it can be obtained. Fortunately, a plain, modest,
and well written account of the early days of Thomas
Eddy

, has been left from his own hand. It was only
intended for the eye of his family and particular
friends, but the narrative is so happy, that it would
be over fastidious indeed to hesitate to use it on this
occasion. It is almost impossible for a biographer,
even with every aid before him, to describe the true
growth and development of a mind, from the cradle to
maturity. The individual himself can alone approx-
imate to the truth. In childhood and youth, when
the imagination wanders at will, none but the per-
son himself can tell all the avenues and directions of
thought, nor precisely when passion was commingled
with judgment, or by what food and exercise the
mind obtained its stature. I shall, as the best thing
that can be done for my readers, introduce an extract,
in Mr. Eddy's own words, giving an account of him-
self up to the time he began his effectual efforts as
a philanthropist:—

I can only trace my ancestors as far back as my
grandfather, John Edie

, (by a letter I have seen from
him to my father, he so spelled his name,) who lived in
Belfast, in Ireland, but he probably came from Aberdeen,
in Scotland. He was much respected and esteemed
as a remarkably upright honest man—he was in low
circumstances, and only able to give my father a small
portion of school learning. My father, James Eddy,
was born in Belfast, 1712; he served an apprenticeship
to William Sinclair, a respectable merchant in Dublin.
My mother's name was Mary Darragh; she was born
in Dublin about l724; she was of a respectable and good
family. My parents were married in Dublin about the
year 1742. She had a fortune of about £1000 sterling.
I believe soon after their marriage, they removed to
Belfast, and there my father pursued mercantile busi-
ness. They had both been educated Presbyterians,
but during their residence in that city, he became
acquainted with Robert Bradshaw, a Friend, of consi