I went out and got drunk.
"My life became a curse to me.

All day long I thought of Josiah.

All night I dreamed of him.

Suppose that, not content with being the cause of his domestic misery, I had now deprived him of the means of earning a livelihood, and had rendered useless the generosity of that good old sea- captain.

I began to appear to myself as a malignant fiend, ever following this simple but worthy man to work evil upon him.
"Time passed away, however; I heard nothing from or of him, and my burden at last fell from me.
"Then at the end of about five years he came again.
"He came behind me as I was opening the door with my latch-key, and laid an unsteady hand upon my arm.