"A few years ago the city conferred its freedom upon me as a mark
of appreciation and esteem. To God be all the glory that He has
helped His poor boy to live for Him, and made even his former
enemies to honour him."

But we all know what sort of influences exist in a city that is at once
the capital of a county and a commercial centre. The homes of the
wealthy and comfortable are found at no great distance from the
dwellings of the poor, while in the huge market-places are exhibitions
weekly of all the contrasts between town and country life, between the
extremest want and the most lavish plenty.

Seventy years ago, life in such a city was nearly as different from what
it is to-day as the life of to-day in an American state capital is from
that of a Chinese town. Between the small circle of "old families" who
still possessed widespread influence and the masses of the people there
was a wide gap. The few respectable charities, generally due to the
piety of some long-departed citizen, marked out very strikingly a
certain number of those who were considered "deserving poor," and helped
to make every one less concerned about all the rest. For all the many
thousands struggling day and night to keep themselves and those
dependent upon them from starvation, there was little or no pity. It was
just "their lot," and they were taught to consider it their duty to be
content with it. To envy their richer neighbours, to covet anything they
possessed, was a sin that would only ensure for the coveter an eternal
and aggravated continuance of his present thirst.

In describing those early years, The General said:--

"Before my father's death I had been apprenticed by his wish. I was