out of doors. O! how I remember that day, though
nearly forty years have since rolled away. But,
alas! it was a dear knife to me. It haunted me
like the knife of King Macbeth, with which he cut
the throat of Duncan, which ever after the bloody
deed, while the ghost of Duncan with the throat cut
from ear to ear appeared to harrow up his imagina-
tion, hung over the head of the guilty king dripping
with the blood of his victim. O! what would I not
have given, soon after I left the store, to have had
that knife safely in its pack lying upon the mer-
chant's shelf, and my conscience relieved from the
sting of guilt! although no mortal man under the
heavens knew it but myself. And the very name
of New-Hartford would bring a guilty blush upon
my cheek. Here I might spin out many pages in
portraying the remorse I felt until time and business
lulled memory to sleep. O! my dear little flaxen-
haired readers, I tell this incident for your benefit,
that if
you
should be tempted in a like manner, you
should at once remember the knife at New-Hartford.
In such a temptation, ask God to give you help to
resist, and always remember that honesty is the best
policy.

"Whene'er temptation lingers nigh,
Remember God's all-seeing eye."

I fain would give this some other name than theft, but there is none other that suits it so well. This through grace divine has ever proved an effectual preventive to the repetition of any such

eyc.

mean and dishonourable act. This was done while the conscience was as tender as the apple of the Had I pursued this wicked course, I might soon have stolen a horse with less compunctions, and perhaps ended my days in prison. So much for the penknife.

Secondly, in regard to gambling, blacklegging, and its cure. I think I was about fourteen years old, when I was sent out for the first time on business, with a span of horses and sleigh to Taberg Furnace, in Oneida County, about thirty-six miles distant, to procure some hardware, and do some other business. I was supplied with quite a sufficiency of money to bear my own expenses, as well as those of the team; and I was sure if I performed the business well, and got safe home, I should not be asked any questions about the surplus money that might be left after paying the expenses of the trip. Here I commenced my first lesson of rigid economy, which, had I carried out through life with my usual industry, I should probably, at this time, have a house to cover me from the pelting storm, without hiring it; and my flour-barrel and meat-cask would not sound so empty as they now do. God that these have been like the cruse of the widow, that entertained Elijah: they have kept about so full. turn to my story. When I got ready to start out on my journey, I managed to get hay and oats enough to feed my horses, and pork and beans

But I thank meal-tub and

the prophet But to re

enough to feed myself. I made the trip all in good order, and returned back as far as the village of Whitesboro', the last place I was to feed at till I should get home; and in looking over my finances, I could say, like Gen. Jackson in one of his messages, I was at peace with all the world and out of debt, with two dollars and a half in my pocket. Although I have had not less than half a million of dollars pass through my hands since that time, yet I think I never before or afterwards felt so rich or important in my own estimation, as I did that morning.

The speculations that ran through my head were numerous, and, as I supposed, important. I thought to make some purchases, as I should pass through Utica. But I knew I had money enough to buy out all the boys for a mile round me when I reached home, and the way I intended to shake it at them was a caution. O, what a tyrant money makes of a man! But after feeding my horses under the shed for the last baiting, I took my bucket of pork and beans in one hand, and my whip in the other, snapping it at every dog or fowl that came in my way. I entered the bar-room of the tavern in full state, asking no favours of anybody; and, as I think, before I opened my box of luncheon, I very gracefully put my hand into my pocket, and drew forth my pocket-book, and took out my money with some little flourish, and asked the landlord if it was current, taking care that all the gentleman-loafers in the

bar-room should see it. It being pronounced good, I returned it to my pocket, bought a glass of cider, and went to eating my luncheon. O, how little I imagined that riches had wings, and that the wings of all my earthly treasures were already beginning to expand for flight! But the whole machinery for my bankruptcy was then in the bar-room. Before I had got my cider half drank, there arose a great lazy, bloated, puffing porpoise, who was on the jail limits, and he drew forth a pack of cards, and went to the knowing bar-tender while he stood within the bar, shuffled his cards, and laid them down on the counter. At this time I was very ignorant of that beautiful science called the Black Art, performed with cards. I merely knew one card from another. The cards being "cut," the loafer offered to bet one shilling, that after the bar-tender had "shuffled" the pack to suit himself, and also cut the pack, he (the loafer) would take the part cut off, and turn his back and examine them, and then that some specified card of the remaining part of the deck would be first turned face up. I left my breakfast to gaze on the new and interesting transaction. To my astonishment, the gamester would turn up the very card he named, and take off the bar-tender's shilling; but the bar-tender continued to bet till the third or fourth time, and while the gambler had the part cut off, he went as usual to the back part of the room, with his back turned towards the remaining cards. The bartender then shuffled the cards as by magic, and

66

66

66

placed them back in their position again. "Now," says he to the loafer, "I'll bet you two dollars.” Done," says the loafer. Now," says the bartender, we have him ;" winking to me to put down my money. It was no quicker winked than done; my two dollars and a half were all down, and the bet confirmed. O what golden visions flitted across my imagination! Instead of two dollars and a half, I should take home with me five dollars in triumph! "Now," inquired the loafer, "is all ready? is the money all down?" To which we emphatically replied, "Yes." He then shuffled his cards again with more than ordinary accuracy, while every minute seemed an hour to my fingers, itching to claw the five dollars! He then cried out, "I'll bet that the Jack of Clubs will be trump," and immediately returned to the deck; and as he turned over the uppermost card, there was presented that frightful and never-to-beforgotten Jack of Clubs! while, at the same time, the magician loafer hauled off all my money, with all my golden dreams and hopes of present and future happiness and aristocratic power, and vanished from my sight.

There are very few men who have met with more reverses of fortune than I have; but I think, put them all together, they would not be so heart-rending and sickening as this transaction was to me. When I learned that the bar-tender and loafer were co-partners in this swindling operation, God knows how cordially I have hated cards and every species