REFRACTORY APPRENTICES.

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wishes. I have the highest respect for the maritime profession and its gallant members, but am fully sensible that a different path is more suited to me.

Instances occur of refractory apprentices, who do not serve out their time, the parties separating by mutual consent, their employers being but too happy to get rid of them. They go elsewhere, and perhaps engage, as a junior hand, at a salary, in another house. If such an event takes place under your notice, do not make a mistake in supposing such a youth, free from his engagement and receiving a stipend, better off than yourselves: for in his new situation something is expected of him; in most cases he does not prove himself up to the mark, for how can he? He is perhaps discharged; seeks another engagement, and so on, and generally sinks to the lowest scale in his trade, and never does any good. Should such an one, when left to himself, strive to succeed, and does do so, it is well for him; but how much better and more creditable to him would it have been, if he had duly served his appointed time, and have succeeded with the individual to whom he was articled.

As I have before said, speaking generally (of course, there may be exceptions), it is a person's own fault if he cannot make himself happy during his novitiate. He has not the cares of life to shackle the lighthearted feelings of youth. I have conversed with many, who, in going over their old days, have said, "The time of my apprenticeship was the happiest of

my life." And is it not reasonable to suppose, when looked at in the right light, that it ought to be so?

At the soirée of the Bradford Early Closing Association, December 4th, 1849, Henry Forbes, Esq., the mayor of that town, who was chairman on the occasion, in the course of his address, requested the youths present to give their special attention, while he gave a slight sketch of the early period of his own life; and spoke as follows:

"I received my education in the city of York, at one of the best boarding-schools there at the time, where I remained upwards of seven years. On leaving school, I was placed in a wholesale house of business in the City of London. Then the firm was Leaf, Severs, and Co. (since Leaf, Son, and Coles). After being there a few months, the principals of the house, being friends of my father, considered it advisable that I should be placed in a retail shop for the period of two years, where I might learn the more minute details and rudiments of business. I was, in consequence, transferred to a retail shop in a market town in the county of Essex. In this, my new situation, it devolved upon me, as the junior apprentice, to open the shop, take down the shutters, sweep the shop floor, make the shop fire, dust the counters and shelves, clean the shop windows, clean and trim the oil lamps in the shop, clean my own shoes, &c.; all this I accomplished every morning before breakfast. During the day I had to carry out parcels, some as heavy as I

THE MAYOR OF BRADFORD.

could lift, and, in truth, to discharge all the duties which devolve upon juniors. An invaluable discipline it is for lads intended for business. Yet, I must confess, that the duties I have enumerated, and others, did wound my pride not a little for the first few days, having previously been trained up with, and accustomed to, every comfort; and not anticipating that I should have to do, at any period of life, what then appeared to me such menial duties. But having been. previously assured, by valued friends, that my then position would materially tend to my future advantage, I determined at once to overcome every feeling of pride, and resolved, in reference to the duties referred to, that I would perform them, and all others, in such a manner as to secure the uniform approval of my master. I did so, and I now experience a becoming pride in making this avowal to you. No, my friends, I need not fear to avow to you and the world, the process by which I have attained my present position. I repeat it, I experience a becoming pride, that, resulting from a sound commercial training in the period of youth, and my own unswerving, persevering efforts in manhood, the blessing of God having accompanied those efforts, I am what I am.

"After being in the shop in which I was placed about three months, I had become so valuable to my master behind the counter, in attending to customers, that he engaged another apprentice, and I was promoted; and at the expiration of the two years I re

turned to the house in London to which I have referred. I would here remark, that a short time ago, an old tradesman, a friend of mine, in a very extensive retail business, informed me that latterly he had found that youths trained up in our large towns evinced such proud, haughty, unbecoming notions, that he found them as apprentices quite unmanageable, and he was obliged to look for youths from the rural districts. I believe that this friend of mine is by no means singular in his experience. Pride, self-conceit, and sloth, are the bane of many youths of the present day, and I fear the mistaken fondness of well-intentioned but silly mothers, is the too frequent cause.

"My experience convinces me that true wisdom dictates that all lads should be taught to bear the yoke in their youth. I can attest to all before me, that I regard it as fraught with the greatest blessing to me, not only that I was placed behind the counter for two years, but especially that I had to discharge the duties to which I have referred during the first three months. I have constantly reverted to that period of my life with inexpressible satisfaction, feeling convinced that it was then that I acquired that becoming self-knowledge, and those habits of business, to which I ascribe all my after-success in business, and the position I now occupy, not only as an English merchant, but as mayor of this important borough. I adopted as a rule in early life, that I would master and overcome all difficulties, in the acquirement of business-knowledge in all its

EXPERIENCE AS AN APPRENTICE.

II

departments; that everything I had to do should be done in as perfect and in as complete a manner as possible; and that no man should excel me—to this I have adhered through life, and I am willing still to be a learner.

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Whatever you have to do, do it promptly, do it well, do it cheerfully, so as invariably to feel assured your master will approve your conduct. I have observed apprentices sweeping out of the shop-doors into the street, quantities of paper and twine, which, if picked up before the sweeping commenced, would have proved useful. I refer to this as a caution of universal application, that it is the duty of all servants to be scrupulously careful of their masters' property, even in matters apparently trivial. Never slip over any part of your duty carelessly, but cultivate a habit of care and exactness about everything you have to do, so as always to secure the approval of your master, rather than by your carelessness or neglect oblige him to censure or reprove you. I have referred to various matters thus minutely, because you may rest assured that, as you attend to these points now, they will become habits as you grow older. They will remain with you through life; and just as you discharge your present duties properly, will you be the better fitted, when you become masters, to look after your own business. What a pleasing reflection for a lad, at the