; and the mate in the same manner. It was the plan of young adventurers, therefore, to commit their enterprises to the care of the captain or mate on half-profits; thus they paid no freight, if none was made; the captain lost nothing but his privilege of freight, if sales were bad; and so the risk was shared between them. Some of the largest fortunes ever made in New England by commerce, have begun in this way. The Hon. William Gray, who was for many years the richest man in Boston, was known to have made his first enterprise in this manner, which, with time and industry, swelled into rich argosies, covering every sea; and it was familiarly said, for twenty years, "No wind could blow that was not fair for him.”

Our young friend, John, was of an adventurous turn, and a little speculative withal; but he was a poor, apprenticed boy, and had no money. As soon, however, as Mr. Mason had discovered what his turn was, and found that he was worthy of being encouraged, he made him a present of some boxes of fish, a keg of butter, and a box of tallow candles; and with these John commenced his career of commercial life, then only fourteen years old. With these for his capital, he pursued a regular course of adventure, and with varied success; sometimes making a loss, but never sinking his capital. When he had increased his capital a little, he divided his interest into several adventures, instead of seeking it all in one; and it was not more than a year and a half before John became a prosperous merchant, on a small scale. He entered into all the calculations of a merchant, and