The gentleman and lady were upon this still more surprised at the
title he had given himself, and said,

"My friend, if this is your situation, how is it that you call
yourself 'the happy waterman'?"

"I can easily explain this to your satisfaction," answered the young
man, "if you will give me leave;" and they desiring him to proceed, he
spoke as follows: "I have observed that the greatest blessings in life
are often looked upon as the greatest distresses, and are, in fact,
made such by means of imprudent conduct. My father and mother died a
few years ago, and left a large family. My father was a waterman, and
I was his assistant in the management of a ferry-boat, by which he
supported his family. On his death, it was necessary, in order to pay
his just debts, to sell our boat. I parted from it, even with tears;
but the distress that I felt spurred me on to industry, for I said,
'I will use every kind of diligence to purchase my boat back again.'
I went to the person who had bought it, and told him my design; he had
given five _guineas_ for it, but told me, as I was once the owner,
that I should have it whenever I could raise five _pounds_. 'Shall the
boat be mine again?' said I; and my heart bounded at the thought.

"I was at this time married to a good young woman, and we lived at a
neighboring cottage; she was young, healthy, and industrious, and so
was I, and we loved one another. What might we not undertake? My
father used to say to me, 'Always do what is right; labor diligently,
and spend your money carefully, and God will bless your store.' We
treasured up these rules, and determined to try the truth of them.

"My wife had long chiefly supported two aged parents: I loved them as