bold by Sv H A Z A R D, 
 Printer to the CHEAP REPORT 1 
 
 Religious, and Mora! T rafts a - 
 
 By MARSHA; 
 Printer to the CHEAP -REPOS 
 Queen-Street, Cheap-Snip - sfkH 
 jGhurch 'Yard ; and K. WH'fTE 
 |;vi>ON ; and by all Book felfe Ne\ 
 l^ers, in Town and Gourij&/ 
 jj Great Allowance to ShMhtbers 
 Price an il.'or as afl r»er i^n M£ii£ 
 
 Littered at $t®Mene f ' 
 
On the i ft of September xoai bz pubhjrtfd, . 
 
 A Sunday Reading— The Two Farmers. Part I.*-~a*i<l 
 Dame Andrews, a Ballad. 
 
 £> On the ift oj October, . • ' 
 
 A Sunday Reading. — The Two Farmers Part IIv~» 
 and.ths Honcil Miller, a £a:ladv 
 
 On the ift of November* 
 
 it 
 
 oirn s a. 
 
 /. feces ort ei jlhiuu* jriaL o i? nic 
 
 e* v ery: Monxn* 
 
T H E 
 
 happy Waterman, 
 
 A Gentleman and lady walking on thj 
 A~yL banks of die river Thames, fpieda fifa&fl 
 ferry-boat with a neatly dreffed watern 
 rowing towards them \ on his nearer ap- 
 proach* they tmi on die Itern of hh bmfy 
 thefe words* Thj Happy Watimma^,^ 
 Without taking my m&m of it? ihe? de- 
 termined to enter into converfation with ffej 
 and inquiring into bis finmtion in life, diey 
 found that be had a wife and five child; 
 and iupported alio art old mi im 
 
 ther indaw by his own labour, The mn 
 
 * • 
 
 tleman and kdy were upon tftig w\ 
 furprifed at the tide he had given h;mfeif 9 
 and {aid, " my friend, if this is yov . fitua 
 tion, how is it that you call youffelfthe 
 py waterman ?" "I can eafiiy explain tfes 
 to your fatisfa&ion," anlV cred the yoi*ng 
 man, "if you will give me leave ; ?, aud ihey 
 defiling him to proceed, he Jpcke as follows 
 <; I have obferved that cur greateft bleffings 
 in life are often looked upon as the greateit 
 diftrefles, and are in fafct made fuch by 
 means of imprudent conduct. My fotHer 
 and mother died a few years ago, and left 
 
 A 2 a 
 
■L 4 j 
 
 a large family y my father was a waterman, 
 and I was his affiftant in the management of 
 
 -a ferry-boat, by which he iupported his fa- 
 mily; on his death, it was neceffary (in or- 
 der to pay his j *>it debts) to fell our' boat! 
 I parted from it —even with tears — but the 
 diitrefs that I felt Ipurred me on to induftry, 
 for I faid, I will ufe every kind of diligence 
 to purejiafc ftty boat back agaia. I went to 
 the perfon who had bought it. and told him 
 my ueHgn.; he had given five guineas for it, 
 bi.it tola me ? as I was once die owner, that 
 I fcoxild have it whenever i could raife five 
 pou -iih. <; Shall the boat be mine again ?" 
 iaicl I ; my heart bounded at the thought! 
 
 " 1 was at this time married to a good 
 vonng woman, and we lived in a neighbour* 
 
 w cottage ; fhe was young, healthy, -ami 
 
 - ii.caii.ri ous, ana to was J, and. weHkn-eei 
 one another. — What might we not under- 
 take ? My father ufed to fay to me, Al- 
 ways do what is right; labour diligently, 
 &tm fpend your money carefully j and God 
 
 r^ili blefs ^your iton.\" We treafurcd up 
 th^fb rules, and determined to try the truth 
 Ql them. My wife nad long chiefly fup- 
 pprted 'two aged : parents : I loved them as 
 my own—and the defire of contributing to 
 
 ■i^pr l-hj^ort, was an additional fpur to my 
 -;k1w.\ ry-rs to re-piircbaie the boat. I en- 
 tered xv k- a as a day labourer, in the gar- 
 out ' fquwe: and my wife was called 
 
 occafionailv 
 
i occafionally to perform fome fervices at the 
 I houfe 9 and employed herfelf in needle work 5 
 I fpinning'or knitting at home ; not a moment 
 I in the day was fuffered to pafs unemployed— 
 f we fpared for ourfeives and furnittied all the 
 f comforts we could to the poor about us — • 
 \ and every week we dropped a little overplus 
 I into .a fairing-box — to buy the boat. If 
 I any accident or charity brought us an addi- 
 tional fhiiling, we did not enlarge our ex- 
 pence, but kept it for the boat! The 
 more care we took the more comfortable 
 we felt, for we were the nearer the poffeffi- 
 on of our little jboat. Our labour was 
 I lightened, by our looking forward to the 
 attainment of our wifh.es. Our family in- 
 deed increafed, but with it our friends in- 
 creafed alfo, for the cleanlinefs and frugali- 
 ty which furnifhed our cottage, and the con- 
 tent and cheerfulnefs that appeared in • 
 drew the notice of our rich neighbours ; or 
 my matter and miftrefs particularly, who 
 rule was to aflift the induftnous, but not t.o 
 encourage the idle. They did not appro*-- 
 I of giving money to the poor ; but in coin 
 winters, or dear times, allowed us to buy 
 things at a cheaper rate : this was vioney .to 
 us$ for when we counted our little cala lor 
 the weeks marketing, all that was fayed to 
 us by our tickets to purchafe thSmgs at re- 
 d iced prices, weiU ..into our little box.' 
 If my children got a • penny at Ichaol for. a 
 1 : -%?M^isk' ■■ -vt'. ; ''"A a reward 
 
™ - [ 6 j 
 
 reward, *tf buy gingerbread, J t@p L^ugk it 
 home, tkty laid, to help io Lay ike jci- 
 — for they would L^ve ik> gingerbread dli 
 daddy has got his boat again ! Thus from 
 time to time our little ftore inu.i:fib!y in~ 
 creafed, till one pound only was wanting of 
 the Eve, when the folios iug accident hap- 
 pened. Coming home one evening from my 
 work, I law in my road a fmal! pocket 
 book : on opening it, I found & bank note 
 of ten pounds, which plainly enough be- 
 longed to my nrafter, for his name ,was upo:. 
 it. and I had alio feen him paffing that way 
 in the evening : it being too late how ever 
 to return to the houfe, I went on my way, 
 When I told my family of the accident, the 
 little ones were thrown into a tranfport of 
 joy. My dears, faid I, what is the matter ? 
 * k Oh daddy, the boat! the boat! we 
 may now have two or three boats-!" I check- 
 ed them by my looks and afked them if 
 they recolieftcd whofe money that was ? 
 they faid, " yours, as you found it," I re- 
 minded them that I was not the real owner, 
 and bid them think how they would ail 
 feel, fuppohng a ftranger was to take 
 our box of money, if I fliould happen to 
 drop it on the day I went to buy back the 
 boat. This thought had the eifeQ on their 
 young minds that I defined: they were fi- 
 lent, and pale with the reprefentation of 
 fuch a difefter! and I begged it might be a 
 
 leflbp 
 
leflbnto ihem never to fcrget the golden 
 rule of doings m they would v/ifli others 
 to do by ifiettr/y for by attention to this 
 certain guide, no one would ever do \noutg 
 to another. I alio took this opportunity, 
 to explain to them, that the pofieffion of the 
 coat s by diChoneft means would never ari- 
 fwer, llnce we could not expe£t the bleflirig 
 of G-Q& upon hud deeds. 
 
 To go on with my ftory— the next morn- 
 ing I put the pocket-book into my bofoix^ 
 and went to my work, inten ding as foon as 
 the family role to give it to my mailer, but 
 •what were my feelings, when, on fearching i 
 in my bofom, it was no where to be found ! 
 I halied back, along the road I came, look- 
 ing diligently all the way, 'but, in vain " there 
 were no traces of any inch thing. — I would 
 not return into my cottage becaufe I wifhed 
 to fave rny family the pain I felt, and in the 
 hope of {till recovering the book, I went 
 to my work, following another path which I 
 recollected I had alfo gone by; on my JjS* 
 turn to the garden gate, I was ac coiled by 
 the gardener, whg>, in a threatening tone told 
 me, I was fttfetted ; that our mailer had 
 loft a pocket-book, defending what I had 
 found, and that I being the only man ablent 
 from the garden at the hour of work, the 
 reft of the men alfo denying that they had 
 any fuch thing, there was every realbn to 
 conclude that I muft have got it. Before 
 
[ 8 J 
 
 I could anfwer, my diftreffed countenance 
 confirmed the fufpicion ! and another fervant 
 coming up, (aid I was detefted, for that a 
 perfon had been fent to my houfe, and that 
 my wife and family had owned it all, and 
 had defcribed the pocket-book. I told 
 them the real fafiL but it feemed to every 
 one unlikely to be true ; every circumftance 
 was againit me, and (my heart trembles to 
 look back Upon it) I was arretted, and hur- 
 ried away to prifon I I protefted my inno- 
 cence, but I did not wonder that I gained 
 no credit! Great grief now oppreffed my 
 heart ! my poor wife, my dear children, and 
 my grey-headed parents, were all at once 
 plunged into want and mifery, inftead of the 
 eale and happinefs which we were expeQing; 
 for we were juft arriving at the height of our 
 earthly wimes ! I had, however, one confo- 
 iation left, that I knew I was innocent^ and 
 X trufted that 'by "perfevering in jionefty", 
 all might come right sBlaft ! My refolution 
 was, as I had certainly been the caufe, tho' 
 without any defign, of the fecond lofs of 
 the property, that I would offer (alas !) 
 the whole of our little ftore v to make it good 
 as far as in my power; and I fent for my j 
 wife to give her this fad commifnon, but fee 
 informed me that even this facrifice could 
 be of no avail* for, faid (he, mymafterhcis 
 been at the cottage, when I told him freely 
 how you had found the note, but unfortu- | 
 
 I"'-' - ' f ~ . '■ : v r»-» 
 
 / 
 
[ 9 J 
 
 nately had loft it again ; and I added, that 
 I was fure both I and my hufband would 
 make the beft return in our power, after 
 which I produced our littlefairingiox, and 
 begged him to accept the contents, which had 
 been fo long railing, as ail we had to offer: 
 But, Sir, laid the waterman, conceive my 
 agony, when fhe added, that my mafter 
 angrily refufed, laying, that our being in 
 poffeffion of all that money was of itfelf the 
 cieareft proof of my guilt; for it was im~ 
 poffible, with my large family, and no greater 
 opportunities than my neighbours, that I 
 could come honeftly by fuch a him; there- 
 fore he was determined to keep me in gaol 
 'till I fhould pay the whole. My unhappi- 
 nefs was very great ♦ however my mind by 
 degrees began to be more eafy, for I grew 
 confident that I fhould not truit in God and 
 my own innocence in vain:— and fo it hap- 
 pened, one of my fellow -labourers proved t® 
 be the pei ion who had picked up the note 
 after I had dropfc it, having come a few 
 minutes after me along the fame road to his 
 work, and hearing that the fufpieion had 
 fallen altogether upon me, he was tempted 
 to turn the accident to his own advantage, 
 and conceal the property; which having 
 kept in. his own box for a few weeks, Mil he 
 thought no fufpieion would reft upon him, 
 he went and .offered the note for change, 
 
L J 1 J 
 
 a d being then liiipecied, my mafter had 
 him taken up, and I was releaied. 
 
 This feccnd change from fo much mifery 
 to happing was almoft too much for us ! 
 My mafter lent for me 5 and with many ex- 
 preffions of concern for what had pafled, 
 made me give him an account of the means 
 bv which I had collected the little fund, that 
 feed bis fufmcio'iis fo ftrongly upon me ! I 
 according- related the b liter v of .it as I 
 have now cone; and when I came to that 
 pari, where 1 checked my children for their 
 inconS derate joy, on their finding the note, 
 he role, with mw$i kindnefs in his !ook§, 
 apd putting the bank bill into my hand, he 
 f?id., '<« Take it!— the bank note {hall be 
 theirs. U is the befi and oniy return I can 
 maks yoii; as well asajuft reward of your 
 honcfty ; and it will be a fubftantial proof 
 to yeui chiMren of the g;oodneiVof your 
 iftftrafciicms* for they will thus early lee, and 
 feel the benefit of iionefty and virtue !" . 
 
 This kind and worthy gentleman inte- 
 ge&ed himielf much in the purchafe or my 
 boat, which, in left than a week I was 
 in full, pofieffion of. The remainder of 
 my mailers bounty, and the additional 
 advantage of . the ferry, has placed me 
 in comfortable circumftances, which I 
 humbly truft God will continue to us as long 
 as we continue our labour and honeft dili- 
 gence ; and I can fay from my long expe- 
 
11 I 
 
 Hence that the fruit of our own mdufhy is 
 always fweetcft I have aow-aifb the plea- 
 fufe of being able' to help Others, for when 
 a rich paffenger takes my ferry, as my ftory 
 is well known in the neighbourhood, he 
 often gives me more than my fare, which 
 enables, rne to let the next poor perfon go 
 over for half price. 
 
 The lady and gentleman were extremely 
 pleafed with the waterman s ftory, and 'wil- 
 lingly joined in calling him die Happy Wa- 
 terman. They palled over in his ferry- 
 boat for the fake of making him an hand- 
 fome prefent. : And from this time, becom- 
 ing acquainted with his family, ihpy did 
 them every fervice in their power* giwiq; 
 books arid Tchooling to the little and 
 /every comfort to the old father and nlnheK 
 I in-law sis -long as they forvived. • Thev were 
 .very defirous of knowing what bt- ame of 
 the unfortunate fellow-labourer, w/io had 
 fo dreadfully gone aiide from the principles 
 of honefty , arid they learnt that he was, al- 
 ter a fiiort impnfonment, let at liheify I 
 his rnafter at the earneft entreaty of the ho 
 eft w CI HJifioHfj as ne laio. it tv as pal i-iy inr 
 his carelefthels in iofing the note, chat: the 
 temptation had fallen in his fellow labour- 
 ers way ; he had moreover a very lame la- 
 mily, his matter alio was fo good as to con- 
 fider that he was a man who had not been 
 with a good 'education in his youth. 
 
 by 
 
 o 
 
 i 
 
fo that having little fear -of God before his 
 eyes, and having a great temptation in his 
 .way. he had been the more eafilv led to 
 
 -V.. - v - r, v _ l.'rj?*'.."- 
 
 commit this very wicked aftion, by which 
 he would have enriched himfelf at the ex- 
 p v nce of an innocent man. I have a great 
 pleafure in adding, that the thought of what 
 he had done, together with the genelofity of 
 the waterman, had fo ftrong an efibct upon* 
 this poor fellow* that he afterwards had it j 
 written up on his cottage door, Do as you / 
 vv ould be d o n e ( u n to. And he hath | f 
 refolved to -follow this rule: himfelf in future, |! 
 andalfb taught it to all his children: indeed f j 
 it became a rule well known over the whole fl 
 pgrilli, for every little child having been 
 im^gjs 'i of this ftory, was told that he 
 ouj*p: ' ■; > conlicler before he did any aftion; 
 < - would like his brother, or filter, 
 
 do the fame by him ; 
 i£lion was ; wrong, and ||, 
 e let the profit* be ever fo i|| 
 
 have 
 
 
 :hen, ; .k>fe wh|> 
 
 | ieen r 
 
 nuch of W^/m\ 
 
 Kg i bus.;' 
 
 inlb'u , tic:? $fm£ 
 
 
 me to •all ra»ls- 
 
 
 5, excu^SMj3i| 
 
 
 1 .N h» 
 
 V 1 
 
 LCI Iciill I uiv. 
 
 -it requires 
 " do as yo& f 
 ! anV' p' at ion ^ 
 jjiaiiceSj ii 
 rom givin: