Title:  Jemmy Stubbins, or The Nailer Boy Illustrations Of The Law Of Kindness

Author:  Unknown Author

Release Date:  February 9, 2004 [EBook #11007]

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE LAW OF KINDNESS,

Edited by Elihu Burritt.

JEMMY STUBBINS,

OR

The nailer boy.

1850.

[Illustration]

To the Boys and Girls in America,

Who took the “Little Nailer” of the father-land from his smithy, and sent him to School for two years I dedicate this little Book, as an offering of my affection, and as a souvenir of that loving act of benevolent sympathy.

Elihu Burritt.

Worcester, Mass., March 20, 1850.

JEMMY STUBBINS, OR THE NAILER BOY.

Before I left America in 1846, in order to gratify the wish that had long occupied my heart, of visiting the motherland, I formed for myself a plan of procedure to which I hoped to be able rigidly to adhere.  I determined that my visit to England should bring me face to face with the people; that I should converse with the artizan in his workshop, and lifting the lowly door-latches of the poor, should become intimately acquainted with their life—­with their manners, and it might be, with their hopes and sorrows.

* * * * *

Tuesday, July 21st, 1846.—­After a quiet cosy breakfast, served up on a little round table for myself alone, I sat down to test the practicability of the plan I had formed at home for my peregrinations in England:—­viz., to write until one, P.M., then to take my staff and travel on, eight or ten miles, to another convenient stopping-place for the night.  As much depended upon the success of the experiment, I was determined to carry the point against the predictions of my friends.  So at it I went, con amore.  The house was as quiet as if a profound Sabbath was resting upon it, and the windows of my airy chamber looked through the foliage of grave elms down upon a green valley.  I got on swimmingly; and after a frugal dinner at the little round table, I buckled on my knapsack with a feeling of self-gratulation in view of the literary part of my day’s work.  Having paid my bill, and given the lady a copy of my corn-meal receipts, I resumed my walk toward W——.