THE RICH BOY AND THE POOR BOY; A contented Mind is the best Feast. ADORNED WITH CUTS, LONDON: PRINTED FOR HOULSTON AND SON, 65, Paternoster-Row ; AND AT WELLINGTON, SALOP. Price One Penny. FRONTISPIECE. In Books, or Work, or healthful Play, Let my first Years be past; That I may give for every Day Some good Account at last. William and George. THE RICH BOY AND THE POOR BOY; OR, A Contented Mind is the BEST FEAST. Adorned with Cuts. WELLINGTON : Printed by F. Houlston and Son. Price One Penny. p William & George. RICH merchant, nam- ed Gibson, had an only child called William, who if he had been «;ood misHit have been as happy as any boy in the world, for he had plenty of every thing Ji is heart could desire. He had new milk for his breakfast, meat, potatoes, and pudding, for his dinner, and always a tart or 6 William and George. milk for supper. Besides all these good things, he had warm thick clothes to wear in the winter, and light cool ones for the summer. He had a fine house to live in, a good bed to sleep on at night, and a nice clear fire to sit William and George. 7 by when the frost and snow covered the ground. When the weather was fair he walk- ed with his papa and mam- ma, and when it rained he went in the coach: to com- plete all, he had plenty of jooks to improve him in knowledge, and toys to a- muse him when he had read his lessons. I have told you what com- forts and blessings William possessed, and must now give you an account of George Wilson the poor boy. George Wilson's father was a poor labouring man, he dug ditches, cut wood, and 8 XV illiarfi and George. worked in Mr. Gibson's gar- den, and had five children* of whom George was the el- dest, and he was only eight years old. In the summer mornings he got up with the sun, and in the winter with the first streaks of light; his breakfast Was a bit of black William and George. Q coarse bread, and a draught of water, and then he went to assist his father in what- ever his strength would per- mit. At dinner-time he was sometimes so happy as to have potatoes, or beans, or cabbage, but oftentimes no- thing but bread, and a mor- sel of dry cheese, so that even hunger and his sharp teeth could hardly get through it, and at supper a lunch of coarse bread com- pleted his daily fare. The same old patched jacket that covered him in winter from the cold, shielded him 10 William arid George. in the summer from the sun ; and when weary with labour he rolled in his straw bed, and never waked till morn- ing. If the weather was fair he was thankful; but if it rained he ran through it, gave his old jacket and hat a shake, and thought no more about it. As to reading, his father had neither time to teach him, nor yet could he aftord to put him to school, but for all that George declared that he would not be a dunce, and never rested till his father begged an old book of Mas- ter 3 William's of one of the William and George. H servants, and which, by dint of spelling and teazing every body first to tell him the letters, then the words, he at leno'th ffot to read without If I was to ask you whicli of these two boys was the most happy, you most likely 12 William and George. i would suppose Master Wil- liam, but if so, you are mis- taken; lie was a poor spoiled child, that cried for he knew not what. He had so many good things that he did not know the value of them, and seemed to consider all he possessed as the effect of his own merit, and not given by the goodness of God; in short, he was such a poor, whining, sullen, tiresome, idle creature, that he was as thin as a lath, and a torment to himself and all around him ; on the contrary, every body loved George, he was the merriest fellow in the William and George. 13 whole village where he lived, for as he took care to offend neither father nor mother, nor indeed any one else, so he had nothing to cry for; he was thankful for all the happiness he enjoyed, and i\ never failed to remember that all good comes from God, who, according to his wise I pleasure, gives or retains from his creatures. Merchants are liable to many misfortunes; and in a great storm at sea all Mr. Gibson's ships were cast a- way, and he was suddenly re- duced to great distress, and obliged to go all the way to 4 34 William and George. India to endeavour to settle his affairs, or rather to col- lect the wreck of his fortune. As Mrs. Gibson did not like to go among her former acquaintance now she was poor, she resolved to stay in the village, and as no cottage 4 William and George. 15 was neater, or cleaner, than Gaffer Wilson's, she went to reside there during her hus- band's absence. Mr. Gibson had not been gone above a month, when his lady fell sick, and though the kind cottagers did all they could, she died in a few days. Master William now felt a sad change, for though Gaffer Wilson and his wife were very kind to hi in, yet he was forced to live in the same manner as their family did. At first he could not eat their coarse food, and cried to be waked so earlv, but he soon began to be J 6 William and George. used to it, and daily thought less about his former dain- ties. George was such a merry hearty fellow, that he could not but love him, and on the long winter nights at his earnest request taught him to read, or at least im- proved him in his learning. A year past, and the cot- tagers began to expect Mr. Gibson's return, and pleas- ed themselves with thinking- how happy he would be to see his son so well, but instead of his return, they heard that the vessel in which he was on board was cast away, and himself among others William and George. 17 drowned. This was a severe blow, and William cried bit> terly, as did also George to see him cry, for he loved him like one of his brothers— " Don't cry, William, (said the kind-hearted boy,) you make me cry as bad as your- self, and I don't think 1 have 18 William and George. cried ever since I can remem- ber till now, If God has taken your father to heaven, yon know he has given you another, for my father loves you as dearly as he does any of- us — don't you, father?" Gaffer Wilson did all in his power, as well as his son, to comfort William, and in time succeeded. Some of the neigh- bours greatly blamed the honest man for increasing his family by maintaining a stranger, and would have had him sent the child to the parish; but he would not lis- ten to them, but resolved to consider William as one of William and George. 1§ his own — saying, " I will be a father to him, and teach him, poor fellow, to get his living, and when I grow old he will, perhaps, consider himself as one of my sons, and comfort me in my old age." From this time William 20 William and George. was forced to labour, and though he found it hard at first, yet custom and the ex- ample of George made it soon easy; and by the time he had attained his four- teenth year, he was as hear- ty, strong, and merry, as his brother, as he called him . One day that George and William were digging pota- toes in a field, their father, Gaffer Wilson, joined them with a stranger dressed in deep mourning. He looked earnestly at the two boys, and his eyes seemed filled with tears, " It cannot be, William and George. 21 (said he;) my son was pale, puny, and delicate, that lad is ruddy, healthy, and hand- some." The words of the s t ran ger attract ed* W i 11 i am ' s notice. His father had been gone six long years, but he had not entirely forgotten him, and throwing down his spade, he ran forward and fell at his feet, saying, " Oh, my father, my father, has God indeed preserved you? — receive your happy, happy child — though exercise and wholesome labour may have altered his person, his heart is still the same, or rather it 22 William and George. more than ever is ready to pay its duty to you." William's words and voice dispersed all Mr. Gibson's doubts, and falling on his son's neck he cried, " All my sufferings are repaid, is it pos- sible that exercise and plain diet, can have made so great a change? What you have lost in learning, a willing- mind can soon repair; and as for Gaffer Wilson and honest George, as they have been truly your father and brother, so they shall still continue; you shared all the wealth they possessed, and they shall William and- George. 23 share yours, for I have return- ed rich enough to reward all my friends." Houlstons, Printers. BOOKS PRINTED AND SOLD BY F. HOULSTON SON, 65, Paternoster-Row, London ; and at WELLINGTON, SALOP. SCRIPTURE HISTORIES; from the Creation of the World to the Death of Jesus Christ. With a Description of St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Price Id. A short HISTORY of BIRDS and BEASTS. Price Id. The HISTORY of SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON and HIS CAT. Price Id. The WILD-BEAST SHOW. Price Id. NOTHING at ALL. Price Id. The FAITHFUL DOG. A Tale. Price Id. GLEANINGS from NATURAL HIS- TORY : for the Amusement and Instruc- tion of Youth; Price Id.