100 Wliyte-Melville s Sermon, 



mother who comes in the strictest confidence ; oftener the 

 sister, who begs and entreats one to get poor Tom, or Jack, 

 or Harry, out of his difficulties. "He is so honest and 

 affectionate," they say ; " so kind and obliging ; such a 

 noble fellow, but bad companions have ruined him ; and all 

 the regiment are so fond of him." This class are very bad 

 witnesses as to facts ; the mother is thinking of the curly- 

 headed boy who said his prayers at her knee long ago ; the 

 sister, many years younger, is thinking of the eldest brother 

 who almost turned her brain when she first saw him in a 

 hussar uniform, and remembers how— when he got his first 

 leave— that, as regards herself, he never changed; how he 

 went gathering cowslips, or nutting with her in the woods, 

 just as if he was not a soldier at all ; and she will tell you 

 that it is impossible that her darling brother had been 

 gimbling and racing and is over head and ears in debt, and 

 harassed°by infamous Jews. We who are behind the cur- 

 tain know how debt and difficulties blunt a man's nature. 

 These are scenes of daily occurrence, speaking generally. 

 Whose fault is it ? A young fellow, utterly ignorant of the 

 world, is suddenly associated with men whose main objects 

 in life are pleasure, and excitement, and gambling, and is 

 dragged into a fiery cauldron, and must get out as he can. 

 What think you of a case, for the facts of which I will 

 vouch, and I will sum it up in a very few words ; it was 

 this, and it is one of many : A young officer of a few years' 

 standing, who had been greatly distinguished, left his regi- 

 ment (a very fast one), in which he could not afford to live 

 any longer, and an opening offering in another line of life, 

 a sister at once advanced the capital— 0/ course without 

 security. Being a very honourable young fellow he un- 

 bosomed himself to his lawyer, and wished to do everything 

 by his will, and otherwise to secure his sister's money in the 

 event of his death, which, strange to say, occurred within 



