"THE WORLD BEFORE HIM, WHERE TO CHOOSE."
We have no doubt but many of our readers have occasionally, when on a
journey, come to where the road divides into two, forking out in
different directions, and the road being new to them, have not known
which of the two branches they ought to take. This happens, as it often
does in a novel, to be our case just now. Shall we follow little Joey,
or his father and mother?--that is the question. We believe that when a
road does thus divide, the wider of the two branches is generally
selected, as being supposed to be the continuation of the high road. We
shall ourselves act upon that principle; and, as the hero of the tale is
of more consequence than characters accessory, we shall follow up the
fortunes of little Joey. As soon as our hero had deposited the gun so
that it might be easily discovered by any one passing by, he darted into
the high road, and went off with all the speed that he was capable of,
and it was not yet light when he found himself at least ten miles from
his native village. As the day dawned, he quitted the high road, and
took to the fields, keeping a parallel course, so as to still increase
the distance; it was not until he had made fifteen miles, that, finding
himself exhausted, he sat down to recover himself.
From the time that he had left the cottage until the present, Joey had
had but one overwhelming idea in his head, which was, to escape from
pursuit, and by his absence to save his father from suspicion; but now
that he had effected that purpose, and was in a state of quiescence,
other thoughts rushed upon his mind. First, the scenes of the last few
hours presented themselves in rapid array before him--he thought of the
dead man, and he looked at his hand to ascertain if the bloody marks had
been effaced; and then he thought of his poor mother's state when he
quitted the cottage, and the remembrance made him weep bitterly: his own
position came next upon him,--a boy, twelve years of age, adrift upon
the world--how was he to live--what was he to do? This reminded him
that his mother had given him money; he put his hand into his pocket,
and pulled it out to ascertain what he possessed. He had 1 pound, 16
shillings; to him a large sum, and it was all in silver. As he had
become more composed, he began to reflect upon what he had better do;
where should he go to?--London. It was a long way, he knew, but the
farther he was away from home, the better. Besides, he had heard much
of London, and that every one got employment there. Joey resolved that
he would go to London; he knew that he had taken the right road so far,
and having made up his mind, he rose up, and proceeded. He knew that,
if possible, he must not allow himself to be seen on the road for a day
or two, and he was puzzled how he was to get food, which he already felt
would be very acceptable; and then, what account was he to give of
himself if questioned? Such were the cogitations of our little hero as
he wended his way till he came to a river, which was too deep and rapid
for him to attempt to ford--he was obliged to return to the high road to
cross the bridge. He looked around him before he climbed over the low
stone wall, and perceiving nobody, he jumped on the footpath, and
proceeded to the bridge, where he suddenly faced an old woman with a
basket of brown cakes something like ginger-bread. Taken by surprise,
and hardly knowing what to say, he inquired if a cart had passed that
way.
"Yes, child, but it must be a good mile ahead of you," said the old
woman, "and you must walk fast to overtake it."
"I have had no breakfast yet, and I am hungry; do you sell your cakes?"
"Yes, child, what else do I make them for? three a penny, and cheap
too."
Joey felt in his pocket until he had selected a sixpence, and pulling it
out, desired the old woman to give him cakes for it, and, taking the
pile in his hand, he set off as fast as he could. As soon as he was out
of sight, he again made his way into the fields, and breakfasted upon
half his store. He then continued his journey until nearly one o'clock,
when, tired out with his exertions, as soon as he had finished the
remainder of his cakes, he laid down under a rick of corn, and fell fast
asleep, having made twenty miles since he started. In his hurry to
escape pursuit, and the many thoughts which occupied his brain, Joey had
made no observation on the weather; if he had, he probably would have
looked after some more secure shelter than the lee-side of a haystack.
He slept soundly, and he had not been asleep more than an hour, when the
wind changed, and the snow fell fast; nevertheless, Joey slept on, and
probably never would have awakened more, had it not been that a shepherd
and his dog were returning home in the evening, and happened to pass
close to the haystack. By this time Joey had been covered with a layer
of snow, half an inch deep, and had it not been for the dog, who went up
to where he laid, and commenced pawing the snow off of him, he would
have been passed by undiscovered by the shepherd, who, after some
trouble, succeeded in rousing our hero from his torpor, and half
dragging, half lifting him, contrived to lead him across one or two
fields, until they arrived at a blacksmith's shop, in a small village,
before Joey could have been said to have recovered his scattered senses.
Two hours' more sleep and there would have been no further history to
give of our little hero.
He was dragged to the forge, the fire of which glowed under the force of
the bellows, and by degrees, as the warmth reached him, he was restored
to self-possession. To the inquiries made as to who he was, and from
where he came, he now answered as he had before arranged in his mind.
His father and mother were a long way before him; he was going to
London, but having been tired, he had fallen asleep under the haystack,
and he was afraid that if he went not on to London directly, he never
might find his father and mother again.
"Oh, then," replied the shepherd, "they have gone on before, have they?
Well, you'll catch them, no doubt."
The blacksmith's wife, who had been a party to what was going on, now
brought up a little warm ale, which quite re-established Joey; and at
the same time a waggon drove up to the door, and stopped at the
blacksmith's shop.
"I must have a shoe tacked on the old mare, my friend," said the driver.
"You won't be long?"
"Not five minutes," replied the smith. "You're going to London?"
"Yes, sure."
"Here's a poor boy that has been left behind by his father and mother
somehow--you wouldn't mind giving him a lift?"
"Well, I don't know; I suppose I must be paid for it in the world to
come."
"And good pay too, if you earn it," observed the blacksmith.
"Well, it won't make much difference to my eight horses, I expect," said
the driver, looking at Joey; "so come along, youngster: you may perch
yourself on top of the straw, above the goods."
"First come in with me, child," said the wife of the blacksmith; "you
must have some good victuals to take with you--so, while you shoe the
horse, John, I'll see to the boy."
The woman put before Joey a dish in which were the remains of more than
one small joint, and our hero commenced his attack without delay.
"Have you any money, child?" inquired the woman.
Joey, who thought she might expect payment, replied, "Yes ma'am, I've
got a shilling;" and he pulled one out of his pocket and laid it out on
the table.
"Bless the child! what do you take me for, to think that I would touch
your money? You are a long way from London yet, although you have got
such a chance to get there. Do you know where to go when you get
there?"
"Yes, ma'am," replied Joey; "I shall get work in the stables, I
believe."
"Well, I dare say that you will; but in the meantime you had better save
your shilling--so we'll find something to put this meat and bread up for
your journey. Are you quite warm now?"
"Yes, thank'ee, ma'am."
Joey, who had ceased eating, had another warm at the fire, and in a few
minutes, having bade adieu, and giving his thanks to the humane people,
he was buried in the straw below the tilt of the waggon, with his
provisions deposited beside him, and the waggon went on his slow and
steady pace, to the tune of its own jingling bells. Joey, who had quite
recovered from his chill, nestled among the straw, congratulating
himself that he should now arrive safely in London, without more
questioning. And such was the case: in three days and three nights,
without any further adventure, he found himself, although he was not
aware of it, in Oxford-street, somewhat about eight or nine o'clock in
the evening.
"Do you know your way now, boy?" said the carman.
"I can ask it," replied Joey, "as soon as I can go to the light and read
the address. Good-bye, and thank you," continued he, glad at last to be
clear of any more evasive replies.
The carman shook him by the hand as they passed the Boar and Castle, and
bade him farewell, and our hero found himself alone in the vast
metropolis.
What was he to do? He hardly knew--but one thought struck him, which
was, that he must find a bed for the night. He wandered up and down
Oxford Street for some time, but every one walked so quick that he was
afraid to speak to them: at last a little girl, of seven or eight years
of age, passed by him, and looked him earnestly in the face.
"Can you tell me where I can get a bed for the night?" said Joey.
"Have you any brads?" was the reply.
"What are those?" said Joey.
"Any money, to be sure; why, you're green--quite."
"Yes, I have a shilling."
"That will do--come along, and you shall sleep with me."
Joey followed her very innocently, and very glad that he had been so
fortunate. She led him to a street out of Tottenham-court-road, in
which there were no lamps--the houses, however, were large, and many
stories high.
"Take my hand," said the girl, "and mind how you tread."
Guided by his new companion, Joey arrived at a door that was wide open:
they entered, and, assisted by the girl, he went up a dark staircase, to
the second storey. She opened a room-door, when Joey found himself in
company with about twenty other children, of about the same age, of both
sexes. Here were several beds on the floor of the room, which was
spacious. In the centre were huddled together on the floor, round a
tallow candle, eight or ten of the inmates, two of them playing with a
filthy pack of cards, while the others looked over them: others were
lying down or asleep on the several beds. "This is my bed," said the
girl; "if you are tired you can turn in at once. I shan't go to bed
yet."
Joey was tired, and he went to bed; it was not very clean, but he had
been used to worse lodgings lately. It need hardly be observed that
Joey had got into very bad company, the whole of the inmates of the room
consisting of juvenile thieves and pickpockets, who in the course of
time obtain promotion in their profession, until they are ultimately
sent off to Botany Bay. Attempts have been made to check these
nurseries of vice: but pseudo-philanthropists have resisted such
barbarous innovation: and upon the Mosaic principle, that you must not
seethe the kid in the mother's milk, they are protected and allowed to
arrive at full maturity, and beyond the chance of being reclaimed, until
they are ripe for the penalties of the law.
Joey slept soundly, and when he awoke next morning found that his little
friend was not with him. He dressed himself; and then made another
discovery, which was, that every farthing of his money had been
abstracted from his pockets. Of this unpleasant fact he ventured to
complain to one or two boys, who were lying on other beds with their
clothes on; they laughed at him, called him a greenhorn, and made use of
other language, which at once let Joey know the nature of the company
with whom he had been passing the night. After some altercation, three
or four of them bundled him out of the room, and Joey found himself in
the street without a farthing, and very much inclined to eat a good
breakfast.
There is no portion of the world, small as it is in comparison with the
whole, in which there is more to be found to eat and to drink, more
comfortable lodgings, or accommodation and convenience of every kind,
than in the metropolis of England, provided you have the means to obtain
it; but notwithstanding this abundance, there is no place, probably,
where you will find it more difficult to obtain a portion of it, if you
happen to have an empty pocket.
Joey went into a shop here and there to ask for employment--he was
turned away everywhere. He spent the first day in this manner, and at
night, tired and hungry, he laid down on the stone steps of a portico,
and fell asleep. The next morning he awoke shivering with the cold,
faint with hunger. He asked at the areas for something to eat, but no
one would give him anything. At a pump he obtained a drink of water--
that was all he could obtain, for it cost nothing. Another day passed
without food, and the poor boy again sheltered himself for the night at
a rich man's door in Berkeley-square.