Why, ſays he, I am a poor deſolate Man; it has pleaſed God I am not yet viſited, tho’ my Family is, and one of my Children dead. How do you mean then, ſaid I, that you are not viſited. Why, ſays he, that’s my Houſe, pointing to a very little low boarded Houſe, and there my poor Wife and two Children live, ſaid he, if they may be ſaid to live, for my Wife and one of the Children are viſited, but I do not come at them. And with that Word I ſaw the Tears run very plentifully down his Face; and ſo they did down mine too, I aſſure you.
But ſaid I, Why do you not come at them? How can you abandon your own Fleſh, and Blood? Oh, Sir! ſays he, the Lord forbid; I do not abandon them; I work for them as much as I am able; and bleſſed be the Lord, I keep them from Want; and with that I obſerv’d, he lifted up his Eyes to Heaven, with a Countenance that preſently told me, had happened on a Man that was no Hypocrite, but a ſerious, religions good Man, and his Ejaculation was an Expreſſion of Thankfulneſs, that in ſuch a Condition as he was in, he ſhould be able to ſay his Family did not want. Well, ſays I, honeſt Man, that is a great Mercy as things go now with the Poor: But how do you live then, and how are you kept from the dreadful Calamity that is now upon us all? Why Sir, ſays he, I am a Waterman, and there’s my Boat, ſays he, and the Boat ſerves me for a Houſe; I work in it in the Day, and I ſleep in it in the Night; and what I get, I lay down upon that Stone, ſays he, ſhewing me a broad Stone on the other Side of the Street, a good way from his Houſe, and then, ſays he, I halloo, and call to them till I make them hear; and they come and fetch it.
Well Friend, ſays I, but how can you get any Money as a Waterman? does any Body go by Water theſe Times? Yes Sir, ſays he, in the Way I am employ’d there does. Do you ſee there, ſays he, five Ships lie at Anchor, pointing down the River, a good way below the Town, and do you ſee, ſays he, eight or ten Ships lie at the Chain, there, and at Anchor yonder, pointing above the Town. All thoſe Ships have Families on board, of their Merchants
