fatisfied his hunger by fucking, he would neftle between her legs and go to fleep in her bofom.

It was wonderful to fee how this child, thus left to nature, increafed in ftrength and vigour. Unfettered by bandages or reftraints, his limbs acquired their due proportions and form; his countenance was full and florid, and gave indications of perfect health; and, at an age when other children are fcarcely able to fupport themfelves with the affiftance of a nurse, this little foundling could run alone. It was true that he fometimes failed in his attempts, and fell to the ground; but the ground was foft, and little Jack, for fo the old man called him, was not tender or delicate; he never minded thumps or bruises, but boldly scrambled up again and pursued his way. In a fhort time, little pletely ma

r of his legs; and as the fummer + came on, he attended his mamma, the goat,

upon

upon the common, and used to play with her for hours together; fometimes rolling under her belly, now, climbing upon her back, and frifking about as if he had really been a kid. As to his cloathing, Jack was not much incumbered with it: he had neither fhoes, nor ftockings, nor fhirt; but the weather was warm, and Jack felt himself so much lighter for every kind of exercife. In a fhort time after this, Jack began to imitate the founds of his рара, the man, and his mamma, the goat; nor was it long before he learned to speak articulately. The old man, delighted with this first dawn of reason, used to place him upon his knee, and converse with him for hours together, while his pottage was flowly boiling amid the embers of a turf fire. As he grew bigger, Jack became of confiderable use to his father; he could truft him to look after the gate, and open it during his abfence; and, as to the cookery of the family, it was not long before Jack was a complete proficient, and could make broth almost as well as his daddy himself. During the winter nights, the old man used to entertain him with ftories of what he had feen during his youth; the battles and fieges he had been witness to, and the hardships he had undergone; all this he related with fo much vivacity, that Jack was never tired of liftening. But what de-. lighted

Ꭱ Ꮞ

lighted him beyond measure was to fee daddy fhoulder his crutch, inftead of a mufquet, and give the word of command. To the right-to the left-prefent-fire-march-halt-all this was familiar to Jack's ear as foon as he could speak, and before he was fix years old, he poized and presented a broom-stick, which his daddy gave him for that purpofe, with as good a grace as any foldier of his age in Europe.

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The old man too instructed him in fuch plain and fimple morals and religion, as he was able to explain. "Never tell an untruth, Jack," faid he, even though you were to be flayed alive; a foldier never lies." Jack held up his head, marched across the floor, and promised his daddy that he would always tell the truth like a foldier. But the old man, as he was fomething of a fcholar

a fcholar, had a great ambition that his darling fhould learn to read, and write; and this was a work of fome difficulty; for he had neither printed book, nor pens, nor paper in his cabin.. Industry, however, enables us to overcome difficulties; in the fummer time, as the old man fat before his cottage, he would draw letters in the fand, and teach Jack to name them fingly, until he was acquainted with the whole alphabet, he then proceeded to fyllables, and after that to words; all which his little pupil learned to pronounce with great facility: and, as he had a strong propensity to imitate what he saw, he not only acquired the power of reading words, but of tracing all the letters which compofed them, on the fand.

About this time, the poor goat, which had nurfed Jack fo faithfully, grew ill and died. He tended her with the greatest affection and affiduity during her illness, brought her the freshest herbs for food, and would frequently support her head for hours together upon his little bofom. But it was all in vain; he loft his poor mammy, as he used to call her, and was for fome time inconfolable; for Jack, though his knowledge was bounded, had an uncommon degree of gratitude and affection in his temper. He was not able to talk as finely about love, tendernefs, and fenfibility, as many other little boys, that have enjoyed greater

B 5

greater advantages of education, but he felt the reality of them in his heart, and thought it fo natural to love every thing that loves us, that be never even suspected it was poffible to do otherwife. The poor goat was buried in the old man's garden, and thither little Jack would often come, and call upon his poor mammy Nan, and afk her why the had left him? One day, as he was thus employed, a lady happened to come by in a carriage, and overheard him before he was aware. Jack ran in an inftant to open the gate; but the lady ftopped, and afked him whom he was bemoaning fo pitifully, and calling upon. Jack

anfwered, that it was his poor mammy, that was buried in the garden. The lady thought it very odd to hear of fuch a burial place, and therefore proceeded to question him, "How did your

mamma