THE PRINCE AND THE POOR BOY.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4886, 6 September 1884, Page 4

THE PRINCE AND THE POOR BOY.

One morning, when the Prince, afterwards King William tbe Fourth, having received his captain's tommission and ship, was on his way to his tailor's in Plymouth to "get hew uniform; at the street corn<y h,e saw. a.boy crying and stopped to inquire the cause. The lad looked up through his tears'and revealed a handsome, winning, intelligent face, and replied that his mother Had died only a few days before, and he had been, cast homeless into the streets. " Where hi jour father?'' asked the prince. " He. was lost in tke Sussex on Cornwall coast, two years ago," " How would- yon like \o go to sea in a first-rate man 6f-WWrP" The boy's face brightened as. he answered that he should like it very >fell. The prinqe took out. his pocketb,ook and, wrote something upon a slip of paper which he gave to the boy with a shilling. "Go down to the docks*," he said* '\and. with the shilling you will hire V (oat man to carry you off to the Bfegasusv .. hen you. get on board the skip you will give this" paper to the offices whom -you will find in charge of the deok> and he will take care of you.,, €heer up my lad! Si ow me that you b(kTaa true heart, and •you shall surely fjjtfd \ a true friend." Arrived on boards the" Pegasus, the officer of tfie deck roaeived him kindly, and sent. him tp eit upon a gun-carriage under the? poop. In lea* than an hour the prince came off inhis new uniform; and the boy was strangely moved upon discovering that tttaaan whohad promised to be his friend was none|other than William, Dake of Clarence, the captain of the frigate. The boy, whose name was Albert Poyer, was taken into the cabin, where the Prince questioned htm, and forthwith he ordered; him to be rated at. a midshipman, and from his own pu£*» he procured him an outfit. During,!he voyage to the American coast, the P^iriee became attached to his youthful protege, keeping him about his person continually, and instructing him in general branches in education, as well as in his profession. Time passed on, and the boy grew to be a man, serving king and,country faithfully. In time William became king and signed the commission which made Albert Ddyer a rear-admiral^ He exclaimed as he put his signature 'to the document—" There, if I ever di.d a good deed for England, it was when J saved to her service that true and r«arthy »wi."—Fitzgerald's life of WilliajM IV.