night from their work to please themselves: it is surely very hard if I may not take a day or two, once or twice a-year, from mine, to serve God. While I can help it, I will never take God's time to do my business in;-I mean his Sabbaths. God has blessed me, and taken care of me, from a little lad up to this very day, and, with his grace helping me, I never will forget him. And sure I am, that at his dying hour no man ever repented serving God. To my thinking, the best inheritance a father can leave his children is, to set them a pattern of walking in God's ways."

Tom made no answer; so William Dainty wished him a good morning.

"Good-bye, John," said little James. As John said good-bye in return, he thought to himself" He'll have a pleasanter day of it than we had on Sunday."

Now I must not make my story too long: so I will not tell you what a fine day it was, and how the sun shone, and what a number of flowers little James got, and how many rabbits he counted on the common, and how

the birds sang in the trees. William Dainty was going to receive a little money; for some time ago, he had worked for several months in Staffordshire. When he had received his money, and visited some of his old neighbours, he made bold to call upon the parson of the parish; for when he had lived in that country before, the parson had taken great notice of him; for he never missed church, and had the character of being sober, and never going to wakes or cock-fightings, or saying bad words. So the parson came out into the kitchen to speak to him, and made him eat and drink; and his wife and her little girls came out to speak to James. And before they went, the parson asked little James whether he went to school, and what he learned there; and then he gave him a Testament.

Every body who has read the beginning of this story will guess better than I can tell them how glad James was to have a Testament. William Dainty took leave of his friends in good time, and set off again on his journey home.

Now, as they had had a good rest, they

made haste, and they reached home between eight and nine. It was getting dusk, and they met none of their acquaintance on their way: but as soon as the mule's feet sounded at their own door, Mrs. Dainty and her daughter Mary ran out to receive them, first rejoicing; and then crying: so that William began to be puzzled. "Well, well," he said, "what is the matter now?"

"God has sent you out, in his great mercy," answered Mrs. Dainty, "praised and blessed be his name! Your pit has been on fire, and Tom Wylde is almost killed, and the little lad badly burned."

William Dainty stood for a few minutes like one fixed: he remembered his discourse with Tom that morning, and his eyes were filled with tears. Before he would do any thing to the mule, he took his little boy by the hand, and led him into the house; and he said to him, "Did any ever trust in the Lord and was ashamed? O magnify his name with me, and let us bless the Lord for ever!" Then he made all his family kneel down; and

taking his Prayer-Book, he read aloud out of it the general thanksgiving.

What account William heard from his wife about Tom Wylde and his little boy I shall not stay to put down now.

CHAPTER IX.

"I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."-Luke xii. 5.

WHEN William had heard all the particulars of the shocking accident which had happened to Tom Wylde and his little boy, he did not wait to rest himself or to eat any supper, but he went directly to call upon the poor man, and James begged that he might go with him.

When they got to the house, late as it was, they found the room down stairs filled with women: some were helping Sally to do such things as were wanted, (for she was going about the house like a distracted person,) but many were hindering rather than helping, and offering her vain comfort.

William walked through the midst of them