Page:History of Charles Jones, the footman (1).pdf/16

 near relation. Whereas, servants that are continually roving about from place to place, have no friend in distress, and seldom get a provision for old age.' Happy it was for me that I followed this good advice. If I had not, I should probably have been nothing more than a poor footman all my life.

But before I bring my own story to an end, I must beg my reader's patiencopatience [sic] to listen to thothe [sic] sad fate of my poor brother Tom. Alas! poor Tom, he was a great favourite in our kitchen, because he sung the best song, told the merriest tale, and paid his card-money the most freely of any gentleman footman about town. And then hohe [sic] swore so much like a gentleman, and was so complaisant to the ladies, and pushed about the strong beer so merrily, that hohe [sic] was, said our servants, the most agreeabloagreeable [sic] company in the world. And yet all these entertaining qualities did not preserve my poor brother from the most dreadful state of distress and ruin. One morning he came to me about ten o'clock with a very woeful countenance, which was a thing very unusual for him, and told me, that hohe [sic] had just been turned away from his place without a character, that he had no money, many debts, no real friends, and what was worse than all, that he was labouring under disease.

Tom grew worse every day, and was at length given over. In the morning of that day, while I was sitting at his bedside, who should come in but my dear mother. She had walked 130 miles, except now and then a lift in the waggon, to attend upon her undeserving son. When shoshe [sic] saw him, pale and emaciated, and his facoface [sic] half consumed by disease, it so shocked her, that she fainted away. As soon as she recovered, and was a little relieved by a plentiful flood of tears, she said, 'My dear