He
wasted his father's property in the most lavish expenditure, and lost at
the gaming table sums that would have settled him well in life.
Anthony remonstrated with him on his want of principle, and pointed out
the ruin which must follow such profligacy. This Godfrey took in very
bad part, and tauntingly accused his cousin of being a spy. He told him
that it sounded well from a dependent on his father's bounty to preach
up abstinence to him. These circumstances threw Anthony into a deep
melancholy. He did not like to write to his uncle to inform him in what
a disgraceful manner his son was spending his time and money; and he
constantly reproached himself with a want of faithfulness in keeping
such an important matter a secret.
Disgusted with his cousin and his dissipated associates, Anthony
withdrew entirely from their society, and shut himself up in his own
apartments, rarely leaving his books to mingle in scenes in which he
could not sympathize, and in which, from his secluded habits, he was not
formed to shine. He became a dreamer. He formed a world for himself, and
peopled it with beings whose imaginary perfections had no counterpart on
earth. He went forth to mingle with his kind, and found them so unlike
the creatures in his moral Utopia, that he determined to relinquish
society and spiritualise his own nature, the better to fit him for his
high calling as a minister of the gospel of Christ.
Pages:
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150