If the apprentice has been absent from his work but an hour, the magistrate may sentence him to give a whole day in return; consequently the master is encouraged to mark the slightest omission, and to complain of it whether it was unavoidable or not.
THE DESIGN OF THE APPRENTICESHIP .-- It is a serious question with a portion of the colonists, whether or not the apprenticeship was originally designed as a preparation for freedom.

This however was the professed object with its advocates, and it was on the strength of this plausible pretension, doubtless, that the measure was carried through.
We believe it is pretty well understood, both in England and the colonies; that it was mainly intended _as an additional compensation to the planters_.

The latter complained that the twenty millions of pounds was but a pittance of the value of their slaves, and to drown their cries about robbery and oppression this system of modified slavery was granted to them, that they might, for a term of years, enjoy the toil of the negro without compensation.

As a mockery to the hopes of the slaves this system was called an apprenticeship, and it was held out to them as a needful preparatory stage for them to pass through, ere they could rightly appreciate the blessings of entire freedom.

It was not wonderful that they should be slow to apprehend the necessity of serving a six years' apprenticeship, at a business which they had been all their lives employed in.