The Cruel STEP-MOTHER;
Or, The Unhappy Son.
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YOU most indulgent parents lend an ear,
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And you a dismal story soon shall hear;
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A story strange, yet certain true indeed,
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Enough to make a heart of stone to bleed.
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In York, that famous city of renown,
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There liv'd a gentleman, one squire Brown,
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Whose wealth & riches were exceeding great,
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But yet he had no heir to his estate.
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He had a virtuous, kind, and loving wife,
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With whom he liv'd a comfortable life;
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The want of children was their only greif,
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But God was pleased to send them some relief.
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She did conceive and with a son we hear,
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Great was the joy when she deliver'd were,
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Much feasting, wich for many days did last
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Both rich and poor did of their bounty taste.
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It pleased God the child did live and thrive,
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Until it came unto the age of five;
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At five years old his sorrows sore begun,
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And so continued many years to run.
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The greatest pleasures that we here can boast,
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Suddenly fade, and are but short at most;
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When death approaches who can shun the dart,
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He has command, and strikes unto the heart.
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The squire's lady was took wond'rous ill,
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The doctors us'd in vain their best of skill.
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All would not do, the fatal stroke death gave,
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There was no man on earth her life could save.
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Her husband then he sent for out of hand,
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Her weeping friends did now around her stand.
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Her husband came, she said to him, my dear,
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The time is short I am to tarry here:
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Be carful of the darling child, your son,
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See that in virtue's paths he strive to run.
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That I in heaven may see him once again,
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And there in endless bliss with him remain.
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For the child's sake wed not again my dear,
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For if you do, I cannot rest I fear,
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Let no stepmother my dear child abuse,
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Whom I so tenderly did love and use.
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My jointure which is fifty pounds a year,
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I leave to him whom i love so dear;
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Be you a tender father to your son:
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Think of my words when I am dead & gone.
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He said, dearest, thy words I'll keep in mind,
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And to the child will prove a father kind;
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To wrong my child I wrong myself; you know
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I love him better than to serve him so.
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Then for her child she strait way did call,
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While briny tears down from her eyes did fall,
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And kissing him with lips as cold as cold as clay;
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The child unto his mother thus did say.
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Mamma, why do you kiss me so and cry?
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I hope you will be better speedily.
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I hope I shall, sweet dear, she to him said,
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Then turn'd her self about & quickly dy'[d]
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She scarce two months in the grave was laid,
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E'er he forgot the promises he made;
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Which made the proverb true, as we do find,
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That out of sight is quickly out of mind.
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Unto a rich and wealthy widow old,
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He went a courting oft, as we are told;
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No rest nor quiet would he let her have,
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Untill unto him her consent she gave.
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She said, before she did to him engage,
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She had a daughter fair, ten years of age,
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And therefore she, for her dear daughter's sake,
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Was resolvd first a widow's will to make.
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He gave consent that it should be made,
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And in much triumph now this couple wed.
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But during these things were thus even done,
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He quite forgot his tender infant son.
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His new wife was cross and very proud,
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And his own son never was allow'd,
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With them to dine, but at her chair to stand,
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Just like a footman waiting her comman[d]
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Her daughter she must at the table sit,
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And pick and cull the best of what is eat;
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Besides a waiting maid miss too must have,
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While the poor lad is made a drudge & slave.
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Altho' he was thus scorned, yet we find,
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How fortune unto him did prove so kind,
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His mother's brother died, as we hear,
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And left to him two hundred pounds a year.
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His father then the interest was to have,
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For to maintain the child so fine and brave;
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But if he died e'er to age he came,
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his father then was to enjoy the same.
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His mother finding things were ordered so,
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She was resolvd to work his overthrow,
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Criea she, when he is put away and gone,
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What's left to him will then bcome my own.
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She with the devil then did straiway think.
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And to her husband gave a sleeping drink,
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And as he within the garden lay,
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Unto the boy these words did say.
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Go watch your father as he sleeping lies,
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And if you see him wake, or going to rise.
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Come & tell me, make the best haste you can.
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And so she did this harmless youth trepan.
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The boy with watching long did go to sleep;
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Then softly she did to his father creep;
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Off from his finger she a ring did take,
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On purpose of this boy a thief to make.
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For aa the innocent boy a sleeping lay
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She in his pocket d[i]d the ring convey,
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Then with great joy into the house did come,
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And said, I hope his business I have done.
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The lad awaking soon did rub his eyes
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But seeing of his father going to rise,
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To inform his mother he straitway did run,
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Mean while his father in the house did come.
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And missing of the ring to her did say,
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My dear, what makes you take my ring away.
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Cr'd she, I took it not upon my life,
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You may believe me as I am your wife.
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But if you'd know what of it is becom,
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I'd have you to examine well your son,
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As in the garden you did sleeping dose,
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I saw him then a fumbling at your cloaths.
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He went to search his son, the ring he found,
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Then hand and foot straitway him he bound,
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And lashed him t[i]ll the blood did run,
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While she, hard hearted wretch, stood gazing on
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Cries she, now send this wicked rogue to sea,
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Lest that he should disgrace the family;
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I'll get a master soon for him she cry'd,
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For he no longer shall with me abide
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He gave consent, and she a m[a]ster got,
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And he was sent away, hard was his lot.
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Where we will leave him to cross the main,
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And to this wicked wretch return again.
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But God, who sees our actions here below,
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He did not let this wretch unpunish'd go:
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For the boy's mother to them did appear,
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As th[ey] in bed one night together were.
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The apparition told them of the ring,
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And how she serv'd the boy in every thing.
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Then did it shake the bed wereon they lay,
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And then it vanished from them away.
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The squire he was very much surpriz'd;
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And finding that his wife had told him lies
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To make him send his poor boy away,
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He went into a strong despair they say.
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To add unto his grief, we understand,
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A letter from his son came to his hand:
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At Jamaica he was, the letter told,
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And to a captain there was basely sold.
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And as they sailing were upon the main,
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They by a Spanish privateer were tae'n:
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The ship condemn'd, and they all made slaves,
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This is kind sir, said he, my desperate case.
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The father seeing this swooned away,
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Crying unto his wife both night and day,
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Thou cursed wretch, what is it thou hast done,
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To make a father thus abuse a son.
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In grief from home he rambled that day,
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And to a lawyer went without delay,
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Strait made his will, and left his son his store,
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Then went & hang'd himself before his door.
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The lawyer finding what he had done,
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Did send away a letter to his son,
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For to advise him to come home with speed,
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And money sent to ransom him indeed.
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Which letter by good fortune he receiv'd,
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His ransom paid, and quickly was reliev'd,
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He got a ship, and he with speed home came,
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None but the lawyer did know of the same.
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He soon came home unto the great surprise
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Of his base mother, who with flatt'ring lies
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Would fain excuse herself: but all in vain:
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To law he went with her, and did obtain
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The cause of her; 500 l. Beside,
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Because he basely was by her belo'd.
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Which vex'd her so, it almost broke her heart
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To think she with her ill got gain must part.
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Her darling daughter being left alone,
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Despis'd by all, and pitied by none,
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She sold off all she had, and went away,
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And has not since been heard of to this day.
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To step mothers let this a warning be,
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Never to use poor children cruelly,
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For God will help the widow in distress,
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And be a father to the fatherless,
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Let parents all beg of the Lord to see,
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Their children all bred to maturity.
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Till for themselves they're able to provide,
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Lord send you may be their faithful guide.
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