Since I have heard poor Dick’s story I don’t much wish to go to a public school; but Clarendon says that’s a silly prejudice, for it was the same disposition which made him unhappy at home, that prevented the school from being of service to him.  Yet I am afraid that I have not principle enough to go among so many boys and do what is right.  It is harder to be laughed at by those of our own age than by older people.  I have learned this lately, for I find that I don’t feel half as much ashamed when brother makes fun of what he calls my Methodistical habits, as I do of David’s ridicule.  He has a way of putting aside all the reasons I give him for doing right, as if they were so utterly unworthy of a boy’s consideration, that I hardly dare to try and argue with him.

A few nights since, one of the old sailors took out a pack of greasy cards, and, calling to one of his companions, said that he would teach David and I to play a two-handed game, which we should find very amusing.  David was all eagerness to learn; but I told him that I had rather not touch them.

“Nonsense, man!” said David; “I thought that you had too much sense to be afraid of little pieces of pasteboard, with red and black spots on them.  They are not going to poison you.”

“But I have promised my mother that I would never play cards,” I replied; “and, besides, it would give me no pleasure, for I have heard of so much evil from the use of them that I cannot see them without pain.”

The old sailor, who had only wished to please me, was very angry at what I said, and began swearing dreadfully.  David tried to pacify him, and proposed that they should take a game together, and he’d be bound that I would want to play before they had done with it.

“Would you wish,” I asked, “that I should be tempted to break a promise to a widowed mother, who never in my life denied me any thing that was reasonable?”

“No!” said David, after a moment’s thought; “give me your hand!  You are perfectly right, and I honor you for it.”

Before he had time to say any more, Brown Tom came in to look for a gun, which had been brought on board; for the water was covered with ducks, and he was anxious to have a shot at them.  I should like to try my hand in the same way; for when fish and birds are used for food, my conscience don’t hurt me about killing them.  That’s the reason that I like mackerel-fishing, though I have no fondness for mackerels themselves, for they are cannibals.  We use a piece of one for bait for the rest, and don’t have lines more than three or four yards long.  This is a very different thing from catching cod, where they pull them up through many fathoms of water.  Clary says that next year he means to go out to the Banks for cod, if he can get some of his friends to make up a party for the purpose.  You never saw any one so changed as he is.