CHAPTER XVI.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."-Philippians iv. 13.

EVERY body will wish to know how John Wylde behaved when he became stout enough to work at the pits and play as usual. He remembered what the clergyman had told him about not trusting to his own strength, and earnestly praying for the help of the Holy Spirit: and if he ever did forget it, he was sure to be made to see how very true the words of the clergyman were; because he always fell into something wrong again, when he trusted to himself, or was less careful in watching or praying, or reading his Bible. Whenever he was so happy as to work in the same pit with William Dainty, he always kept as near to him as he could; for next to having God for a friend, there is nothing so

likely to keep a person out of sin as being with God's servants.

Sometimes he was very quiet, and nobody meddled with him, or said any thing to him; but at other times his work took him among very bad boys and girls, who laughed at him for being a methodist, as they called it: and they would play him all kinds of tricks, and try many ways to lead him into sin. At one time, he was tempted to feel very angry, and even to fight with them; and at another time, he was tempted to do as they did, and join with them in their wicked play. But I must tell you, that whenever he remembered to pray, he could always get over his temptations; for he could pray in his heart, whether he was driving the cart, or whether he was down in the pit, or whether he was alone, or whether he was in the company of other boys and girls, he could say in his heart, "God be merciful to me a little sinful boy!" When he heard people swearing, or saw them fighting, or doing any other bad thing, and felt tempted to do the same, he could lift up his

heart to God, and say, "Incline my heart to keep thy law."

When John came home in the evening, he found very little encouragement to be a good child. His poor mother never was a clean or tidy woman, and never tried to make the best of what she had. She was always complaining how little pay she got from the parish, yet never made any good use of the money she had. When she had just received her pay, she would get a few pounds of fresh bacon from the shop, or some new cheese, and there would be something roasted or broiled for John's supper: and when the money was gone, he sometimes had hardly a bit of dry bread for his supper, though he had worked very hard. Yet John never complained, nor did he ever say, as some wicked boys do, that he would have it, and that he would go out of the country and work for himself, if his mother did not give him what he wanted. Indeed, if he had the best of suppers, he was not very comfortable at home. His mother was either out, or her house was filled with neighbours; and they were talking about all

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sorts of things, such as grown up men and women, as well as children, had better not hear of.

The house was always dirty, and the little children were sitting round the fire upon their feet, without shoes and stockings, and their hair long and uncombed, and their clothes all rags. But John loved his little brothers and sisters; and as he could now read very well, (for he never missed the Sunday school,) he used to teach them their letters, and some hymns, and verses out of the Bible. And he got them to leave off saying bad words, and taught them to say their prayers; and their mother indeed said, that when the fine weather came again, she would try to get them some clothes, and they should go to school with John on Sunday.

John used to beg his mother, in a very pretty way, to go to church; and now and then, if there was a new preacher, or if any of her neighbours were going, or she had a new bonnet on, she would go. But she had no idea of putting herself to any inconve

nience, for the sake of going to pray to God, to beg his blessing, and to hear his words. She had always some excuse at hand, whenever any body talked to her about going to church. She had no clothes, for she did not like to go, unless she looked a little like her neighbours; or, the church was so cold; or she had a large family, and she must get the poor things some dinner on a Sunday, the only day she had them about her. And indeed she thought she did great things, if she spent all the Sunday in doing the things of this world, and then went into a neighbour's house at night where they were singing a hymn, or saying a prayer.

Though poor little John had so little comfort at his mother's house, yet he did not go over so often to William Dainty as he would have liked, for William Dainty's house was always clean and comfortable. If times were ever so hard, there was always a little comfortable supper ready for William and James when they came home, and a clean hearth; and the little ones were sitting round the fire with their knitting or their book, and