very young, only thirteen years of age, but he could not afford to
keep me longer at school, and so out into the world I must go. This
event was followed by the formation of companionships whose
influence was anything but beneficial. I went down hill morally,
and the consequences might have been serious if not eternally
disastrous, but that the hand of God was laid on me in a very
remarkable manner.

"I had scarcely any income as an apprentice, and was so hard up
when my father died, that I could do next to nothing to assist my
dear mother and sisters, which was the cause of no little
humiliation and grief.

"The system of apprenticeship in those days generally bound a lad
for six or seven years. During this time he received little or no
wages, and was required to slave from early morning to late evening
upon the supposition that he was 'being taught' the business,
which, if he had a good master, was probably true. It was a severe
but useful time of learning. My master was a Unitarian--that is, he
did not believe Christ was the son of God and the Saviour of the
world, but only the best of teachers; yet so little had he learnt
of Him that his heaven consisted in making money, strutting about
with his gay wife, and regaling himself with worldly amusements.

"At nineteen the weary years of my apprenticeship came to an end.
I had done my six years' service, and was heartily glad to be free
from the humiliating bondage they had proved. I tried hard to find
some kind of labour that would give me more liberty to carry out
the aggressive ideas which I had by this time come to entertain as
to saving the lost; but I failed. For twelve months I waited. Those