Monstrousassuchafaithmayseeminonewhowasqualifyinghimselfforahighmissionbyatermofimprisonment，hecouldnomorehelpitthanhecouldhelpbreathing；itwasinnateinhim，anditwasevenmorewithaviewtothisthanforotherreasonsthathewishedtosevertheconnectionbetweenhimselfandhisparents；forheknewthatifeverthedaycameinwhichitshouldappearthatbeforehimtootherewasaracesetinwhichitmightbeanhonourtohaverunamongtheforemost，hisfatherandmotherwouldbethefirsttolethimandhinderhiminrunningit。Theyhadbeenthefirsttosaythatheoughttorunsucharace；theywouldalsobethefirsttotriphimupifhetookthemattheirword，andthenafterwardsupbraidhimfornothavingwon。Achievementofanykindwouldbeimpossibleforhimunlesshewasfreefromthosewhowouldbeforeverdragginghimbackintotheconventional。Theconventionalhadbeentriedalreadyandhadbeenfoundwanting。
Hehadanopportunitynow，ifhechosetotakeit，ofescapingonceforallfromthosewhoatoncetormentedhimandwouldholdhimearthwardshouldachanceofsoaringopenbeforehim。Heshouldneverhavehaditbutforhisimprisonment；butforthistheforceofhabitandroutinewouldhavebeentoostrongforhim；heshouldhardlyhavehaditifhehadnotlostallhismoney；thegapwouldnothavebeensowidebutthathemighthavebeeninclinedtothrowaplankacrossit。Herejoicednow，therefore，overhislossofmoneyaswellasoverhisimprisonment，whichhadmadeitmoreeasyforhimtofollowhistruestandmostlastinginterests。
Attimeshewavered，whenhethoughtofhowhismother，whoinherway，ashethought，hadlovedhim，wouldweepandthinksadlyoverhim，orhowperhapsshemightevenfallillanddie，andhowtheblamewouldrestwithhim。Atthesetimeshisresolutionwasnearbreaking，butwhenhefoundIapplaudedhisdesign，thevoicewithin，whichbadehimseehisfather’sandmother’sfacesnomore，grewlouderandmorepersistent。Ifhecouldnotcuthimselfadriftfromthosewhoheknewwouldhamperhim，whensosmallaneffortwaswanted，hisdreamofadestinywasidle；whatwastheprospectofahundredpoundsfromhisfatherincomparisonwithjeopardytothis？
Hestillfeltdeeplythepainhisdisgracehadinflicteduponhisfatherandmother，buthewasgettingstronger，andreflectedthatashehadrunhischancewiththemforparents，sotheymustruntheirswithhimforason。
Hehadnearlysettleddowntothisconclusionwhenhereceivedaletterfromhisfatherwhichmadehisdecisionfinal。Iftheprisonruleshadbeeninterpretedstrictly，hewouldnothavebeenallowedtohavethisletterforanotherthreemonths，ashehadalreadyheardfromme，butthegovernortookalenientview，andconsideredtheletterfrommetobeabusinesscommunicationhardlycomingunderthecategoryofaletterfromfriends。Theobald’sletterthereforewasgiventohisson。Itranasfollows：-
“MydearErnest，Myobjectinwritingisnottoupbraidyouwiththedisgraceandshameyouhaveinflicteduponyourmotherandmyself，tosaynothingofyourbrotherJoey，andyoursister。Sufferofcoursewemust，butweknowtowhomtolookinouraffliction，andarefilledwithanxietyratheronyourbehalfthanourown。Yourmotheriswonderful。Sheisprettywellinhealth，anddesiresmetosendyouherlove。
“Haveyouconsideredyourprospectsonleavingprison？IunderstandfromMrOvertonthatyouhavelostthelegacywhichyourgrandfatherleftyou，togetherwithalltheinterestthataccruedduringyourminority，inthecourseofspeculationupontheStockExchange！Ifyouhaveindeedbeenguiltyofsuchappallingfollyitisdifficulttoseewhatyoucanturnyourhandto，andIsupposeyouwilltrytofindaclerkshipinanoffice。Yoursalarywilldoubtlessbelowatfirst，butyouhavemadeyourbedandmustnotcomplainifyouhavetolieuponit。Ifyoutakepainstopleaseyouremployerstheywillnotbebackwardinpromotingyou。
“WhenIfirstheardfromMrOvertonoftheunspeakablecalamitywhichhadbefallenyourmotherandmyself，Ihadresolvednottoseeyouagain。Iamunwilling，however，tohaverecoursetoameasurewhichwoulddepriveyouofyourlastconnectinglinkwithrespectablepeople。YourmotherandIwillseeyouassoonasyoucomeoutofprison；notatBattersby——wedonotwishyoutocomedownhereatpresent——butsomewhereelse，probablyinLondon。Youneednotshrinkfromseeingus；weshallnotreproachyou。Wewillthendecideaboutyourfuture。
“AtpresentourimpressionisthatyouwillfindafairerstartprobablyinAustraliaorNewZealandthanhere，andIampreparedtofindyou75poundsorevenifnecessarysofaras100poundstopayyourpassagemoney。Onceinthecolonyyoumustbedependentuponyourownexertions。
“MayHeavenprosperthemandyou，andrestoreyoutousyearshencearespectedmemberofsociety——Youraffectionatefather，T。
PONTIFEX。”
ThentherewasapostscriptinChristina’swriting。
“Mydarling，darlingboy，praywithmedailyandhourlythatwemayyetagainbecomeahappy，united，God-fearingfamilyaswewerebeforethishorriblepainfelluponus——Yoursorrowingbuteverlovingmother，“C。P。”
ThisletterdidnotproducetheeffectonErnestthatitwouldhavedonebeforehisimprisonmentbegan。Hisfatherandmotherthoughttheycouldtakehimupastheyhadlefthimoff。Theyforgottherapiditywithwhichdevelopmentfollowsmisfortune，ifthesuffererisyoungandofasoundtemperament。Ernestmadenoreplytohisfather’sletter，buthisdesireforatotalbreakdevelopedintosomethinglikeapassion。“Thereareorphanages。”heexclaimedtohimself，“forchildrenwhohavelosttheirparents——oh！why，why，why，aretherenoharboursofrefugeforgrownmenwhohavenotyetlostthem？”AndhebroodedovertheblissofMelchisedekwhohadbeenbornanorphan，withoutfather，withoutmother，andwithoutdescent。
WhenIthinkoverallthatErnesttoldmeabouthisprisonmeditations，andtheconclusionshewasdrawnto，itoccurstomethatinrealityhewaswantingtodotheverylastthingwhichitwouldhaveenteredintohisheadtothinkofwanting。ImeanthathewastryingtogiveupfatherandmotherforChrist’ssake。Hewouldhavesaidhewasgivingthemupbecausehethoughttheyhinderedhiminthepursuitofhistruestandmostlastinghappiness。Granted，butwhatisthisifitisnotChrist？WhatisChristifHeisnotthis？Hewhotakesthehighestandmostself-
respectingviewofhisownwelfarewhichitisinhispowertoconceive，andadherestoitinspiteofconventionality，isaChristianwhetherheknowsitandcallshimselfone，orwhetherhedoesnot。Aroseisnotthelessarosebecauseitdoesnotknowitsownname。
Whatifcircumstanceshadmadehisdutymoreeasyforhimthanitwouldbetomostmen？Thatwashisluck，asmuchasitisotherpeople’slucktohaveotherdutiesmadeeasyforthembyaccidentofbirth。Surelyifpeoplearebornrichorhandsometheyhavearighttotheirgoodfortune。SomeIknow，willsaythatonemanhasnorighttobebornwithabetterconstitutionthananother；othersagainwillsaythatluckistheonlyrighteousobjectofhumanveneration。Both，Idaresay，canmakeoutaverygoodcase，butwhichevermayberightsurelyErnesthadasmuchrighttothegoodluckoffindingadutymadeeasierashehadhadtothebadfortuneoffallingintothescrapewhichhadgothimintoprison。Amanisnottobesneeredatforhavingatrumpcardinhishand；heisonlytobesneeredatifheplayshistrumpcardbadly。
Indeed，IquestionwhetheritisevermuchharderforanyonetogiveupfatherandmotherforChrist’ssakethanitwasforErnest。Therelationsbetweenthepartieswillhavealmostalwaysbeenseverelystrainedbeforeitcomestothis。Idoubtwhetheranyonewaseveryetrequiredtogiveupthosetowhomhewastenderlyattachedforamerematterofconscience：hewillhaveceasedtobetenderlyattachedtothemlongbeforeheiscalledupontobreakwiththem；
fordifferencesofopinionconcerninganymatterofvitalimportancespringfromdifferencesofconstitution，andthesewillalreadyhaveledtosomuchotherdisagreementthatthe“givingup“whenitcomes，islikegivingupanachingbutverylooseandhollowtooth。
ItisthelossofthosewhomwearenotrequiredtogiveupforChrist’ssakewhichisreallypainfultous。Thenthereisawrenchinearnest。Happily，nomatterhowlightthetaskthatisdemandedfromus，itisenoughifwedoit；wereapourreward，muchasthoughitwereaHerculeanlabour。
Buttoreturn，theconclusionErnestcametowasthathewouldbeatailor。Hetalkedthematteroverwiththechaplain，whotoldhimtherewasnoreasonwhyheshouldnotbeabletoearnhissixorsevenshillingsadaybythetimehecameoutofprison，ifhechosetolearnthetradeduringtheremainderofhisterm——notquitethreemonths；thedoctorsaidhewasstrongenoughforthis，andthatitwasabouttheonlythinghewasasyetfitfor；sohelefttheinfirmarysoonerthanhewouldotherwisehavedoneandenteredthetailor’sshop，overjoyedatthethoughtsofseeinghiswayagain，andconfidentofrisingsomedayifhecouldonlygetafirmfootholdtostartfrom。
Everyonewhomhehadtodowithsawthathedidnotbelongtowhatarecalledthecriminalclasses，andfindinghimeagertolearnandtosavetroublealwaystreatedhimkindlyandalmostrespectfully。
Hedidnotfindtheworkirksome：itwasfarmorepleasantthanmakingLatinandGreekversesatRoughborough；hefeltthathewouldratherbehereinprisonthanatRoughboroughagain——yes，orevenatCambridgeitself。Theonlytroublehewaseverindangerofgettingintowasthroughexchangingwordsorlookswiththemoredecent-
lookingofhisfellow-prisoners。Thiswasforbidden，buthenevermissedachanceofbreakingtherulesinthisrespect。
Anymanofhisabilitywhowasatthesametimeanxioustolearnwouldofcoursemakerapidprogress，andbeforeheleftprisonthewardersaidhewasasgoodatailorwithhisthreemonths’
apprenticeshipasmanyamanwaswithtwelve。Ernesthadneverbeforebeensomuchpraisedbyanyofhisteachers。Eachdayashegrewstrongerinhealthandmoreaccustomedtohissurroundingshesawsomefreshadvantageinhisposition，anadvantagewhichhehadnotaimedat，butwhichhadcomealmostinspiteofhimself，andhemarvelledathisowngoodfortune，whichhadorderedthingssogreatlybetterforhimthanhecouldhaveorderedthemforhimself。
HishavinglivedsixmonthsinAshpitPlacewasacaseinpoint。
Thingswerepossibletohimwhichtootherslikehimwouldbeimpossible。IfsuchamanasTowneleyweretoldhemustlivehenceforthinahouselikethoseinAshpitPlaceitwouldbemorethanhecouldstand。Ernestcouldnothavestoodithimselfifhehadgonetolivethereofcompulsionthroughwantofmoney。Itwasonlybecausehehadfelthimselfabletorunawayatanyminutethathehadnotwantedtodoso；now，however，thathehadbecomefamiliarwithlifeinAshpitPlacehenolongermindedit，andcouldlivegladlyinlowerpartsofLondonthanthatsolongashecouldpayhisway。Itwasfromnoprudenceorforethoughtthathehadservedthisapprenticeshiptolifeamongthepoor。Hehadbeentryinginafeeblewaytobethoroughinhiswork：hehadnotbeenthorough，thewholethinghadbeenafiasco；buthehadmadealittlepunyeffortinthedirectionofbeinggenuine，andbehold，inhishourofneedithadbeenreturnedtohimwitharewardfarricherthanhehaddeserved。HecouldnothavefacedbecomingoneoftheverypoorunlesshehadhadsuchabridgetoconducthimovertothemashehadfoundunwittinglyinAshpitPlace。True，therehadbeendrawbacksintheparticularhousehehadchosen，butheneednotliveinahousewheretherewasaMrHoltandheshouldnolongerbetiedtotheprofessionwhichhesomuchhated；iftherewereneitherscreamsnorscripturereadingshecouldbehappyinagarretatthreeshillingsaweek，suchasMissMaitlandlivedin。
