,illustration3 ,,tawney ,,rachel4       
,,stories ,,for ,,the ,,young2  ,,or1   
,,cheap ,,repository ,,tracts3          
,,entertaining1 ,,moral1 ,,and          
,,religious4  ,,by ,,hannah ,,more ,,and
 ,,others4  ,a ,,new ,,revised          
,,edition4  ,,vol4 ,,vi4  ,,published   
,,by ,,the ,,american ,,tract ,,society1
  #aej ,,nassau-,,street1 ,,new ,,york4 
,,contents  ,,vol4 ,,vi4   ,black ,giles
 the ,poacher2 containing some account  
of a family who had rather live by their
 wits than their work4  ,history of     
,widow ,brown's ,apple-tree2 being ,part
 ,,ii4 of ,black ,giles the ,poacher4   
,tawney ,rachel2 or1 the                
,fortune-teller3 with some account of   
,dreams1 ,omens1 and ,conjurers4 ,being 
,part ,,iii4 of ,black ,giles the       
,poacher4  ,the ,happy ,waterman4  ,the 
,gravestone4  ,parley the ,porter4 ,an  
,allegory4 ,showing how robbers without 
can never get into a house unless there 
are traitors within4  ,a ,new ,christmas
 ,tract2 or1 the ,right ,way of         

,rejoicing at ,christmas4 ,showing the  
reasons we have for joy at the event of 
our ,saviour's birth4  ,a ,new          
,christmas ,hymn4  ,bear ye one         
another's ,burdens2 or1 the ,valley of  
,tears4 ,a ,vision4  ,the ,strait ,gate 
and the ,broad ,way2 being the ,second  
,part of the ,valley of ,tears4  ,the   
,parable of the ,laborers in the        
,vineyard4     ,,black ,,giles ,,the    
,,poacher3  ,,containing ,,some         
,,account ,,of ,a ,,family ,,who ,,had  
,,rather ,,live ,,by ,,their ,,wits     
,,than ,,their ,,work,a  ,,by ,,hannah  
,,more4  ,,part ,i  ,footnote ,a3 ,this 
story exhibits an accurate picture of   
that part of the country where the      
author then resided2 and where1 by her  
benevolent zeal1 a great reformation was
 effected among the poor inhabitants of 
at least twenty parishes1 within a      
circle of thirty miles4   ,poaching     
,giles lives on the borders of one of   
those great moors in ,somersetshire4    
,giles1 to be sure1 has been a sad      

fellow in his time2 and it is none of   
his fault if his whole family do not end
 their career either at the gallows1 or 
at ,botany ,bay4 ,he lives at that mud  
cottage1 with the broken windows stuffed
 with dirty rags1 just beyond the gate  
which divides the upper from the lower  
moor4 ,you may know the house at a good 
distance by the ragged tiles on the     
roof1 and the loose stones which are    
ready to drop out from the chimney2     
though a short ladder1 a hod of mortar1 
and half an hour's leisure time would   
have prevented all this1 and made the   
little dwelling tight enough4 ,but as   
,giles had never learned any thing that 
was good1 so he did not know the value  
of such useful sayings as1 that a tile  
in time saves nine4  ,besides this1     
,giles fell into that common mistake1   
that a beggarly looking cottage1 and    
filthy1 ragged children1 raised most    
compassion1 and of course drew most     
charity4 ,but as cunning as he was in   
other things1 he was out in his         

reckoning here2 for it is neatness1     
housewifery1 and a decent appearance1   
which draws the kindness of the rich and
 charitable1 while they turn away       
disgusted with filth and laziness3 not  
out of pride1 but because they see that 
it is next to impossible to mend the    
condition of those who degrade          
themselves by dirt and sloth2 and few   
people care to help those who will not  
help themselves4  ,illustration  ,the   
common on which ,giles' hovel stands is 
quite a deep marsh in a wet winter1 but 
in summer it looks green and pretty     
enough4 ,to be sure1 it would be rather 
convenient1 when one passes that way in 
a carriage1 if one of the children would
 run out and open the gate2 but instead 
of any one of them running out as soon  
as they hear the wheels1 which would be 
quite time enough1 what does ,giles do  
but set all his ragged brats1 with dirty
 faces1 matted locks1 and naked feet and
 legs1 to lie all day upon a sand-bank  
hard by the gate1 waiting for the       

slender chance of what may be picked up 
from travellers4 ,at the sound of a     
carriage1 a whole covey of these little 
scarecrows start up1 rush to the gate1  
and all at once thrust out their hats   
and aprons2 and for fear this1 together 
with the noise of their clamorous       
begging1 should not sufficiently        
frighten the horses1 they are very apt  
to let the gate slap full against you1  
before you are half way through1 in     
their eager scuffle to snatch from each 
other the halfpence which you may have  
thrown out to them4 ,i know two ladies  
who were one day very near being killed 
by these abominable tricks4  ,thus five 
or six little idle creatures1 who might 
be earning a trifle by knitting at home1
 who might be useful to the public by   
working in the field1 and who might     
assist their families by learning to get
 their bread twenty honest ways1 are    
suffered to lie about all day in the    
hope of a few chance halfpence1 which1  
after all1 they are by no means sure of 

getting4 ,indeed1 when the neighboring  
gentlefolks found out that opening the  
gate was the family trade1 they soon    
left off giving any thing4 ,and ,i      
myself1 though ,i used to take out a    
penny ready to give1 had there been only
 one to receive it1 when ,i saw a whole 
family established in so beggarly a     
trade1 quietly put it back again into my
 pocket1 and gave nothing at all4 ,and  
so few travellers pass that way1 that   
sometimes1 after the whole family have  
lost a day1 their gains do not ,amount  
to two-pence4  ,as ,giles had a far     
greater taste for living by his wits    
than his work1 he was at one time in    
hopes that his children might get a     
pretty penny by tumbling for the        
diversion of travellers1 and he set     
about training them in that indecent    
practice2 but1 unluckily1 the moors     
being level1 the carriages travelled    
faster than the children tumbled4 ,he   
envied those parents who lived on the   
,london road1 over the ,wiltshire downs1

 which downs being very hilly1 it       
enables the tumbler to keep pace with   
the traveller1 till he sometimes extorts
 from the light and the unthinking a    
reward instead of a reproof4 ,i beg     
leave1 however1 to put all gentlemen and
 ladies in mind1 that such tricks are a 
kind of apprenticeship to the trades of 
begging and thieving2 and that nothing  
is more injurious to good morals than to
 encourage the poor in any habits which 
may lead them to live upon chance4      
,giles1 to be sure1 as his children grew
 older1 began to train them to such     
other employments as the idle habits    
they had learned at the gate very       
properly qualified them for4 ,the right 
of common1 which some of the poor       
cottagers have in that part of the      
country1 and which is doubtless a       
considerable advantage to many1 was     
converted by ,giles into the means of   
corrupting his whole family2 for his    
children1 as soon as they grew too big  
for the trade of begging at the gate1   

were promoted to the dignity of thieving
 on the moor4  ,here he kept two or     
three asses1 miserable creatures1 which1
 if they had the good fortune to escape 
an untimely death by starving1 did not  
fail to meet with it by beating4 ,some  
of the biggest boys were sent out with  
these lean and galled animals to carry  
sand or coals about the neighboring     
towns4 ,both sand and coals were often  
stolen before they got them to sell2 or 
if not1 they always took care to cheat  
in selling them4 ,by long practice in   
this art1 they grew so dexterous that   
they could give a pretty good guess how 
large a coal they could crib out of     
every bag before the buyer would be     
likely to miss it4  ,all their odd time 
was taken up under the pretence of      
watching these asses on the moor1 or    
running after five or six half-starved  
geese2 but the truth is1 these boys were
 only watching for an opportunity to    
steal an odd goose of their neighbor's1 
while they pretended to look after their

 own4 ,they used also to pluck the      
quills or the down from these poor live 
creatures1 or half milk a cow before the
 farmer's maid came with her pail4 ,they
 all knew how to calculate to a minute  
what time to be down in a morning to let
 out their lank1 hungry beasts1 which   
they had turned over night into the     
farmer's field to steal a little good   
pasture4 ,they contrived to get there   
just time enough to escape being caught 
in replacing the stakes they had pulled 
out for the cattle to get over4 ,for    
,giles was a prudent1 long-headed       
fellow2 and wherever he stole food for  
his colts1 took care never to steal     
stakes from the hedges at the same time4
 ,he had sense enough to know that the  
gain did not make up for the danger2 he 
knew that a loose fagot1 pulled from a  
neighbor's pile of wood after the family
 were gone to bed1 answered the end     
better1 and was not half the trouble4   
,among the many trades which ,giles     
professed1 he sometimes practised that  

of a rat-catcher2 but he was addicted to
 so many tricks1 that he never followed 
the same trade long1 for detection will 
sooner or later follow the              
best-concerted villany4 ,whenever he was
 sent for to a farm-house1 his custom   
was to kill a few of the old rats1      
always taking care to leave a little    
stock of young ones alive sufficient to 
keep up the breed2 for1 said he1 if ,i  
were to be such a fool as to clear a    
house or a barn at once1 how would my   
trade be carried on8 ,and where any barn
 was overstocked1 he used to borrow a   
few rats from thence1 just to people a  
neighboring granary which had none2 and 
he might have gone on till now1 had he  
not unluckily been caught one evening   
emptying his cage of young rats under   
parson ,wilson's barn-door4  ,this      
worthy minister1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 used to  
pity the neglected children of ,giles1  
as much as he blamed the wicked parents4
 ,he one day picked up ,dick1 who was   
far the best of ,giles' bad boys4 ,dick 

was loitering about in a field behind   
the parson's garden1 in search of a     
hen's nest1 his mother having ordered   
him to bring home a few eggs that night1
 by hook or by crook1 as ,giles was     
resolved to have some pancakes for      
supper1 though he knew that eggs were a 
penny apiece4 ,mr4 ,wilson had long been
 desirous of snatching some of this     
vagrant family from ruin2 and his chief 
hopes were bent on ,dick1 as the least  
hackneyed in knavery4 ,he had once given
 him a new pair of shoes1 on his        
promising to go to school next ,sunday2 
but no sooner had ,rachel1 the boy's    
mother1 got the shoes into her clutches1
 than she pawned them for a bottle of   
gin1 and ordered the boy to keep out of 
the parson's sight1 and to be sure to   
play his marbles on ,sunday1 for the    
future1 at the other end of the parish1 
and not near the churchyard4  ,mr4      
,wilson1 however1 picked up the boy once
 more2 for it was not his way to despair
 of any body4 ,dick was just going to   

take to his heels1 as usual1 for fear   
the old story of the shoes should be    
brought forward2 but finding he could   
not get off1 what does he do but run    
into a little puddle of muddy water     
which lay between him and the parson1   
that the sight of his naked feet might  
not bring on the dreaded subject4 ,now1 
it happened that ,mr4 ,wilson was       
planting a little field of beans1 so he 
thought this a good opportunity to      
employ ,dick2 and he told him he had got
 some pretty easy work for him4 ,dick   
did as he was bid2 he willingly went to 
work1 and readily began to plant his    
beans with dispatch and regularity1     
according to the directions given him4  
,while the boy was busily at work by    
himself1 ,giles happened to come by1    
having been skulking round the back way1
 to look over the parson's garden wall1 
to see if there was any thing worth     
climbing over for on the ensuing night4 
,he spied ,dick1 and began to scold him 
for working for the stingy old parson2  

for ,giles had a natural antipathy to   
whatever belonged to the church4  ,what 
has he promised thee a day8 said he2    
little enough1 ,i dare say4  ,he is not 
to pay me by the day1 said ,dick1 but   
says he will give me so much when ,i    
have planted this peck1 and so much for 
the next4  ,oh1 oh1 that alters the     
case1 said ,giles4 ,one may1 indeed1 get
 a trifle by this sort of work4 ,i hate 
your regular day-jobs1 when one can't   
well avoid doing one's work for one's   
money4 ,come1 give me a handful of the  
beans2 ,i will teach thee how to plant  
when thou art paid for planting by the  
peck4 ,all we have to do in that case is
 to dispatch the work as fast as we can1
 and get rid of the beans with all      
speed2 and as to the seed coming up or  
not1 that is no business of ours2 we are
 paid for planting1 not for growing4 ,at
 the rate thou goest on1 thou wouldst   
not get sixpence to-night4 ,come along1 
hurry away4  ,so saying1 he took his    
hat-full of the seed1 and where ,dick   

had been ordered to set one bean1 ,giles
 buried a dozen2 so the beans were soon 
out4 ,but though the peck was emptied1  
the ground was unplanted4 ,but cunning  
,giles knew this could not be found out 
till the time when the beans might be   
expected to come up2 and then1 ,dick1   
said he1 the snails and mice may go     
shares in the blame2 or we can lay the  
fault on the rooks or the blackbirds4   
,so saying1 he sent the boy into the    
parsonage to receive his pay1 taking    
care to secure about a quarter of the   
peck of beans for his own colt4 ,he put 
both bag and beans into his own pocket  
to carry home1 bidding ,dick tell ,mr4  
,wilson that he had planted the beans   
and lost the bag4  ,in the meantime     
,giles' other boys were busy in emptying
 the ponds and trout-streams in the     
neighboring manor4 ,they would steal    
away the carp and tench when they were  
no bigger than gudgeons4 ,by this       
untimely depredation they plundered the 
owner of his property1 without enriching

 themselves4 ,but the pleasure of       
mischief was reward enough4  ,these and 
a hundred other little thieveries they  
committed with such dexterity1 that old 
,tom ,crib1 whose son was transported   
last assizes for sheep-stealing1 used to
 be often reproaching his boys1 that    
,giles' sons were worth a hundred of    
such blockheads as he had2 for scarce a 
night passed but ,giles had some little 
comfortable thing for supper which his  
boys had pilfered in the day1 while his 
undutiful dogs never stole any thing    
worth having4 ,giles1 in the meantime1  
was busy in his way2 but as busy as he  
was in laying nets1 starting coveys1 and
 training dogs1 he always took care that
 his depredations should not be confined
 merely to game4  ,giles' boys had never
 seen the inside of a church1 and the   
father thought he knew his own interest 
better than to force them to it2 for    
church-time was the season of their     
harvest4 ,then the hens' nests were     
searched1 a stray duck was clapped under

 the smockfrock1 the tools which might  
have been left by chance in a farm-yard 
were picked up1 and all the neighboring 
pigeon-houses were thinned2 so that     
,giles used to boast to tawny ,rachel1  
his wife1 that ,sunday was to them the  
most profitable day in the week4  ,with 
her it was certainly the most laborious 
day1 as she always did her washing and  
ironing on ,sunday morning1 it being1 as
 she said1 the only leisure day she had2
 for on the other days she went about   
the country telling fortunes1 and       
selling dream-books and wicked songs4   
,neither her husband's nor her          
children's clothes were ever mended1 and
 if ,sunday1 her idle day1 had not come 
about once in every week1 it is likely  
they would never have been washed       
either4 ,you might1 however1 see her as 
you were going to church smoothing her  
own rags on her best red cloak1 which   
she always used for her ironing-cloth on
 ,sundays1 for her cloak when she       
travelled1 and for her blanket at night3

 such a wretched manager was ,rachel4   
,among her other articles of trade1 one 
was to make and sell peppermint1 and    
other distilled waters4 ,these she had  
the cheap art of making without trouble 
and without expense1 for she made them  
without herbs and without a still4 ,her 
way was1 to fill so many quart bottles  
with plain water1 putting a spoonful of 
mint-water in the mouth of each2 these  
she corked down with rosin1 carrying to 
each customer a vial of real distilled  
water to taste1 by way of sample4 ,this 
was so good that her bottles were       
commonly bought up without being opened2
 but if any suspicion arose1 and she was
 forced to uncork a bottle1 by the few  
drops of distilled water lying at top1  
she even then escaped detection1 and    
took care to get out of reach before the
 bottle was opened a second time4 ,she  
was too prudent ever to go twice to the 
same house4   ,,the ,,upright           
,,magistrate4  ,there is hardly any     
petty mischief that is not connected    

with the life of a poacher4 ,mr4 ,wilson
 was aware of this2 he was not only a   
pious clergyman1 but an upright justice4
 ,he used to say1 that people who were  
truly conscientious1 must be so in small
 things as well as in great ones1 or    
they would destroy the effect of their  
own precepts1 and their example would   
not be of general use4 ,for this reason 
he never would accept of a hare or a    
partridge from any unqualified person in
 his parish4 ,he did not content himself
 with shuffling the thing off by asking 
no questions1 and pretending to take it 
for granted in a general way that the   
game was fairly come at2 but he used to 
say1 that by receiving the booty he     
connived at a crime1 made himself a     
sharer in it1 and if he gave a present  
to the man who brought it1 he even      
tempted him to repeat the fault4  ,one  
day poor ,jack ,weston1 an honest fellow
 in the neighborhood1 whom ,mr4 ,wilson 
had kindly visited and relieved in a    
long sickness1 from which he had but    

just recovered1 was brought before him  
as he was sitting on the justice's      
bench4 ,jack was accused of having      
knocked down a hare2 and of all the     
birds in the air1 who should the        
informer be but ,black ,giles the       
poacher4 ,mr4 ,wilson was grieved at the
 charge2 he had a great regard for      
,jack1 but he had a still greater regard
 for the law4 ,the poor fellow pleaded  
guilty4 ,he did not deny the fact1 but  
said he did not consider it a crime1 for
 he did not think game was private      
property1 and he owned he had a strong  
temptation for doing what he had done1  
which he hoped would plead in his       
excuse4 ,the justice desired to know    
what this temptation was4  ,sir1 said   
the poor fellow1 you know ,i was given  
over this spring in a bad fever4 ,i had 
no friend in the world but you1 sir4    
,under ,god1 you saved my life by your  
charitable relief2 and ,i trust also you
 may have helped to save my soul by your
 prayers and your good advice2 for1 by  

the grace of ,god1 ,i have turned over a
 new leaf since that sickness4  ,i know 
,i can never make you amends for all    
your goodness2 but ,i thought it would  
be some comfort to my full heart if ,i  
could but once give you some little     
token of my gratitude4 ,so ,i had       
trained a pair of nice turtledoves for  
,madam ,wilson2 but they were stolen    
from me1 sir1 and ,i do suspect ,black  
,giles stole them4 ,yesterday morning1  
sir1 as ,i was crawling out to my work1 
for ,i am still but very weak1 a fine   
hare ran across my path4 ,i did not stay
 to consider whether it was wrong to    
kill a hare1 but ,i felt it was right to
 show my gratitude2 so1 sir1 without a  
moment's thought1 ,i did knock down the 
hare1 which ,i was going to carry to    
your worship1 because ,i knew madam was 
fond of hare4 ,i am truly sorry for my  
fault1 and will submit to whatever      
punishment your worship may please to   
inflict4  ,mr4 ,wilson was much moved   
with this honest confession1 and touched

 with the poor fellow's gratitude4 ,what
 added to the effect of the story1 was  
the weak condition1 and pale1 sickly    
looks of the offender4 ,but this worthy 
magistrate never suffered his feelings  
to bias his integrity2 he knew that he  
did not sit on that bench to indulge    
pity1 but to administer justice4 ,and   
while he was sorry for the offender1 he 
would never justify the offence4  ,john1
 said he1 ,i am surprised that you could
 for a moment forget that ,i never      
accept any gift which causes the giver  
to break a law4 ,on ,sunday ,i teach you
 from the pulpit the laws of ,god1 whose
 minister ,i am4 ,at present ,i fill the
 chair of the magistrate1 to enforce and
 execute the laws of the land4 ,between 
these and the others there is more      
connection than you are aware4 ,i thank 
you1 ,john1 for your affection to me1   
and ,i admire your gratitude2 but ,i    
must not allow either affection or      
gratitude to be brought as a plea for a 
wrong action4 ,it is not your business  

nor mine1 ,john1 to settle whether the  
game-laws are good or bad4 ,till they   
are repealed we must obey them4 ,many1  
,i doubt not1 break these laws through  
ignorance1 and many1 ,i am certain1 who 
would not dare to steal a goose or a    
turkey1 make no scruple of knocking down
 a hare or a partridge4 ,you will       
hereafter think yourself happy that this
 your first attempt has proved          
unsuccessful1 as ,i trust you are too   
honest a fellow ever to intend to turn  
poacher4 ,with poaching much more evil  
is connected3 a habit of nightly        
depredation1 a custom of prowling in the
 dark for prey1 produces in time a      
disrelish for honest labor4 ,he whose   
first offence was committed without much
 thought or evil intention1 if he       
happens to succeed a few times in       
carrying off his booty undiscovered1    
grows bolder and bolder2 and when he    
fancies there is no shame attending it1 
he very soon gets to persuade himself   
that there is also no sin4 ,while some  

people pretend a scruple about stealing 
a sheep1 they partly live by plundering 
of warrens4 ,but remember1 that the     
warrener pays a high rent1 and that     
therefore his rabbits are as much his   
property as his sheep4 ,do not then     
deceive yourselves with these false     
distinctions4 ,all property is sacred2  
and as the laws of the land are intended
 to fence in that property1 he who      
brings up his children to break down any
 of these fences1 brings them up to     
certain sin and ruin4 ,he who begins    
with robbing orchards1 rabbit-warrens1  
and fish-ponds1 will probably end with  
horsestealing1 or highway robbery4      
,poaching is a regular apprenticeship to
 bolder crimes4 ,he whom ,i may commit  
as a boy to sit in the stocks for       
killing a partridge1 may be likely to   
end at the gallows for killing a man4   
,observe1 you who now hear me1 the      
strictness and impartiality of justice4 
,i know ,giles to be a worthless fellow1
 yet it is my duty to take his          

information2 ,i know ,jack ,weston to be
 an honest youth1 yet ,i must be obliged
 to make him pay the penalty4 ,giles is 
a bad man1 but he can prove this fact2  
,jack is a worthy lad1 but he has       
committed this fault4 ,i am sorry for   
you1 ,jack2 but do not let it grieve you
 that ,giles has played worse tricks a  
hundred times1 and yet got off1 while   
you were detected in the very first     
offence1 for that would be grieving     
because you are not so great a rogue as 
,giles4 ,at this moment you think your  
good luck is very unequal2 but all this 
will one day turn out in your favor4    
,giles is not the more a favorite of    
heaven because he has hitherto escaped  
,botany ,bay or the hulks2 nor is it any
 mark of ,god's displeasure against you1
 ,john1 that you were found out in your 
very first attempt4  ,here the good     
justice left off speaking1 and no one   
could contradict the truth of what he   
had said4 ,weston humbly submitted to   
his sentence1 but he was very poor1 and 

knew not where to raise the money to pay
 his fine4 ,his character had always    
been so fair1 that several farmers      
present kindly agreed to advance a      
trifle each1 to prevent his being sent  
to prison1 and he thankfully promised to
 work out the debt4 ,the justice        
himself1 though he could not soften the 
law1 yet showed ,weston so much         
kindness1 that he was enabled1 before   
the year was out1 to get out of this    
difficulty4 ,he began to think more     
seriously than he had ever yet done1 and
 grew to abhor poaching1 not merely from
 fear but from principle4  ,we shall    
soon see whether poaching ,giles always 
got off so successfully4 ,here we have  
seen that worldly prosperity is no sure 
sign of goodness2 and that the          
triumphing of the wicked is short1 will 
appear in the second part of the        
,poacher1 containing the entertaining   
story of the ,widow ,brown's            
,apple-tree4    ,,part ,,ii4  ,,history 
,,of ,,widow ,,brown',s ,,apple-,,tree4 

,i think my readers are so well         
acquainted with ,black ,giles the       
poacher1 that they will not expect to   
hear any great good1 either of ,giles   
himself1 his wife ,rachel1 or any of    
their family4 ,i am sorry to expose     
their tricks1 but it is their fault1 not
 mine4 ,if ,i pretend to speak about    
people at all1 ,i must tell the truth4  
,i am sure1 if folks would but turn     
about and mend1 it would be a thousand  
times pleasanter to me to write their   
histories2 as it is no comfort to tell  
of any body's faults4 ,if the world     
would but grow good1 ,i should be glad  
enough to tell of it2 but till it really
 becomes so1 ,i must go on describing it
 as it is2 otherwise ,i should only     
mislead my readers1 instead of          
instructing them4 ,it is the duty of a  
faithful historian to relate the evil   
with the good4  ,as to ,giles and his   
boys1 ,i am sure old widow ,brown has   
good reason to remember their dexterity4
 ,poor woman1 she had a fine little bed 

of onions in her neat and well-kept     
garden2 she was very fond of her onions1
 and many a rheumatism has she caught by
 kneeling down to weed them in a damp   
day1 notwithstanding the little flannel 
cloak and the bit of an old mat which   
,madam ,wilson gave her1 because the old
 woman would needs weed in wet weather4 
,her onions she always carefully        
treasured up for her winter's store2 for
 an onion makes a little broth very     
relishing1 and is1 indeed1 the only     
savory thing poor people are used to    
get4  ,she had also a small orchard1    
containing about a dozen apple-trees1   
with which1 in a good year1 she has been
 known to make a couple of barrels of   
cider1 which she sold to her landlord   
towards paying her rent1 besides having 
a little keg which she was able to keep 
back for her own drinking4  ,well1 would
 you believe it8 ,giles and his boys    
marked both onions and apples for their 
own4 ,indeed1 a man who stole so many   
rabbits from the warren1 was likely     

enough to steal onions for sauce4 ,one  
day when the widow was abroad on a      
little business1 ,giles and his boys    
made a clear riddance of the onion-bed2 
and when they had pulled up every single
 onion1 they then turned a couple of    
pigs into the garden1 who1 allured by   
the smell1 tore up the bed in such a    
manner1 that the widow1 when she came   
home1 had not the least doubt but the   
pigs had been the thieves4 ,to confirm  
this opinion1 they took care to leave   
the little hatch half open at one end of
 the garden1 and to break down a bit of 
a fence at the other end4  ,i wonder how
 any body can find in his heart not to  
pity and respect poor old widows4 ,there
 is something so forlorn and helpless in
 their condition1 that methinks it is a 
call on every body1 men1 women1 and     
children1 to do them all the kind       
services that fall in their way4        
,surely1 their having no one to take    
their part1 is an additional reason for 
kind-hearted people not to hurt and     

oppress them4 ,but it was this very     
reason which led ,giles to do this woman
 an injury4 ,with what a touching       
simplicity it is recorded in ,scripture1
 of the youth whom our blessed ,saviour 
raised from the dead1 that he was the   
only son of his mother1 and she was a   
widow4  ,it happened1 unluckily for poor
 widow ,brown1 that her cottage stood   
quite alone4 ,on several mornings       
together--for roguery gets up much      
earlier than industry--,giles and his   
boys stole regularly into her orchard1  
followed by their jackasses4 ,she was so
 deaf that she could not hear the asses1
 if they had brayed ever so loud1 and to
 this ,giles trusted2 for he was very   
cautious in his rogueries1 since he     
could not otherwise have contrived so   
long to keep out of prison2 for though  
he was almost always suspected1 he had  
seldom been taken up1 and never         
convicted4 ,the boys used to fill their 
bags1 load their asses1 and then march  
off2 and if1 in their way to the town   

where the apples were to be sold1 they  
chanced to pass by one of their         
neighbors who might be likely to suspect
 them1 they then all at once began to   
scream out1 ,buy my coal8 buy my sand8  
,besides the trees in her orchard1 poor 
widow ,brown had in her small garden one
 apple-tree particularly fine2 it was a 
redstreak1 so tempting and so lovely    
that ,giles' family had watched it with 
longing eyes1 till at last they resolved
 on a plan for carrying off all this    
fine fruit in their bags4 ,but it was a 
nice point to manage4 ,the tree stood   
directly under her chamber window1 so   
that there was some danger that she     
might spy them at the work4 ,they       
therefore determined to wait till the   
next ,sunday morning1 when they knew she
 would not fail to be at church4 ,sunday
 came2 it was a lone house1 as ,i said  
before1 and most of the parish were safe
 at church4 ,in a trice the tree was    
cleared1 the bags were filled1 the asses
 were whipped1 the thieves were off1 the

 coast was clear1 and all was safe and  
quiet by the time the sermon was over4  
,unluckily1 however1 it happened1 that  
this tree was so beautiful1 and the     
fruit so fine1 that the people1 as they 
used to pass to and from church1 were   
very apt to stop and admire widow       
,brown's redstreaks2 and some of the    
farmers rather envied her1 that in that 
scarce season1 when they hardly expected
 to make a pie out of a large orchard1  
she was likely to make a cask of cider  
from a single tree4 ,i am afraid1       
indeed1 if ,i must speak out1 she       
herself rather set her heart too much   
upon this fruit1 and had felt as much   
pride in her tree as gratitude to a good
 ,providence for it2 but this failing of
 hers was no excuse for ,giles4 ,the    
covetousness of this thief had for once 
got the better of his caution2 the tree 
was too completely stripped1 though the 
youngest boy ,dick did beg hard that his
 father would leave the poor old woman  
enough for a few dumplings2 and when    

,giles ordered ,dick in his turn to     
shake the tree1 the boy did it so gently
 that hardly any apples fell1 for which 
he got a good stroke of the stick with  
which the old man was beating down the  
apples4  ,the neighbors1 on their return
 from church1 stopped as usual2 but it  
was--not1 alas1 to admire the apples1   
for apples there were none left1 but to 
lament the robbery1 and console the     
widow4 ,meantime the redstreaks were    
safely lodged in ,giles' hovel1 under a 
few bundles of hay1 which he had        
contrived to pull from the farmer's mow 
the night before1 for the use of his    
jackasses4  ,such a stir1 however1 began
 to be made about the widow's           
apple-tree1 that ,giles1 who knew how   
much his character laid him open to     
suspicion1 as soon as he saw the people 
safe in church again in the afternoon1  
ordered his boys to carry each a hatful 
of the apples1 and thrust them in at a  
little casement window1 which happened  
to be open in the house of ,samuel      

,price1 a very honest carpenter in that 
parish1 who was at church with his whole
 family4 ,giles' plan1 by this          
contrivance1 was to lay the theft on    
,price's sons1 in case the thing should 
come to be further inquired into4 ,here 
,dick put in a word1 and begged and     
prayed his father not to force them to  
carry the apples to ,price's4 ,but all  
that he got by his begging was such a   
knock as had nearly laid him on the     
earth4  ,what1 you cowardly rascal1 said
 ,giles1 you will go and peach1 ,i      
suppose1 and get your father sent to    
jail4  ,poor widow ,brown1 though her   
trouble had made her still weaker than  
she was1 went to church again in the    
afternoon2 indeed1 she rightly thought  
that her being in trouble was a new     
reason why she ought to go4 ,during the 
service she tried with all her might not
 to think of her redstreaks2 and        
whenever they would come into her head1 
she took up her prayer-book directly1   
and so she forgot them a little2 and1   

indeed1 she found herself much easier   
when she came out of the church than    
when she went in--an effect so commonly 
produced by prayer1 that methinks it is 
a pity people do not try it oftener4    
,now it happened oddly enough1 that on  
that ,sunday1 of all the ,sundays in the
 year1 the widow should call in to rest 
a little at ,samuel ,price's1 to tell   
over again the lamentable story of the  
apples1 and to consult with him how the 
thief might be brought to justice4 ,but 
,o1 reader1 guess1 if you can1 for ,i am
 sure ,i cannot tell you1 what was her  
surprise1 when1 on going into ,samuel   
,price's kitchen1 she saw her own       
redstreaks lying in the window6 ,the    
apples were of a sort too remarkable for
 color1 shape1 and size1 to be mistaken4
 ,there was not such another tree in the
 parish4  ,widow ,brown immediately     
screamed out1 ',las-a-day6 as sure as   
can be1 here are my redstreaks2 ,i can  
swear to them in any court4 ,samuel     
,price1 who believed his sons to be as  

honest as himself1 was shocked and      
troubled at the sight4 ,he knew he had  
no redstreaks of his own2 he knew there 
were no apples in the window when he    
went to church2 he did verily believe   
these apples to be the widow's4 ,but how
 they came there he could not possibly  
guess4 ,he called for ,tom1 the only one
 of his sons who now lived at home4 ,tom
 was at the ,sunday-school1 which he had
 never once missed since ,mr4 ,wilson   
the minister had set one up in the      
parish4 ,was such a boy likely to do    
such a deed8  ,a crowd had by this time 
got about ,price's door1 among which was
 ,giles and his boys1 who had already   
taken care to spread the news that ,tom 
,price was the thief4 ,most people were 
unwilling to believe it4 ,his character 
was very good1 but appearances were     
strongly against him4 ,mr4 ,wilson now  
came in4 ,he was much concerned that    
,tom ,price1 the best boy in his school1
 should stand accused of such a crime4  
,he sent for the boy1 examined1 and     

cross-examined him4 ,no marks of guilt  
appeared4 ,but still1 though he pleaded 
not guilty1 there lay the redstreaks in 
his father's window4  ,all the idle     
fellows in the place1 who were most     
likely to have committed such a theft   
themselves1 fell with great vengeance on
 poor ,tom4 ,the wicked seldom give any 
quarter4 ,this is one of your sanctified
 ones6 cried they4 ,this was all the    
good that ,sunday-schools did6 ,for     
their parts1 they never saw any good    
come by religion4 ,sunday was the only  
day for a little pastime2 and if poor   
boys must be shut up with their godly   
books1 when they ought to be out taking 
a little pleasure1 it was no wonder they
 made themselves amends by such tricks4 
,another said he should like to see     
parson ,wilson's righteous one well     
whipped4 ,a third hoped he would be     
clapped in the stocks for a young       
hypocrite as he was2 while old ,giles1  
who thought it was the only way to avoid
 suspicion by being more violent than   

the rest1 declared1 that he hoped the   
young dog would be transported for life4
  ,mr4 ,wilson was too wise and too just
 to proceed against ,tom without full   
proof4 ,he declared the crime was a very
 heavy one1 and he feared that heavy    
must be the punishment4 ,tom1 who knew  
his own innocence1 earnestly prayed to  
,god that it might be made to appear as 
clear as the noonday2 and very fervent  
were his secret devotions on that night4
  ,black ,giles passed his night in a   
very different manner4 ,he set off as   
soon as it was dark1 with his sons and  
their jackasses laden with their stolen 
goods4 ,as such a cry was raised about  
the apples1 he did not think it safe to 
keep them longer at home1 but resolved  
to go and sell them at the next town2   
borrowing without leave a lame colt out 
of the moor to assist in carrying off   
his booty4  ,giles and his eldest sons  
had rare sport all the way in thinking1 
that while they were enjoying the profit
 of their plunder1 ,tom ,price would be 

whipped round the market-place at least1
 if not sent beyond sea4 ,but the       
younger boy1 ,dick1 who had naturally a 
tender heart1 though hardened by his    
long familiarity with sin1 could not    
help crying when he thought that ,tom   
,price might perhaps be transported for 
a crime which he himself had helped to  
commit4 ,he had had no compunction about
 the robbery1 for he had not been       
instructed in the great principles of   
truth and justice2 nor would he1        
therefore1 perhaps have had much remorse
 about accusing an innocent boy4 ,but1  
though utterly devoid of principle1 he  
had some remains of natural feeling and 
of gratitude4 ,tom ,price had often     
given him a bit of his own bread and    
cheese2 and once1 when ,dick was like to
 be drowned1 ,tom had jumped into the   
pond with his clothes on1 and saved his 
life1 when he was just sinking3 the     
remembrance of all this made his heart  
heavy4 ,he said nothing2 but1 as he     
trotted1 barefoot1 after the asses1 he  

heard his father and brothers laugh at  
having outwitted the godly ones2 and he 
grieved to think how poor ,tom would    
suffer for his wickedness1 yet fear kept
 him silent3 they called him sulky dog1 
and lashed the asses till they bled4    
,in the meantime1 ,tom ,price kept up   
his spirits as well as he could4 ,he    
worked hard all day1 and prayed heartily
 night and morning4  ,it is true1 said  
he to himself1 ,i am not guilty of this 
sin2 but let this accusation set me on  
examining myself1 and truly repenting of
 all my other sins2 for ,i find enough  
to repent of1 though ,i thank ,god ,i   
did not steal the widow's apples4  ,at  
length ,sunday came1 and ,tom went to   
school as usual4 ,as soon as he walked  
in1 there was a great deal of whispering
 and laughing among the worst of the    
boys2 and he overheard them say1 ,who   
would have thought it8 ,this is master's
 favorite6 ,this is parson ,wilson's    
sober ,tommy6 ,we sha'n't have ,tommy   
thrown in our teeth again1 if we go to  

get a birdsnest1 or gather a few nuts on
 a ,sunday4 ,your demure ones are always
 hypocrites1 says another4 ,the still   
sow sucks all the milk1 says a third4   
,giles' family had always kept clear of 
the school4 ,dick1 indeed1 had sometimes
 wished to go3 not that he had much     
sense of sin1 or desire after goodness1 
but he thought if he could once read1 he
 might rise in the world1 and not be    
forced to drive asses all his life4     
,through this whole ,saturday night he  
could not sleep4 ,he longed to know what
 would be done to ,tom4 ,he began to    
wish to go to school1 but he had not    
courage--sin is very cowardly3 so1 on   
the ,sunday morning1 he went and sat    
himself down under the church-wall4 ,mr4
 ,wilson passed by4 ,it was not his way 
to reject the most wicked1 till he had  
tried every means to bring them over2   
and even then he pitied and prayed for  
them4 ,he had1 indeed1 long left off    
talking to ,giles' sons2 but1 seeing    
,dick sitting by himself1 he once more  

spoke to him1 desired him to leave off  
his vagabond life1 and go with him into 
the school4 ,the boy hung down his head1
 but made no answer4 ,he did not1       
however1 either rise up and run away1 or
 look sulky1 as he used to do4 ,the     
minister desired him once more to go4   
,sir1 said the boy1 ,i can't go2 ,i am  
so big ,i am ashamed4  ,the bigger you  
are1 the less time you have to lose4    
,but1 sir1 ,i can't read4  ,then it is  
high time you should learn4  ,i should  
be ashamed to begin to learn my letters4
  ,the shame is not in beginning to     
learn them1 but in being contented never
 to know them4  ,but1 sir1 ,i am so     
ragged4  ,god looks at the heart1 and   
not at the coat4  ,but1 sir1 ,i have no 
shoes and stockings4  ,so much the      
worse2 ,i remember who gave you both4   
,here ,dick colored4 ,it is bad to want 
shoes and stockings2 but still1 if you  
can drive your asses a dozen miles      
without them1 you may certainly walk a  
hundred yards to school without them4   

,but1 sir1 the good boys will hate me1  
and wont speak to me4  ,good boys hate  
nobody2 and as to not speaking to you1  
to be sure they will not keep you       
company while you go on in your present 
evil courses2 but as soon as they see   
you wish to reform1 they will help you1 
and pity you1 and teach you2 so come    
along4 ,here ,mr4 ,wilson took this     
dirty boy by the hand1 and gently pulled
 him forward1 kindly talking to him all 
the way4  ,how the whole school stared  
to see ,dick ,giles come in6 ,no one1   
however1 dared to say what he thought4  
,the business went on1 and ,dick slunk  
into a corner1 partly to hide his rags1 
and partly to hide his sin2 for last    
,sunday's transactions sat heavy on his 
heart1 not because he had stolen the    
apples1 but because ,tom ,price had been
 accused4 ,this1 ,i say1 made him slink 
behind4 ,poor boy1 he little thought    
there was ,one saw him who sees all     
things1 and from whose eye no hole or   
corner can hide the sinner2 for he is   

about our bed1 and about our paths1 and 
spieth out all our ways4  ,it was the   
custom in that school for the master1   
who was a good and wise man1 to mark    
down in his pocketbook all the events of
 the week1 that he might turn them to   
some account in his ,sunday evening     
instructions3 such as any useful story  
in the newspaper1 any account of boys   
being drowned as they were out in a     
pleasure-boat on ,sundays1 any sudden   
death in the parish1 or any other       
remarkable visitation of ,providence2   
insomuch1 that many young people in the 
place1 who did not belong to the school1
 and many parents1 also1 used to drop in
 for an hour on a ,sunday evening1 when 
they were sure to hear something        
profitable4 ,the minister greatly       
approved this practice1 and often called
 in himself1 which was a great support  
to the master1 and encouragement to the 
people4  ,the master had taken a deep   
concern in the story of widow ,brown's  
apple-tree4 ,he could not believe ,tom  

,price was guilty1 nor dared he         
pronounce him innocent2 but he resolved 
to turn the instructions of the present 
evening to this subject4 ,he began thus3
 ,my dear boys1 however light some of   
you may make of robbing an orchard1 yet 
,i have often told you there is no such 
thing as a little sin1 if it be wilful  
or habitual4 ,i wish now to explain to  
you1 also1 that there is hardly such a  
thing as a single solitary sin4 ,you    
know ,i teach you not merely to repeat  
the commandments as an exercise for your
 memory1 but as a rule for your conduct4
 ,if you were to come here on a ,sunday 
only to learn to read and spell1 ,i     
should think that was not employing     
,god's day for ,god's work2 but ,i teach
 you to read1 that you may1 by this     
means1 so understand the ,bible and the 
catechism1 as to make every text in the 
one1 and every question and answer in   
the other1 to be so fixed in your       
hearts1 that they may bring forth the   
fruits of good living4  ,,master4 ,how  

many commandments are there8  ,,boy4    
,ten4  ,,master4 ,how many did that boy 
break who stole widow ,brown's apples8  
,,boy4 ,only one1 master2 the eighth4   
,,master4 ,what is the eighth8  ,,boy4  
,thou shalt not steal4  ,,master4 ,and  
you are very sure that this was the only
 one he broke8 ,now1 suppose ,i could   
prove to you that he probably broke1 not
 less than six out of those ten         
commandments1 which the great ,lord of  
heaven himself stooped down from his    
eternal glory to deliver to men1 would  
you not then think it a terrible thing  
to steal1 whether apples or guineas8    
,,boy4 ,yes1 master4  ,,master4 ,i will 
put the case4 ,some wicked boy has      
robbed widow ,brown's orchard4 ,here the
 eyes of every one were turned on poor  
,tom ,price1 except those of ,dick      
,giles1 who fixed his on the ground4 ,i 
accuse no one1 continued the master2    
,tom ,price is a good boy1 and was not  
missing at the time of the robbery3     
these are two reasons why ,i presume he 

is innocent2 but whoever it was1 you    
allow that by stealing these apples he  
broke the eighth commandment8  ,,boy4   
,yes1 master4  ,,master4 ,on what day   
were these apples stolen8  ,,boy4 ,on   
,sunday4  ,,master4 ,what is the fourth 
commandment8  ,,boy4 ,thou shalt keep   
holy the ,sabbath-day4  ,,master1 ,does 
that person keep holy the ,sabbath-day1 
who loiters in an orchard on ,sunday    
when he should be at church1 and steals 
apples when he ought to be at prayer8   
,,boy4 ,no1 master4  ,,master4 ,what    
command does he break8  ,,boy4 ,the     
fourth4  ,,master4 ,suppose this boy had
 parents1 who had sent him to church1   
and that he had disobeyed them by not   
going2 would that be keeping the fifth  
commandment8  ,,boy4 ,no1 master2 for   
the fifth commandment says1 ',thou shalt
 honor thy father and thy mother4'      
,this was the only part in the case in  
which poor ,dick ,giles' heart did not  
smite him2 for he knew he had disobeyed 
no father--for his father1 alas1 was    

still more wicked than himself1 and had 
brought him up to commit the sin4 ,but  
what a wretched comfort was this4 ,the  
master went on4  ,,master4 ,suppose this
 boy earnestly coveted this fruit1      
though it belonged to another person2   
would that be right8  ,,boy4 ,no1       
master2 for the tenth commandment says1 
',thou shalt not covet4'  ,,master4     
,very well4 ,here are four of ,god's    
positive commands already broken4 ,now1 
do you think thieves ever scruple to use
 wicked words8  ,,boy4 ,i am afraid not1
 master4  ,here ,dick ,giles was not so 
hardened but that he remembered how many
 curses had passed between him and his  
father while they were filling the bags1
 and he was afraid to look up4 ,the     
master went on4  ,i will now go one step
 further4 ,if the thief to all his other
 sins has added that of accusing the    
innocent to save himself--if he should  
break the ninth commandment1 by bearing 
false witness against a harmless        
neighbor1 then six commandments are     

broken for an apple6 ,but if it be      
otherwise1 if ,tom ,price should be     
found guilty1 it is not his good        
character shall save him4 ,i shall shed 
tears over him1 but punish him ,i must1 
and that severely4  ,no1 that you       
sha'n't1 roared out ,dick ,giles1 who   
sprung from his hiding-place1 fell on   
his knees1 and burst out a crying4 ,tom 
,price is as good a boy as ever lived2  
it was father and ,i who stole the      
apples4  ,it would have done your heart 
good to have seen the joy of the master1
 the modest blushes of ,tom ,price1 and 
the satisfaction of every honest boy in 
the school4 ,all shook hands with ,tom1 
and even ,dick got some portion of pity4
 ,i wish ,i had room to give my readers 
the moving exhortation which the master 
gave4 ,but while ,mr4 ,wilson left the  
guilty boy to the management of the     
master1 he thought it became him1 as a  
minister and a magistrate1 to go to the 
extent of the law in punishing the      
father4  ,early on ,monday morning1 he  

sent to apprehend ,giles4 ,in the       
meantime1 ,mr4 ,wilson was sent for to a
 gardener's house1 two miles distant1 to
 attend a man who was dying4 ,this was a
 duty to which all others gave way1 in  
his mind4 ,he set out directly2 but what
 was his surprise1 on his arrival1 to   
see1 on a little bed on the floor1      
poaching ,giles lying1 in all the       
agonies of death6 ,jack ,weston1 a poor 
young man1 against whom ,giles had      
informed for killing a hare1 was        
kneeling by him1 offering him some      
broth1 and talking to him in the kindest
 manner4 ,mr4 ,wilson begged to know the
 meaning of all this2 and ,jack ,weston 
spoke as follows3  ,at four this        
morning1 as ,i was going out to mow1    
passing under the high wall of this     
garden1 ,i heard a most dismal moaning4 
,the nearer ,i came1 the more dismal it 
grew4 ,at last1 who should ,i see but   
poor ,giles1 groaning and struggling    
under a quantity of bricks and stones1  
but not able to stir4 ,the day before1  

he had marked a fine large net on this  
old wall1 and resolved to steal it2 for 
he thought it might do as well to catch 
partridges as to preserve cherries3 so1 
sir1 standing on the very top of this   
wall1 and tugging with all his might to 
loosen the net from the hooks which     
fastened it1 down came ,giles1 net1     
wall1 and all2 for the wall was gone to 
decay4 ,it was very high1 indeed1 and   
poor ,giles not only broke his thigh1   
but has got a terrible blow on his      
brain1 and is bruised all over like a   
mummy4  ,on seeing me1 sir1 poor ,giles 
cried out1 ',oh1 ,jack1 ,i did try to   
ruin thee by lodging that information1  
and now thou wilt be revenged by letting
 me lie here and perish4'  ',god forbid1
 ,giles1' cried ,i2 'thou shalt see what
 sort of revenge a ,christian takes4'   
,so1 sir1 ,i sent off the gardener's boy
 to fetch a surgeon1 while ,i scampered 
home1 and brought1 on my back1 this bit 
of a hammock1 which is indeed my own    
bed1 and put ,giles upon it3 we then    

lifted him up1 bed and all1 as tenderly 
as if he had been a gentleman1 and      
brought him in here4 ,my wife has just  
brought him a drop of nice broth2 and   
now1 sir1 as ,i have done what ,i could 
for his poor perishing body1 it was ,i  
who took the liberty to send to you to  
come and try to help his poor soul1 for 
the doctor says he can't live4  ,mr4    
,wilson could not help saying to        
himself1 ,such an action as this is     
worth a whole volume of comments on that
 precept of our blessed ,master1 ',love 
your enemies3 do good to them that hate 
you4'  ,giles' dying groans confirmed   
the sad account ,weston had just given4 
,the poor wretch could neither pray     
himself1 nor attend to the minister4 ,he
 could only cry out1 ,oh1 sir1 what will
 become of me8 ,i don't know how to     
repent4 ,o my poor wicked children6     
,sir1 ,i have bred them all up in sin   
and ignorance4 ,have mercy on them1 sir2
 let me not meet them in the place of   
torment to which ,i am going4 ,lord1    

grant them that time for repentance     
which ,i have thrown away6 ,he          
languished a few days1 and died in great
 misery--a fresh and sad instance1 that 
people who abuse the grace of ,god1 and 
resist his ,spirit1 find it difficult to
 repent when they will4  ,except the    
minister and ,jack ,western1 no one came
 to see poor ,giles1 besides ,tommy     
,price1 who had been so sadly wronged by
 him4 ,tom often brought him his own    
rice and milk or apple-dumpling2 and    
,giles1 ignorant and depraved as he was1
 often cried out that he thought now    
there must be some truth in religion1   
since it taught even a boy to deny      
himself1 and to forgive an injury4 ,mr4 
,wilson1 the next ,sunday1 made a moving
 discourse on the danger of what are    
called petty offences4 ,this1 together  
with the awful death of ,giles1 produced
 such an effect1 that no poacher has    
been able to show his head in that      
parish ever since4    ,,part ,,iii4     
,,tawney ,,rachel2  ,,or1 ,,the         

,,fortune-,,teller4 ,,with ,,some       
,,account ,,of ,,dreams1 ,,omens1 ,,and 
,,conjurers  ,,by ,,hannah ,,more4      
,tawney ,rachel was the wife of poaching
 ,giles4 ,there seemed to be a          
conspiracy in ,giles' whole family to   
maintain themselves by tricks and       
pilfering4 ,regular labor and honest    
industry did not suit their idle habits4
 ,they had a sort of genius at finding  
out every unlawful means to support a   
vagabond life4 ,rachel travelled the    
country with a basket on her arm4 ,she  
pretended to get her bread by selling   
laces1 cabbage-nets1 ballads1 and       
history-books1 and used to buy old rags 
and rabbit skins4 ,many honest people   
trade in these things1 and ,i am sure ,i
 do not mean to say a word against      
honest people1 let them trade in what   
they will4 ,but ,rachel only made this  
traffic a pretence for getting          
admittance into farmers' kitchens1 in   
order to tell fortunes4  ,she was       
continually practising on the credulity 

of silly girls2 and took advantage of   
their ignorance to cheat and deceive    
them4 ,many an innocent servant has she 
caused to be suspected of a robbery1    
while she herself1 perhaps1 was in      
league with the thief4 ,many a harmless 
maid has she brought to ruin by         
contriving plots and events herself1 and
 then pretending to foretell them4 ,she 
had not1 to be sure1 the power of really
 foretelling things1 because she had no 
power of seeing into futurity2 but she  
had the art sometimes to bring them     
about according as she had foretold     
them4 ,so she got that credit for her   
wisdom which really belonged to her     
wickedness4  ,rachel was also a famous  
interpreter of dreams1 and could        
distinguish exactly between the fate of 
any two persons who happened to have a  
mole on the right or the left cheek4    
,she had a cunning way of getting       
herself off when any of her prophecies  
failed4 ,when she explained a dream     
according to the natural appearance of  

things1 and it did not come to pass1    
then she would get out of that scrape by
 saying1 that this sort of dreams went  
by contraries4 ,now1 of two very        
opposite things the chance always is1   
that one of them may turn out to be     
true2 so in either case she kept up the 
cheat4  ,rachel1 in one of her rambles1 
stopped at the house of farmer ,jenkins4
 ,she contrived to call when she knew   
the master of the house was from home1  
which indeed was her usual way4 ,she    
knocked at the door4 ,the maids being   
out haymaking1 ,mrs4 ,jenkins went to   
open it herself4 ,rachel asked her if   
she would please to let her light her   
pipe4 ,this was a common pretence1 when 
she could find no other way of getting  
into a house4 ,while she was filling her
 pipe1 she looked at ,mrs4 ,jenkins1 and
 said she could tell her some good      
fortune4 ,the farmer's wife1 who was a  
very inoffensive1 but a weak and        
superstitious woman1 was curious to know
 what she meant4 ,rachel then looked    

about very carefully1 and shutting the  
door with a mysterious air1 asked her if
 she was sure nobody would hear them4   
,this appearance of mystery was at once 
delightful and terrifying to ,mrs4      
,jenkins1 who1 with trembling agitation1
 bade the cunning woman speak out4      
,then1 said ,rachel in a solemn whisper1
 there is to my certain knowledge a pot 
of money hid under one of the stones in 
your cellar4  ,indeed1 said ,mrs4       
,jenkins1 it is impossible2 for now ,i  
think of it1 ,i dreamed last night ,i   
was in prison for debt4  ,did you       
indeed8 said ,rachel1 that is quite     
surprising4 ,did you dream before twelve
 o'clock1 or after8  ,o1 it was this    
morning1 just before ,i awoke4  ,then ,i
 am sure it is true1 for morning dreams 
always go by contraries1 cried ,rachel4 
,how lucky it was you dreamed it so     
late4  ,mrs4 ,jenkins could hardly      
contain her joy1 and asked how the money
 was to be come at4  ,there is but one  
way1 said ,rachel2 ,i must go into the  

cellar4 ,i know by my art under which   
stone it lies1 but ,i must not tell4    
,then they both went down into the      
cellar1 but ,rachel refused to point at 
the stone1 unless ,mrs4 ,jenkins would  
put five pieces of gold into a basin1   
and do as she directed4 ,the simple     
woman1 instead of turning her out of    
doors for a cheat1 did as she was bid4  
,she put the guineas into a basin1 which
 she gave into ,rachel's hand4 ,rachel  
strewed some white powder over the gold1
 muttered some barbarous words1 and     
pretended to perform the black art4 ,she
 then told ,mrs4 ,jenkins to put the    
basin quietly down within the cellar2   
telling her1 that if she offered to look
 into it1 or even to speak a word1 the  
charm would be broken4 ,she also        
directed her to lock the cellar-door1   
and on no pretence to open it in less   
than forty-eight hours4  ,if1 added she1
 you closely follow these directions1   
then1 by the power of my art1 you will  
find the basin conveyed to the very     

stone under which the money lies hid1   
and a fine treasure it will be4 ,mrs4   
,jenkins1 who believed every word the   
woman said1 did exactly as she was told1
 and ,rachel took her leave with a      
handsome reward4  ,when farmer ,jenkins 
came home1 he desired his wife to draw  
him a cup of cider2 this she put off    
doing so long that he began to be       
displeased4 ,at last she begged he would
 drink a little beer instead4 ,he       
insisted on knowing the reason1 and when
 at last he grew angry1 she told him all
 that had passed2 and owned that as the 
pot of gold happened to be in the       
cider-cellar1 she did not dare to open  
the door1 as she was sure it would break
 the charm4 ,and it would be a pity1 you
 know1 said she1 to lose a good fortune 
for the sake of a draught of cider4     
,the farmer1 who was not so easily      
imposed upon1 suspected a trick4 ,he    
demanded the key1 and went and opened   
the cellar-door2 there he found the     
basin1 and in it five round pieces of   

tin covered with powder4 ,mrs4 ,jenkins 
burst out a crying2 but the farmer      
thought of nothing but getting a warrant
 to apprehend the cunning woman4        
,indeed1 she well proved her claim to   
that name1 when she insisted that the   
cellar-door might be kept locked till   
she had time to get out of the reach of 
all pursuit4         99       99        
99       99       99  ,poor ,sally      
,evans4 ,i am sure she rued the day that
 ever she listened to a fortune-teller4 
,sally was as harmless a girl as ever   
churned a pound of butter2 but ,sally   
was ignorant and superstitious4 ,she    
delighted in dream-books1 and had       
consulted all the cunning women in the  
country to tell her whether the two     
moles on her cheek denoted that she was 
to have two husbands1 or only two       
children4 ,if she picked up an old      
horseshoe going to church1 she was sure 
that would be a lucky week4 ,she never  
made a black-pudding without borrowing  
one of the parson's old wigs to hang in 

the chimney1 firmly believing there were
 no other means to preserve them from   
bursting4  ,she would never go to bed on
 ,midsummer-eve without sticking up in  
her room the well-known plant called    
,midsummer-men1 as the bending of the   
leaves to the right or to the left1     
would not fail to tell her whether      
,jacob1 of whom we shall speak          
presently1 was true or false4 ,she would
 rather go five miles about than pass   
near a churchyard at night4 ,every      
seventh year she would not eat beans1   
because they grew downward in the pod1  
instead of upward2 and she would rather 
have gone with her gown open than have  
taken a pin of an old woman1 for fear of
 being bewitched4  ,poor ,sally had so  
many unlucky days in her calendar1 that 
a large portion of her time became of   
little use1 because on these days she   
did not dare set about any new work4    
,and she would have refused the best    
offer in the country if made to her on a
 ,friday1 which she thought so unlucky a

 day1 that she often said what a pity it
 was that there was any ,friday in the  
week4 ,sally had twenty pounds left her 
by her grandmother4 ,she had long been  
courted by ,jacob1 a sober lad1 with    
whom she lived a fellow-servant at a    
creditable farmer's4 ,honest ,jacob1    
like his namesake of old1 thought it    
little to wait seven years to get this  
damsel to wife1 because of the love he  
bore her1 for ,sally had promised to    
marry him when he could match her twenty
 pounds with another of his own4  ,now1 
there was one ,robert1 a rambling1 idle 
young gardener1 who1 instead of sitting 
down steadily in one place1 used to roam
 about the country1 and do odd jobs     
where he could get them4 ,no one        
understood any thing about him1 except  
that he was a down-looking fellow1 who  
came nobody knew whence1 and got his    
bread nobody knew how1 and never had a  
penny in his pocket4 ,robert1 who was   
now in the neighborhood1 happened to    
hear of ,sally ,evans and her twenty    

pounds4 ,he immediately conceived a     
longing desire for the latter4 ,so he   
went to his old friend ,rachel1 told her
 all he had heard of ,sally1 and        
promised if she could bring about a     
marriage between them1 she should go    
shares in the money4  ,rachel undertook 
the business4 ,she set off to the       
farm-house1 and fell to singing one of  
her most enticing songs just under the  
dairy window4 ,sally was so struck with 
the pretty tune1 which was unhappily    
used1 as is too often the case1 to set  
off some very loose words1 that she     
jumped up1 dropped the skimming dish    
into the cream1 and ran out to buy the  
song4  ,while she stooped down to       
rummage the basket for those songs which
 had the most tragical pictures--for    
,sally had a most tender heart1 and     
delighted in whatever was               
mournful--,rachel looked steadfastly in 
her face1 and told her she knew by her  
art that she was born to good fortune1  
but advised her not to throw herself    

away4 ,these two moles on your cheek1   
added she1 show you are in some danger4 
,do they denote husbands or children8   
cried ,sally1 starting up1 and letting  
fall the song of the ,children in the   
,wood4  ,husbands1 muttered ,rachel4    
,alas1 poor ,jacob1 said ,sally         
mournfully2 then he will die first1 wont
 he8  ,mum for that1 quoth the          
fortune-teller2 ,i will say no more4    
,sally was impatient1 but the more      
curiosity she discovered1 the more      
mystery ,rachel affected4 ,at last she  
said1 ,if you will cross my hand with a 
piece of silver1 ,i will tell you your  
fortune4 ,by the power of my art1 ,i can
 do this three ways3 by cards1 by the   
lines of your hand1 or by turning a cup 
of tea-grounds2 which will you have8    
,o1 all1 all1 cried ,sally1 looking up  
with reverence to this sunburnt oracle  
of wisdom1 who knew no less than three  
different ways of diving into the       
secrets of futurity4 ,alas1 persons of  
better sense than ,sally have been so   

taken in2 the more is the pity4  ,the   
poor girl said she would run up stairs  
to her little box1 where she kept her   
money tied up in a bit of an old glove1 
and would bring down a bright queen     
,anne's sixpence very crooked4 ,i am    
sure1 added she1 it is a lucky one1 for 
it cured me of a very bad ague last     
spring1 by only laying it nine nights   
under my pillow1 without speaking a     
word4 ,but then you must know what gave 
virtue to this sixpence was1 that it had
 belonged to three young men of the name
 of ,john2 ,i am sure ,i had work enough
 to get it4 ,but true it is1 it         
certainly cured me4 ,it must be the     
sixpence you know1 for ,i am sure ,i did
 nothing else for my ague1 except indeed
 taking some bitter stuff every three   
hours1 which the doctor called bark4 ,to
 be sure1 ,i lost my ague soon after ,i 
took it1 but ,i am certain it was owing 
to the crooked sixpence1 and not to the 
bark4 ,and so1 good woman1 you may come 
in if you will1 for there is not a soul 

in the house but me4 ,this was the very 
thing ,rachel wanted to know1 and very  
glad she was to learn it4  ,while ,sally
 was above stairs untying her glove1    
,rachel slipped into the parlor1 took a 
small silver cup from the beaufet1 and  
clapped it into her pocket4 ,sally ran  
down lamenting that she had lost her    
sixpence1 which she verily believed was 
owing to her having put it into a left  
glove1 instead of a right one4 ,rachel  
comforted her by saying1 that if she    
gave her two plain ones instead1 the    
charm would work just as well4  ,simple 
,sally thought herself happy to be let  
off so easily1 never calculating that a 
smooth shilling was worth two crooked   
sixpences4 ,but this skill was a part of
 the black art in which ,rachel         
excelled4 ,she took the money1 and began
 to examine the lines of ,sally's left  
hand4 ,she bit her withered lip1 shook  
her head1 and bade her1 poor dupe1      
beware of a young man1 who had black    
hair4  ,no1 indeed1 cried ,sally1 all in

 a fright1 you mean black eyes1 for our 
,jacob has got brown hair2 'tis his eyes
 that are black4  ,that is the very     
thing ,i was going to say1 muttered     
,rachel2 ,i meant eyes1 though ,i said  
hair2 for ,i know his hair is as brown  
as a chesnut1 and his eyes as black as a
 sloe4  ,so they are1 sure enough1 cried
 ,sally2 how in the world could you know
 that8 forgetting that she herself had  
just told her so4 ,and it is thus that  
these hags pick out of the credulous all
 which they afterwards pretend to reveal
 to them4  ,oh1 ,i know a pretty deal   
more than that1 said ,rachel1 but you   
must be aware of this man4  ,why so8    
cried ,sally with great quickness4      
,because1 answered ,rachel1 you are     
fated to marry a man worth a hundred of 
him1 who has grey eyes1 light hair1 and 
a stoop in the shoulders4  ,no1 indeed1 
but ,i can't1 said ,sally2 ,i have      
promised ,jacob1 and ,jacob ,i will     
marry4  ,you cannot1 child1 returned    
,rachel1 in a solemn tone2 it is out of 

your power2 you are fated to marry the  
grey eyes and light hair4  ,illustration
  ,nay1 indeed1 said ,sally1 sighing    
deeply1 if ,i am fated1 ,i must2 ,i know
 there is no resisting one's fate4 ,this
 is a common cant with poor deluded     
girls1 who are not aware that they      
themselves make their fate by their     
folly1 and then complain there is no    
resisting it4  ,what can ,i do8 said    
,sally4  ,i will tell you that too1 said
 ,rachel4 ,you must take a walk next    
,sunday afternoon to the churchyard1 and
 the first man you meet in a blue coat1 
with a large posy of pinks and          
southernwood in his bosom1 sitting on   
the churchyard wall1 about seven        
o'clock1 he will be the man4  ,provided1
 said ,sally1 much disturbed1 that he   
has grey eyes1 and stoops4  ,o1 to be   
sure1 said ,rachel2 otherwise it is not 
the right man4  ,but if ,i should       
mistake1 said ,sally2 for two men may   
happen to have a coat and eyes of the   
same color4  ,to prevent that1 replied  

,rachel1 if it is the right man1 the two
 first letters of his name will be      
,r4,p4 ,this man has got money beyond   
sea4  ,oh1 ,i do not value his money1   
said ,sally1 with tears in her eyes1 for
 ,i love ,jacob better than house or    
land2 but if ,i am fated to marry       
another1 ,i can't help it2 you know     
there is no struggling against my fate4 
,poor ,sally thought of nothing and     
dreamed of nothing all the week but the 
blue coat and the grey eyes4 ,she made a
 hundred blunders at her work4 ,she put 
her rennet into the butter-pan1 and her 
skimming dish into the cheese-tub4 ,she 
gave the curds to the hogs1 and put the 
whey into the vats4 ,she put her little 
knife out of her pocket1 for fear it    
should cut love2 and would not stay in  
the kitchen1 if there was not an even   
number of people1 lest it should break  
the charm4 ,she grew cold and mysterious
 in her behavior to faithful ,jacob1    
whom she truly loved4 ,but the more she 
thought of the fortune-teller1 the more 

she was convinced that brown hair and   
black eyes were not what she was fated  
to marry1 and therefore1 though she     
trembled to think it1 ,jacob could not  
be the man4  ,on ,sunday she was too    
uneasy to go to church2 for poor ,sally 
had never been taught1 that her being   
uneasy was only a fresh reason why she  
ought to go thither4 ,she spent the     
whole afternoon in her little garret1   
dressing in all her best4 ,first she put
 on her red ribbon1 which she had bought
 at last ,lammas fair2 then she         
recollected that red was an unlucky     
color1 and changed it for a blue ribbon1
 tied in a true lover's knot2 but       
suddenly calling to mind that poor      
,jacob had bought this knot for her of a
 pedlar at the door1 and that she had   
promised to wear it for his sake1 her   
heart smote her1 and she laid it by1    
sighing to think she was not fated to   
marry the man who had given it to her4  
,when she had looked at herself twenty  
times in the glass--for one vain action 

always brings on another--she set off1  
trembling and quaking every step she    
went4 ,she walked eagerly towards the   
churchyard1 not daring to look to the   
right or left1 for fear she should spy  
,jacob1 who would have offered to walk  
with her1 and so have spoiled all4 ,as  
soon as she came within sight of the    
wall1 she spied a man sitting upon it4  
,her heart beat violently4 ,she looked  
again2 but alas1 the stranger not only  
had on a black coat1 but neither hair   
nor eyes answered the description4 ,she 
now happened to cast her eyes on the    
church-clock1 and found she was two     
hours before her time4 ,this was some   
comfort4 ,she walked away and got rid of
 the two hours as well as she could1    
paying great attention as she went not  
to walk over any straws which lay       
across1 and carefully looking to see if 
there were never an old horseshoe in the
 way1 that infallible symptom of good   
fortune4  ,while the clock was striking 
seven1 she returned to the churchyard1  

and1 ,o the wonderful power of          
fortune-tellers1 there she saw him6     
there sat the very man3 his hair as     
light as flax1 his eyes as blue as      
buttermilk1 and his shoulders as round  
as a tub4 ,every tittle agreed1 to the  
very nosegay in his waistcoat           
buttonhole4 ,at first1 indeed1 she      
thought it had been sweet-briar1 and    
glad to catch at a straw1 whispered to  
herself1 ,it is not he1 and ,i shall    
marry ,jacob still2 but on looking      
again1 she saw it was southernwood plain
 enough1 and that of course all was     
over4 ,the man accosted her with some   
very nonsensical1 but too acceptable    
compliments4 ,sally was naturally a     
modest girl1 and but for ,rachel's      
wicked arts1 would not have had courage 
to talk with a strange man2 but how     
could she resist her fate1 you know8    
,after a little discourse1 she asked him
 with a trembling heart1 what might be  
his name4  ,robert ,price1 at your      
service1 was the answer4  ,robert       

,price6 that is ,r4,p4 as sure as ,i am 
alive1 and the fortune-teller was a     
witch4 ,it is all out2 it is all out6 ,o
 the wonderful art of fortune-tellers6  
,the little sleep she had that night was
 disturbed with dreams of graves1 and   
ghosts1 and funerals2 but as they were  
morning dreams1 she knew those always   
went by contraries1 and that a funeral  
denoted a wedding4 ,still1 a sigh would 
now and then heave1 to think that in    
that wedding ,jacob could have no part4 
,such of my readers as know the power   
which superstition has over the weak and
 credulous mind1 scarcely need be told1 
that poor ,sally's unhappiness was soon 
completed4 ,she forgot all her vows to  
,jacob2 she at once forsook an honest   
man whom she loved1 and consented to    
marry a stranger1 of whom she knew      
nothing1 from a ridiculous notion that  
she was compelled to do so by a decree  
which she had it not in her power to    
resist4 ,she married this ,robert       
,price1 the strange gardener1 whom she  

soon found to be very worthless1 and    
very much in debt4 ,he had no such thing
 as money beyond sea1 as the            
fortune-teller had told her2 but1 alas1 
he had another wife there4 ,he got      
immediate possession of ,sally's #bj4   
,rachel put in for her share1 but he    
refused to give her a farthing1 and bade
 her get away1 or he would have her     
taken up on the vagrant act4 ,he soon   
ran away from ,sally1 leaving her to    
bewail her own weakness2 for it was that
 indeed1 and not any irresistible fate1 
which had been the cause of her ruin4   
,to complete the misery1 she herself was
 suspected of having stolen the silver  
cup which ,rachel had pocketed4 ,her    
master1 however1 would not prosecute    
her1 as she was falling into a deep     
decline1 and she died in a few months of
 a broken heart1 a sad warning to all   
credulous girls4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,rachel1 whenever 
she got near home1 used to drop her     
trade of fortune-telling1 and only dealt

 in the wares of her basket4 ,mr4       
,wilson1 the clergyman1 found her one   
day dealing out some very wicked ballads
 to some children4 ,he went up with a   
view to give her a reprimand2 but had no
 sooner begun his exhortation than up   
came a constable1 followed by several   
people4  ,there she is1 that is she1    
that is the old witch who tricked my    
wife out of the five guineas1 said one  
of them4 ,do your office1 constable2    
seize the old hag4 ,she may tell        
fortunes and find pots of gold in       
,taunton jail1 for there she will have  
nothing else to do4  ,this was that very
 farmer ,jenkins1 whose wife had been   
cheated by ,rachel of the five guineas4 
,he had taken pains to trace her to her 
own parish3 he did not so much value the
 loss of the money1 but he thought it   
was a duty he owed the public to clear  
the country of such vermin4 ,mr4 ,wilson
 immediately committed her4 ,she took   
her trial at the next assizes1 when she 
was sentenced to a year's imprisonment4 

,in the meantime the pawnbroker to whom 
she had sold the silver cup1 which she  
had stolen from poor ,sally's master1   
impeached her2 and as the robbery was   
fully proved upon ,rachel1 she was      
sentenced for this crime to ,botany     
,bay2 and a happy day it was for the    
county of ,somerset1 when such a        
nuisance was sent out of it4 ,she was   
transported much about the same time    
that her husband ,giles lost his life1  
in stealing the net from the garden     
wall1 as related in the second part of  
,poaching ,giles4  ,i have thought it my
 duty to print this little history1 as a
 kind of warning to all young men and   
maidens1 not to have any thing to say to
 cheats1 impostors1 cunning women1      
fortune-tellers1 conjurers1 and         
interpreters of dreams4 ,listen to me1  
your true friend1 when ,i assure you    
that ,god never reveals to weak and     
wicked women those secret designs of his
 providence1 which no human wisdom is   
able to foresee4 ,to consult these false

 oracles is not only foolish1 but       
sinful4 ,it is foolish1 because they are
 themselves as ignorant as those whom   
they pretend to teach2 and it is sinful1
 because it is prying into that futurity
 which ,god1 in mercy as well as wisdom1
 hides from men4  ,god indeed orders all
 things2 but when you have a mind to do 
a foolish thing1 do not fancy you are   
fated to do it4 ,this is tempting       
,providence1 and not trusting him4 ,it  
is1 indeed1 charging ,god with folly4   
,prudence is his gift1 and you obey him 
better when you make use of prudence    
under the direction of prayer1 than when
 you madly run into ruin1 and think you 
are only submitting to your fate4 ,never
 fancy that you are compelled to undo   
yourself1 or to rush upon your own      
destruction1 in compliance with any     
supposed fatality4 ,never believe that  
,god conceals his will from a sober     
,christian who obeys his laws1 and      
reveals it to a vagabond gypsy1 who runs
 up and down1 breaking the laws both of 

,god and man4 ,king ,saul never         
consulted the witch till he had left off
 serving ,god4 ,the ,bible will direct  
us what to do1 better than any conjurer2
 and no days are unlucky but those which
 we make so by our own vanity1 folly1   
and sin4     ,,the ,,happy ,,waterman   
,a gentleman and lady walking on the    
bank of the river ,thames1 spied a small
 ferry-boat1 with a neatly-dressed      
waterman1 rowing towards them2 on his   
nearer approach1 they read on the stern 
of his boat these words1 ,,the ,,happy  
,,waterman4 ,without taking any notice  
of it1 they determined to enter into    
conversation with him2 and inquiring    
into his situation in life1 they found  
that he had a wife and five children1   
and supported also an old father and    
mother-in-law by his own labor4 ,the    
gentleman and lady were upon this still 
more surprised at the title he had given
 himself1 and said1  ,my friend1 if this
 is your situation1 how is it that you  
call yourself 'the happy waterman'8  ,i 

can easily explain this to your         
satisfaction1 answered the young man1 if
 you will give me leave2 and they       
desiring him to proceed1 he spoke as    
follows3 ,i have observed that the      
greatest blessings in life are often    
looked upon as the greatest distresses1 
and are1 in fact1 made such by means of 
imprudent conduct4 ,my father and mother
 died a few years ago1 and left a large 
family4 ,my father was a waterman1 and  
,i was his assistant in the management  
of a ferry-boat1 by which he supported  
his family4 ,on his death1 it was       
necessary1 in order to pay his just     
debts1 to sell our boat4 ,i parted from 
it1 even with tears2 but the distress   
that ,i felt spurred me on to industry1 
for ,i said1 ',i will use every kind of 
diligence to purchase my boat back      
again4' ,i went to the person who had   
bought it1 and told him my design2 he   
had given five guineas for it1 but told 
me1 as ,i was once the owner1 that ,i   
should have it whenever ,i could raise  

five pounds4 ',shall the boat be mine   
again8' said ,i2 and my heart bounded at
 the thought4  ,i was at this time      
married to a good young woman1 and we   
lived at a neighboring cottage2 she was 
young1 healthy1 and industrious1 and so 
was ,i1 and we loved one another4 ,what 
might we not undertake8 ,my father used 
to say to me1 ',always do what is right2
 labor diligently1 and spend your money 
carefully1 and ,god will bless your     
store4' ,we treasured up these rules1   
and determined to try the truth of them4
  ,my wife had long chiefly supported   
two aged parents3 ,i loved them as my   
own2 and the desire of contributing to  
their support was an additional spur to 
my endeavors to repurchase the boat4 ,i 
entered myself as a day-laborer in the  
garden of our squire2 and my wife was   
called occasionally to perform some     
services at the house1 and employed     
herself in needle-work1 spinning1 or    
knitting at home4 ,not a moment in the  
day was suffered to pass unemployed4 ,we

 spared for ourselves1 and furnished all
 the comforts we could to the poor about
 us2 and every week we dropped a little 
overplus into a fairing-box1 to buy the 
boat4 ,if any accident of charity       
brought us an additional shilling1 we   
did not enlarge our expense1 but kept it
 for the boat4 ,the more care we took1  
the more comfortable we felt1 for we    
were the nearer the possession of our   
little boat4 ,our labor was lightened by
 looking forward to the attainment of   
our wishes4  ,our family indeed         
increased1 but with it our friends      
increased also2 for the cleanliness and 
frugality which furnished our cottage1  
and the content and cheerfulness that   
appeared in it1 drew the notice of our  
rich neighbors--of my master and        
mistress particularly1 whose rule was to
 assist the industrious1 but not to     
encourage the idle4 ,they did not       
approve of giving money to the poor1 but
 in cold winters1 or dear times1 allowed
 us to buy things at a cheaper rate2    

this was money to us1 for when we       
counted our little cash for the week's  
marketing1 all that was saved to us by  
our tickets to purchase things at       
reduced prices1 went into our 'little   
box4' ,if my children got a penny at    
school for a reward to buy gingerbread1 
they brought it home1 they said1 to help
 me to buy the boat--for they would have
 no gingerbread till father had got his 
boat again4 ,thus1 from time to time1   
our little store insensibly increased1  
till one pound only was wanting of the  
five1 when the following accident       
happened4  ,coming home one evening from
 my work1 ,i saw in the road a small    
pocketbook3 on opening it1 ,i found a   
bank-note of ten pounds1 which plainly  
enough belonged to my master1 for his   
name was upon it1 and ,i had also seen  
him passing that way in the evening3 it 
being too late1 however1 to return to   
the house1 ,i went on my way4 ,when ,i  
told my family of the incident1 the     
little ones were thrown into a transport

 of joy4  ',my dears1' said ,i1 'what is
 the matter8'  ',oh1 father1 the ,,boat6
 the ,,boat6 we may now have two or     
three boats6'  ,i checked them by my    
looks1 and asked them if they           
recollected whose money that was4 ,they 
said1 ',yours1 as you found it4' ,i     
reminded them that ,i was not the real  
owner1 and bade them think how they     
would all feel1 supposing a stranger was
 to take our box of money1 if ,i should 
happen to drop it on the day ,i went to 
buy back the boat4  ,this thought had   
the effect on their young minds that ,i 
desired2 they were silent and pale with 
the representation of such a disaster1  
and ,i begged it might be a lesson to   
them never to forget the golden rule of 
'doing as they would wish others to do  
by them2' for by attention to this      
certain guide1 no one would ever do     
wrong to another4 ,i also took this     
opportunity to explain to them1 that the
 possession of the boat by dishonest    
means would never answer1 since we could

 not expect the blessing of ,god upon   
bad deeds4  ,illustration  ,to go on    
with my story3 ,the next morning ,i put 
the pocketbook into my bosom1 and went  
to my work1 intending1 as soon as the   
family rose1 to give it to my master2   
but what were my feelings when1 on      
searching in my bosom1 it was nowhere to
 be found6 ,i hasted back along the road
 by which ,i came1 and looked diligently
 all the way1 but in vain2 there was no 
trace of any such thing4 ,i would not   
return into my cottage1 because ,i      
wished to save my family the pain ,i    
felt2 and in the hope of still          
recovering the book1 ,i went to my work1
 following another path which ,i        
recollected ,i had also gone by4 ,on my 
return to the garden-gate1 ,i was       
accosted by the gardener1 who1 in a     
threatening tone1 told me ,i was        
suspected2 that our master had lost a   
pocketbook1 describing what ,i had      
found1 and that ,i being the only man   
absent from the garden at the hour of   

work1 the rest of the men also denying  
that they had seen any such thing1 there
 was every reason to conclude that ,i   
must have got it4  ,before ,i could     
answer1 my distressed countenance       
confirmed the suspicion2 and another    
servant coming up1 said ,i was detected1
 for that a person had been sent to my  
house1 and that my wife and family had  
owned it all1 and had described the     
pocketbook4 ,i told them the real fact1 
but it seemed to every one unlikely to  
be true2 every circumstance was against 
me1 and--my heart trembles to look back 
upon it--,i was arrested1 and hurried   
away to prison4 ,i protested my         
innocence1 but ,i did not wonder that ,i
 gained no credit4  ,great grief now    
oppressed my heart2 my poor wife1 my    
dear children1 and my grey-headed       
parents1 were all at once plunged into  
want and misery1 instead of the ease and
 happiness which we were expecting2 for 
we were just arriving at the height of  
our earthly wishes4 ,i had1 however1 one

 consolation left--that ,i knew ,i was  
innocent2 and ,i trusted that by        
persevering in honesty1 all might come  
right at last4 ,my resolution was1 as ,i
 had certainly been the cause1 though   
without any design1 of the second loss  
of the property1 that ,i would offer the
 whole of our little store1 to make it  
good as far as in my power2 and ,i sent 
for my wife to give her this sad        
commission1 but she informed me that    
even this sacrifice could be of no      
avail2 'for1' said she1 'my master has  
been at the cottage1 when ,i told him   
freely how you had found the note1 but1 
unfortunately1 had lost it again2 and ,i
 added1 that ,i was sure both ,i and my 
husband would make the best return in   
our power2 after which ,i produced our  
little fairing-box1 and begged him to   
accept the contents1 which had been so  
long raising1 as all we had to offer4'  
,but1 sir1 said the waterman1 conceive  
my agony1 when she added1 that my master
 angrily refused1 saying1 that our being

 in possession of all that money was of 
itself the clearest proof of my guilt2  
for it was impossible1 with my large    
family1 and no greater opportunities    
than my neighbors1 that ,i could come   
honestly by such a sum2 therefore he was
 determined to keep me in jail till ,i  
should pay the whole4  ,my unhappiness  
was very great2 however1 my mind by     
degrees began to be more easy1 for ,i   
grew confident that ,i should not trust 
in ,god and my own innocence in         
vain--and so it happened3 one of my     
fellow-laborers proved to be the person 
who had picked up the note after ,i had 
dropped it1 having come a few minutes   
after me along the same road to his     
work1 and hearing that the suspicion had
 fallen altogether upon me1 he was      
tempted to turn the accident to his own 
advantage1 and conceal the property2    
which having kept in his own box for a  
few weeks1 till he thought no suspicion 
would rest upon him1 he went and offered
 the note for change1 and being then    

suspected1 my master had him taken up1  
and ,i was released4  ,the second       
change1 from so much misery to          
happiness1 was almost too much for us4  
,my master sent for me1 and with many   
expressions of concern for what had     
passed1 made me give him an account of  
the means by which ,i had collected the 
little fund that fixed his suspicions so
 strongly upon me4 ,i accordingly       
related the history of it as ,i have now
 done2 and when ,i came to that part    
where ,i checked my children for their  
inconsiderate joy on finding the note1  
he rose with much kindness in his looks1
 and putting the bank-bill into my hand1
 he said1  ',take it2 the bank-note     
shall be theirs4 ,it is the best and    
only return ,i can make you1 as well as 
a just reward of your honesty2 and it   
will be a substantial proof to your     
children of the goodness of your        
instructions1 for they will thus early  
see and feel the benefit of honesty and 
virtue4'  ,this kind and worthy         

gentleman interested himself much in the
 purchase of my boat1 which1 in less    
than a week1 ,i was in full possession  
of4 ,the remainder of my master's       
bounty1 and the additional advantage of 
the ferry1 has placed me in comfortable 
circumstances1 which ,i humbly trust    
,god will continue to us as long as we  
continue our labor and honest diligence2
 and ,i can say from my long experience1
 that the fruit of our own industry is  
always sweetest4 ,i have now also the   
pleasure of being able to help others2  
for when a rich passenger takes my      
ferry1 as my story is well known in the 
neighborhood1 he often gives me more    
than my fare1 which enables me to let   
the next poor person go over for half   
price4  ,the lady and gentleman were    
extremely pleased with the waterman's   
story1 and willingly joined in calling  
him the happy waterman4 ,they passed    
over in his ferry-boat for the sake of  
making him a handsome present4 ,and from
 this time becoming acquainted with his 

family1 they did them every service in  
their power1 giving books and schooling 
to the little ones1 and every comfort to
 the old father and mother-in-law as    
long as they survived4 ,they were very  
desirous of knowing what became of the  
unfortunate fellow-laborer1 who had so  
dreadfully gone aside from the          
principles of honesty1 and they learned 
that he was1 after a short imprisonment1
 set at liberty by his master at the    
earnest entreaty of the honest waterman1
 as he said it was partly through his   
carelessness in losing the note1 that   
the temptation had fallen in his        
fellow-laborer's way2 he had1 moreover1 
a very large family4 ,his master also   
was so good as to consider that he was a
 man who had not been blessed with a    
good education in his youth2 so that    
having little fear of ,god before his   
eyes1 and having a great temptation in  
his way1 he had been the more easily led
 to commit this very wicked action1 by  
which he would have enriched himself at 

the expense of an innocent man4  ,i have
 great pleasure in adding1 that the     
thought of what he had done1 together   
with the generosity of the waterman1 had
 so strong an effect upon this poor     
fellow1 that he afterwards had it       
written upon his cottage door1 ,,do ,,as
 ,,you ,,would ,,be ,,done ,,unto4 ,and 
he has resolved to follow this rule     
himself in future1 and also taught it to
 all his children4 ,indeed1 it became a 
rule well known over the whole parish2  
for every little child having been      
informed of this story1 was told that he
 ought to consider1 before he did any   
action1 whether he would like his       
brother1 or sister1 or school-fellow to 
do the same by him2 and if not1 that the
 action was wrong1 and not to be done1  
let the profit be ever so great4        
,surely1 then1 those who have lived     
long1 and seen much of life1 and have   
had much religious instruction also1    
should never depart from this simple and
 certain rule4 ,and it is the same to   

all ranks--it requires neither learning 
nor abilities to do as you would be done
 unto2 nor can any station1 however     
great1 no1 nor any circumstances1       
however trying1 excuse men from giving  
their constant attention to this golden 
rule4     ,,the ,,gravestone4     ,here 
rests in peace a ,christian wife1       
,safe from the cares and ills of life2  
,taught by kind ,heaven's afflicting    
rod1   ,she well had learned her way to 
,,god4   ,once a gay girl1 she trod the 
green1   ,the foremost in the festive   
scene2   ',twas then she followed all   
her will1   ,and wedded ,william of the 
hill4   ,no heart had he for prayer and 
praise1   ,no thought of ,god's most    
holy ways3   ,of worldly gains he loved 
to speak1   ,in worldly cares he spent  
his week2   ,e'en ,sunday passed        
unheeded by1   ,and both forgot that    
they must die4    ,while thus by ,satan 
quite beguiled1   ,the ,god of mercy    
smote her child3   ,bereft of one sweet 
infant dear1   ,she shed the mother's   

mournful tear2   ,a second next she     
tried to save1   ,then bore the second  
to the grave2   ,both on one day the    
parent led   ,to silent mansions of the 
dead4   ,there1 while she wept her      
children's fate4   ,she learned to feel 
her mortal state2   ,stood pondering all
 her errors past1   ,as if that day had 
been her last2    ,and as she held the  
mournful bier1   ,dropt for herself a   
secret tear4   ,once she believed her   
sins were few1   ,but this one moment   
cleared her view2   ,then first she felt
 a ,saviour's need1   ,sinner in        
thought1 and word1 and deed4   ,of her  
own worth she ceased to dream1   ,for   
,christ's redemption was her theme4     
,henceforth her ways were ordered right1
   ,she walked by faith1 and not by     
sight2   ,she read ,god's word1 believed
 it true1   ,and strove to practise what
 she knew4    ,her husband saw the      
mighty change1   ,and thought at first  
her humor strange2   ,deemed his own    
worldly ways the best--   ,but soon his 

error stood confessed4   ,ceased is the 
noise1 the jarring strife1   ,for now   
how humble is the wife6   ,he proudly   
feels each cross event1   ,while she1   
poor sinner1 is content2   ,no more she 
has her stubborn will1   ,returns him   
daily good for ill2   ,and though her   
love is still the same4   ,she loves him
 with a purer flame4   ,oft would she   
pray the ,god of grace   ,his lofty     
spirit to abase2    ,upward his         
grovelling thoughts to raise1   ,and    
teach him humble prayer and praise4     
,heaven heard her voice3 the youth so   
gay1   ,the thoughtless sinner1 learned 
to pray2   ,sad sickness too1 with pain 
and smart1   ,was sent to soften all his
 heart4   ,she followed next her        
husband's bier1   ,she wiped his last   
repenting tear2   ,she heard him mourn  
his former pride1   ,she heard him thank
 her when he died4   ,here1 then1 in    
hope of endless life1   ,rest both the  
husband and the wife2   ,here too1 the  
babes whom ,god hath given1   ,and such1

 we trust1 shall enter heaven4          
,,address ,,to ,,persons ,,attending ,a 
,,funeral4       ,ye mourners1 who in   
silent gloom   ,bear your dear kindred  
to the tomb1   ,grudge not1 when        
,christians go to rest2   ,they sleep in
 ,,jesus1 and are blest4   ,call then to
 mind their faith1 their love1   ,their 
meetness for the realms above2   ,and if
 to heaven a saint is fled1   ,o mourn  
the living1 not the dead2   ,weep o'er  
the thousands that remain1   ,deep sunk 
in sin1 or racked with pain2   ,mourn   
your own crimes and wicked ways1   ,and 
learn to number all your days2   ,gain  
wisdom from this mournful stone1   ,and 
make this ,christian's case your own4   
,,parley ,,the ,,porter4  ,,an          
,,allegory4 ,,showing ,,how ,,robbers   
,,without ,,can ,,never ,,get ,,into ,a 
,,house ,,unless ,,there ,,are          
,,traitors ,,within4  ,,by ,,hannah     
,,more4   ,there was once a certain     
gentleman who had a house1 or castle1   
situated in the midst of a great        

wilderness1 but inclosed in a garden4   
,now there was a band of robbers in the 
wilderness1 who had a great mind to     
plunder and destroy the castle2 but they
 had not succeeded in their endeavors1  
because the master had given strict     
orders to watch without ceasing4 ,to    
quicken their vigilance1 he used to tell
 them that their care would soon have an
 end2 that though the nights they had to
 watch were dark and stormy1 yet they   
were but few2 the period of resistance  
,was short--that of rest would be       
eternal4  ,the robbers1 however1        
attacked the castle in various ways4    
,they tried at every avenue2 watched to 
take advantage of every careless moment2
 looked for an open door1 or a neglected
 window4 ,but though they often made the
 bolts shake and the windows rattle1    
they could never greatly hurt the house1
 much less get into it4 ,do you know the
 reason8 ,it was1 because the servants  
were never off their guard4 ,they heard 
the noises plain enough1 and used to be 

not a little frightened1 for they were  
aware both of the strength and          
perseverance of their enemies4 ,but what
 seemed rather odd to some of these     
servants1 the gentleman used to tell    
them1 that while they continued to be   
afraid1 they would be safe2 and it      
passed into a sort of proverb in that   
family1 ,happy is he that feareth       
always4 ,some of the servants however1  
thought this a contradiction4  ,one day 
when the master was going from home1 he 
called his servants all together1 and   
spoke to them as follows3 ,i will not   
repeat to you the directions ,i have so 
often given you2 they are all written   
down in the book of laws1 of which every
 one of you has a copy4 ,remember1 it is
 a very short time that you are to      
remain in this castle2 you will soon    
remove to my more settled habitation1 to
 a more durable house1 not made with    
hands4 ,as that house is never exposed  
to any attack1 so it never stands in    
need of any repair2 for that country is 

never infested by any sons of violence4 
,here1 you are servants2 there1 you will
 be princes4  ,but mark my words1 and   
you will find the same truth in the book
 of my laws3 ,whether you will ever     
attain to that house1 will depend on the
 manner in which you defend yourselves  
in this4 ,a stout vigilance for a short 
time will secure your certain happiness 
for ever4 ,but every thing depends on   
your present exertions4 ,don't complain 
and take advantage of my absence1 and   
call me a hard master1 and grumble that 
you are placed in the midst of a howling
 wilderness1 without peace or security4 
,say not1 that you are exposed to       
temptations without any power to resist 
them4 ,you have some difficulties1 it is
 true2 but you have many helps and many 
comforts to make this house tolerable1  
even before you get to the other4 ,yours
 is not a hard service2 and if it were1 
'the time is short4' ,you have arms if  
you will use them1 and doors if you will
 bar them1 and strength if you will use 

it4 ,i would defy all the attacks of the
 robbers without1 if ,i could depend on 
the fidelity of the people within4 ,if  
the thieves ever get in and destroy the 
house1 it must be by the connivance of  
one of the family4 ,for it is a standing
 law of this castle1 that mere outward  
attack can never destroy it1 if there be
 no traitor within4 ,you will stand or  
fall as you observe this rule4 ,if you  
are finally happy1 it will be by my     
grace and favor2 if you are ruined1 it  
will be your own fault4  ,when the      
gentleman had done speaking1 every      
servant repeated his assurance of       
attachment and firm allegiance to his   
master4 ,but among them all1 not one was
 so vehement and loud in his professions
 as old ,parley the porter4 ,parley1    
indeed1 it was well known1 was always   
talking1 which exposed him to no small  
danger2 for as he was the foremost to   
promise1 so he was the slackest to      
perform4 ,and1 to speak the truth1      
though he was a civil-spoken fellow1 his

 master was more afraid of him1 with all
 his professions1 than he was of the    
rest1 who protested less4 ,he knew that 
,parley was vain1 credulous1 and        
self-sufficient2 and he always          
apprehended more danger from ,parley's  
impertinence1 curiosity1 and love of    
novelty1 than even from the stronger    
vices of some of the other servants4    
,the rest1 indeed1 seldom got into any  
scrape of which ,parley was not the     
cause1 in some shape or other4  ,i am   
sorry to be obliged to confess1 that    
though ,parley was allowed every        
refreshment1 and all the needful rest   
which the nature of his place permitted1
 yet he thought it very hard to be      
forced to be so constantly on duty4     
,nothing but watching1 said ,parley2 ,i 
have1 to be sure1 many pleasures1 and   
meat sufficient2 and plenty of chat in  
virtue of my office2 and ,i pick up a   
good deal of news of the comers and     
goers by day2 but it is hard that at    
night ,i must watch as narrowly as a    

housedog1 and yet let in no company     
without orders1 only because there are  
said to be a few straggling robbers here
 in the wilderness1 with whom my master 
does not care to let us be acquainted4  
,he pretends to make us vigilant through
 fear of the robbers1 but ,i suspect it 
is only to make us mope alone4 ,a merry 
companion1 and a mug of beer1 would make
 the night pass cheerfully4  ,parley1   
however1 kept all these thoughts to     
himself1 or uttered them only when no   
one heard--for talk he must4 ,he began  
to listen to the nightly whistling of   
the robbers under the windows with      
rather less alarm than formerly2 and he 
was sometimes so tired of watching1 that
 he thought it was even better to run   
the risk of being robbed once1 than to  
live always in fear of robbers4  ,there 
were certain bounds in which the        
gentleman allowed his servants to walk  
and divert themselves at all proper     
seasons4 ,a pleasant garden surrounded  
the castle1 and a thick hedge separated 

it from the wilderness1 which was       
infested by the robbers4 ,in this garden
 they were permitted to amuse           
themselves4 ,the master advised them    
always to keep within these bounds4     
,while you observe this rule1 said he1  
you will be safe and well2 and you will 
consult your own safety1 as well as show
 your love to me1 by not venturing even 
to the extremity of your bounds4 ,he who
 goes as far as he dares1 always shows a
 wish to go farther than he ought1 and  
commonly does so4  ,it was remarkable1  
that the nearer these servants kept to  
the castle1 and the farther from the    
hedge1 the more ugly the wilderness     
appeared4 ,and the nearer they          
approached the forbidden bounds1 their  
own home appeared more dull1 and the    
wilderness more delightful4 ,and this   
the master knew when he gave his orders1
 for he never either did or said any    
thing without a good reason4 ,and when  
his servants sometimes desired an       
explanation of the reason1 he used to   

tell them they would understand it when 
they came to the other house2 for it was
 one of the pleasures of that house1    
that it would explain all the mysteries 
of this1 and any little obscurities in  
the master's conduct would be then made 
quite plain4  ,parley was the first who 
promised to keep clear of the hedge1 and
 yet was often seen looking as near as  
he durst4 ,one day he ventured close up 
to the hedge1 put two or three stones   
one on another1 and tried to peep over4 
,he saw one of the robbers strolling as 
near as could be on the forbidden side4 
,this man's name was ,flatterwell1 a    
smooth1 civil man1 whose words were     
softer than butter1 having war in his   
heart4 ,he made several low bows to     
,parley4  ,now ,parley knew so little of
 the world1 that he actually concluded  
all robbers must have an ugly look1     
which should frighten you at once2 and  
coarse1 brutal manners1 which would1 at 
first sight1 show they were enemies4 ,he
 thought1 like a poor ignorant fellow as

 he was1 that this mild1 specious person
 could never be one of the band4        
,flatterwell accosted ,parley with the  
utmost civility1 which put him quite off
 his guard2 for ,parley had no notion   
that he could be an enemy who was so    
soft and civil4 ,for an open foe he     
would have been prepared4 ,parley1      
however1 after a little discourse1 drew 
this conclusion1 that either ,mr4       
,flatterwell could not be one of the    
gang1 or if he was1 the robbers         
themselves could not be such monsters as
 his master had described1 and therefore
 it was a folly to be afraid of them4   
,flatterwell began1 like a true adept in
 his art1 by lulling all ,parley's      
suspicions asleep1 and instead of openly
 abusing his master1 which would have   
opened ,parley's eyes at once1 he       
pretended rather to commend him in a    
general way1 as a person who meant well 
himself1 but was too apt to suspect     
others4 ,to this ,parley assented4 ,the 
other then ventured to hint by degrees1 

that though the gentleman might be a    
good master in the main1 yet he must say
 he was a little strict1 and a little   
stingy1 and not a little censorious4    
,that he was blamed by the gentlemen in 
the wilderness for shutting his house   
against good company1 and his servants  
were laughed at by people of spirit for 
submitting to the gloomy life of the    
castle1 and the insipid pleasures of the
 garden1 instead of ranging in the      
wilderness at large4  ,it is true       
enough1 said ,parley1 who was generally 
of the opinion of the person he was     
talking with2 my master is rather harsh 
and close4 ,but1 to own the truth1 all  
the barring1 and locking1 and bolting1  
is to keep out a set of gentlemen who he
 assures us are robbers1 and who are    
waiting for an opportunity to destroy   
us4 ,i hope no offence1 sir1 but by your
 livery ,i suspect you1 sir1 are one of 
the gang he is so much afraid of4       
,,flatterwell4 ,afraid of me6           
impossible1 dear ,mr4 ,parley4 ,you see 

,i do not look like an enemy4 ,i am     
unarmed2 what harm can a plain man like 
me do8  ,,parley4 ,why1 that is true    
enough4 ,yet my master says1 that if we 
were once to let you into the house1 we 
should be ruined1 soul and body4        
,,flatterwell4 ,i am sorry1 ,mr4        
,parley1 that so sensible a man as you  
are so deceived4 ,this is mere          
prejudice4 ,he knows we are cheerful1   
entertaining people2 foes to gloom and  
superstition2 and therefore1 he is so   
morose1 he will not let you get         
acquainted with us4  ,,parley4 ,well1 he
 says you are a band of thieves1        
gamblers1 murderers1 drunkards1 and     
atheists4  ,,flatterwell4 ,don't believe
 him3 the worst we should do1 perhaps1  
is1 we might drink a friendly glass with
 you to your master's health1 or play an
 innocent game at cards just to keep you
 awake1 or sing a cheerful song with the
 maids2 now is there any harm in all    
this8  ,,parley4 ,not the least in the  
world4 ,and ,i begin to think there is  

not a word of truth in all my master    
says4  ,,flatterwell4 ,the more you know
 us1 the more you will like us4 ,but ,i 
wish there was not this ugly hedge      
between us4 ,i have a great deal to say1
 and ,i am afraid of being overheard4   
,parley was now just going to give a    
spring over the hedge1 but checked      
himself1 saying1 ,i dare not come on    
your side2 there are people about1 and  
every thing is carried to my master4    
,flatterwell saw by this that his new   
friend was kept on his own side of the  
hedge by fear rather than by principle1 
and from that moment he made sure of    
him4 ,dear ,mr4 ,parley1 said he1 if you
 will allow me the honor of a little    
conversation with you1 ,i will call     
under the window of your lodge this     
evening4 ,i have something to tell you  
greatly to your advantage4 ,i admire you
 exceedingly4 ,i long for your          
friendship2 our whole brotherhood is    
ambitious of being known to so amiable a
 person4  ,o dear1 said ,parley1 ,i     

shall be afraid of talking to you at    
night2 it is so against my master's     
orders4 ,but did you say you had        
something to tell me to my advantage8   
,yes1 replied ,flatterwell1 ,i can point
 out to you how you may be a richer1 a  
merrier1 and a happier man4 ,if you will
 admit me tonight under the window1 ,i  
will convince you that 'tis prejudice1  
and not wisdom1 which makes your master 
bar his door against us2 ,i will        
convince you1 that the mischief of a    
'robber1' as your master scurrilously   
calls us1 is only in the name--that we  
are your true friends1 and only mean to 
promote your happiness4  ,don't say we1 
said ,parley1 pray come alone1 ,i would 
not see the rest of the gang for the    
world2 but ,i think there can be no     
great harm in talking to you through the
 bars1 if you come alone2 but ,i am     
determined not to let you in4 ,yet ,i   
can't say but ,i wish to know what you  
can tell me so much to my advantage2    
indeed1 if it is for my good1 ,i ought  

to know it4  ,dear ,mr4 ,parley1 said   
,flatterwell1 7going out1 but turning   
back17 there is one thing ,i had forgot1
 ,i cannot get over the hedge at night  
without assistance4 ,you know there is a
 secret in the nature of that hedge3 you
 in the house may get over to us in the 
wilderness of your own accord1 but we   
cannot get to your side by our own      
strength4 ,you must look about and see  
where the hedge is thinnest1 and then   
set to work to clear away here and there
 a little bough for me2 it wont be      
missed3 and if there is but the smallest
 hole made on your side1 those on ours  
can get through2 otherwise1 we do but   
labor in vain4  ,to this ,parley made   
some objection through the fear of being
 seen4 ,flatterwell replied1 that the   
smallest hole from within would be      
sufficient1 for he could then work his  
own way4  ,well1 said ,parley1 ,i will  
consider of it4 ,to be sure1 ,i shall   
even then be equally safe in the castle1
 as ,i shall have all the bolts1 bars1  

and locks between us2 so it will make   
but little difference4  ,certainly not1 
said ,flatterwell1 who knew it would    
make all the difference in the world4   
,so they parted with mutual             
protestations of regard4 ,parley went   
home charmed with his new friend4 ,his  
eyes were now clearly open as to his    
master's prejudices against the robbers1
 and he was convinced there was more in 
the name than in the thing4  ,but1 said 
he1 though ,mr4 ,flatterwell is         
certainly an agreeable companion1 he may
 not be so safe an inmate4 ,there can1  
however1 be no harm in talking at a     
distance1 and ,i certainly wont let him 
in4  ,parley1 in the course of the day1 
did not forget his promise to thin the  
hedge of separation a little4 ,at first 
he only tore off a handful of leaves1   
then a little sprig1 then he broke away 
a bough or two4 ,it was observable1 the 
larger the breach became1 the worse he  
began to think of his master1 and the   
better of himself4 ,every peep he took  

through the broken hedge increased his  
desire to get out into the wilderness1  
and made the thoughts of the castle more
 irksome to him4  ,he was continually   
repeating to himself1 ,i wonder what    
,mr4 ,flatterwell can have to say so    
much to my advantage8 ,i see he does not
 wish to hurt my master1 he only wishes 
to serve me4 ,as the hour of meeting1   
however1 drew near1 the master's orders 
now and then came across ,parley's      
thoughts2 so1 to divert them1 he took   
the book4 ,he happened to open it at    
these words3 ,my son1 if sinners entice 
thee1 consent thou not4 ,for a moment   
his heart failed him4 ,if this          
admonition should be sent on purpose1   
said he2 but no1 'tis a bugbear4 ,my    
master told me that if ,i went to the   
bounds1 ,i should get over the hedge4   
,now ,i went to the utmost limits1 and  
did not get over4 ,here conscience put  
in1 ,yes1 but it was because you were   
watched4 ,i am sure1 continued ,parley1 
one may always stop where one will1 and 

this is only a trick of my master's to  
spoil sport2 so ,i will even hear what  
,mr4 ,flatterwell has to say so much to 
my advantage4 ,i am not obliged to      
follow his counsels1 but there can be no
 harm in hearing them4  ,flatterwell    
prevailed on the rest of the robbers to 
make no public attack on the castle that
 night4 ,my brethren1 said he1 you now  
and then fail in your schemes1 because  
you are for violent beginnings2 while my
 soothing1 insinuating measures hardly  
ever miss4 ,you come blustering and     
roaring1 and frighten people1 and set   
them on their guard4 ,you inspire them  
with terror of you1 while my whole      
scheme is to make them think well of    
themselves1 and ill of their master4 ,if
 ,i once get them to entertain hard     
thoughts of him1 and high thoughts of   
themselves1 my business is done1 and    
they fall plump into my snares4 ,so1 let
 this delicate affair alone to me4      
,parley is a softly fellow3 he must not 
be frightened1 but cajoled4 ,he is the  

very sort of man to succeed with1 and   
worth a hundred of your sturdy1 sensible
 fellows4 ,with them we want strong     
arguments and strong temptations2 but   
with such fellows as ,parley1 in whom   
vanity and sensuality are the leading   
qualities--as1 let me tell you1 is the  
case with far the greater               
part--flattery1 and a promise of ease   
and pleasure1 will do more than your    
whole battle array4 ,if you will let me 
manage1 ,i will get you all into the    
castle before midnight4  ,at night the  
castle was barricaded as usual1 and no  
one had observed the hole which ,parley 
had made in the hedge4 ,this oversight  
arose that night from the servants      
neglecting one of the master's standing 
orders--to make a nightly examination of
 the state of the castle4 ,the neglect  
did not proceed so much from wilful     
disobedience1 as from having passed the 
evening in sloth and diversion1 which   
often amounts to nearly the same in its 
consequences4  ,as all was very cheerful

 within1 so all was very quiet without4 
,and before they went to bed some of the
 servants observed to the rest1 that as 
they heard no robbers that night1 they  
thought they might soon begin to remit  
something of their diligence in bolting 
and barring4 ,that all this fastening   
and looking was very troublesome1 and   
they hoped the danger was now pretty    
well over4 ,it was rather remarkable1   
that they never made this sort of       
observations1 but after an evening of   
some excess1 and when they had neglected
 their private business with their      
master4 ,all1 however1 except ,parley1  
went quietly to bed1 and seemed to feel 
uncommon security4  ,parley crept down  
to his lodge4 ,he had half a mind to go 
to bed too4 ,yet he was not willing to  
disappoint ,mr4 ,flatterwell2 so civil a
 gentleman4 ,to be sure1 he might have  
bad designs4 ,yet what right had he to  
suspect any body who made such          
professions1 and who was so very civil4 
,besides1 it is something for my        

advantage1 added ,parley4 ,i will not   
open the door1 that is certain2 but as  
he is to come alone1 he can do me no    
harm through the bars of the windows4   
,and he will think ,i am a coward1 if ,i
 don't keep my word2 no1 ,i will let him
 see that ,i am not afraid of my own    
strength2 ,i will show him ,i can go    
what length ,i please1 and stop short   
when ,i please4 ,had ,flatterwell heard 
this boastful speech1 he would have been
 quite sure of his man4  ,about eleven  
,parley heard the signal agreed upon4   
,it was so gentle as to cause little    
alarm4 ,so much the worse4 ,flatterwell 
never frightened any one1 and therefore 
seldom failed of any one4 ,parley stole 
softly down1 planted himself at his     
little window1 opened the casement1 and 
spied his new friend4 ,it was pale      
starlight4 ,parley was a little         
frightened1 for he thought he perceived 
one or two persons behind ,flatterwell2 
but the other assured him it was only   
his own shadow1 which his fears had     

magnified into a company4 ,though ,i    
assure you1 said he1 ,i have not a      
friend but what is as harmless as       
myself4  ,they now entered into earnest 
discourse1 in which ,flatterwell showed 
himself a deep politician4 ,he skilfully
 mixed up in his conversation a proper  
proportion of praise on the pleasures of
 the wilderness1 of compliments to      
,parley1 of ridicule on his master1 and 
of abusive sneers on the book in which  
the master's laws were written4 ,against
 this last he had always a particular   
spite1 for he considered it as the grand
 instrument by which the master         
maintained his servants in allegiance2  
and when they could be once brought to  
sneer at the book1 there was an end of  
submission to the master4 ,parley had   
not penetration enough to see his drift4
 ,as to the book1 ,mr4 ,flatterwell1    
said he1 ,i do not know whether it be   
true or false2 ,i rather neglect than   
disbelieve it4 ,i am forced1 indeed1 to 
hear it read once a week2 but ,i never  

look into it myself1 if ,i can help it4 
,excellent1 said ,flatterwell to        
himself2 that is just the same thing4   
,this is safe ground for me4 ,for       
whether a man does not believe in the   
book1 or does not attend to it1 it comes
 pretty much to the same1 and ,i        
generally get him at last4  ,why cannot 
we be a little nearer1 ,mr4 ,parley8    
said ,flatterwell2 ,i am afraid of being
 overheard by some of your master's     
spies1 the window from which you speak  
is so high4 ,i wish you would come down 
to the door4  ,well1 said ,parley1 ,i   
see no great harm in that4 ,there is a  
little wicket in the door1 through which
 we can converse with more ease and     
equal safety4 ,the same fastenings will 
be still between us4 ,so down he went1  
but not without a degree of fear and    
trembling4  ,the little wicket being now
 opened1 and ,flatterwell standing close
 on the outside of the door1 they       
conversed with great ease4 ,mr4 ,parley1
 said ,flatterwell1 ,i should not have  

pressed you so much to admit me into the
 castle1 but out of pure1 disinterested 
regard to your own happiness4 ,i shall  
get nothing by it1 but ,i cannot bear to
 think that a person so wise and amiable
 should be shut up in this gloomy       
dungeon1 under a hard master1 and a     
slave to the unreasonable tyranny of his
 book of laws4 ,if you admit me1 you    
need have no more waking1 no more       
watching4  ,here ,parley involuntarily  
slipped back the bolt of the door4  ,to 
convince you of my true love1 continued 
,flatterwell1 ,i have brought a bottle  
of the most delicious wine that grows in
 the wilderness4 ,you shall taste it2   
but you must put a glass through the    
wicket to receive it2 for it is a       
singular property in this wine1 that we 
of the wilderness cannot succeed in     
conveying it to you of the castle1      
without you hold out a vessel to receive
 it4  ,o here is a glass1 said ,parley1 
holding out a large goblet1 which he    
always kept ready to be filled by any   

chance comer4  ,the other immediately   
poured into the capacious goblet a large
 draught of that delicious intoxicating 
liquor with which the family of the     
,flatterwells have1 for near six        
thousand years1 gained the hearts and   
destroyed the souls of all the          
inhabitants of the castle1 whenever they
 have been able to prevail on them to   
hold out a hand to receive it4 ,this the
 wise master of the castle well knew    
would be the case1 for he knew what was 
in men--he knew their propensity to     
receive the delicious poison of the     
,flatterwells2 and it was for this      
reason that he gave them the book of his
 laws1 and planted the hedge1 and       
invented the bolts1 and doubled the     
locks4  ,as soon as poor ,parley had    
swallowed the fatal draught it acted    
like enchantment4 ,he at once lost all  
power of resistance4 ,he had no sense of
 fear left4 ,he despised his own safety1
 forgot his master1 lost all sight of   
the house in the other country1 and     

reached out for another draught as      
eagerly as ,flatterwell held out the    
bottle to administer it4 ,what a fool   
have ,i been1 said ,parley1 to deny     
myself so long4  ,will you now let me   
in8 said ,flatterwell4  ,aye1 that ,i   
will1 said the deluded ,parley4 ,though 
the train was now increased to near a   
hundred robbers1 yet so intoxicated was 
,parley1 that he did not see one of     
them1 except his new friend4 ,parley    
eagerly pulled down the bars1 drew back 
the bolts1 and forced open the locks1   
thinking he could never let in his      
friend soon enough4 ,he had1 however1   
just presence of mind to say1 ,my dear  
friend1 ,i hope you are alone4          
,flatterwell swore he was4 ,parley      
opened the door--in rushed1 not         
,flatterwell only1 but the whole        
banditti1 who always lurk behind in his 
train4 ,the moment they had got sure    
possession1 ,flatterwell changed his    
soft tone1 and cried out in a voice of  
thunder1 ,down with the castle2 kill1   

burn1 and destroy4  ,rapine1 murder1 and
 conflagration by turns took place4     
,parley was the very first whom they    
attacked4 ,he was overpowered with      
wounds4 ,as he fell1 he cried out1 ,o my
 master1 ,i die a victim to my unbelief 
in thee1 and to my own vanity and       
imprudence4 ,o that the guardians of all
 other castles would hear me with my    
dying breath repeat my master's         
admonition1 that all attacks from       
without will not destroy1 unless there  
is some confederate within4 ,o that the 
keepers of all other castles would learn
 from my ruin1 that he who parleys with 
temptation is already undone4 ,that he  
who allows himself to go to the very    
bounds1 will soon jump over the hedge2  
that he who talks out of the window with
 the enemy1 will soon open the door to  
him2 that he who holds out his hand for 
the cup of sinful flattery1 loses all   
power of resisting2 that when he opens  
the door to one sin1 all the rest fly in
 upon him1 and the man perishes as ,i   

now do4  ,illustration     ,a ,,new     
,,christmas ,,tract2  ,,or1 ,,the       
,,right ,,way ,,of ,,rejoicing ,,at     
,,christmas1 ,,showing ,,the ,,reasons  
,,we ,,have ,,for ,,joy ,,at ,,the      
,,event ,,of ,,our ,,saviour',s ,,birth4
   ,there are two ways of keeping       
,christmas3 some seem to keep it much in
 the same way in which the unbelieving  
,jews kept their feast in honor of the  
calf which they had made4 ,and they made
 a calf in ,horeb in those days1 and the
 people sat down to eat and drink1 and  
rose up to play4 ,but what a sad sort of
 ,christianity is this6 ,i am no enemy  
to mirth of a proper kind1 and at proper
 seasons2 but the mirth ,i now speak of1
 is the mirth of inconsideration and    
folly1 and is often mixed with much     
looseness of conduct and drunkenness4   
,is this1 then1 the sort of mirth proper
 for ,christians8 ,let us suppose1 now1 
that a man should choose a church as the
 place in which he was to sit and sing  
his jolly song1 and to drink till he was

 intoxicated2 surely this would imply   
that he was a person of extraordinary   
wickedness4 ,but this1 you will say1 is 
what nobody is so bad as to be guilty   
of2 well1 then1 let us suppose1 that    
instead of choosing a church as the     
place1 he should choose ,christmas as   
the time for the like acts of riot and  
drunkenness3 methinks this must imply no
 small degree of the same kind of       
wickedness2 for1 as he that should get  
intoxicated in a church1 would insult   
the church1 so he that gets intoxicated 
at ,christmas1 which is the season for  
commemorating the birth of ,christ1     
insults ,christ and his religion4  ,i   
know it may be said1 that those who take
 these liberties at ,christmas do not   
mean to insult ,christ1 and that they   
act from inconsideration3 to which ,i   
answer1 that they are very guilty in    
being so inconsiderate2 for ,i would    
just remark by the way1 that these      
people who are so very inconsiderate in 
some things1 are apt to be very         

considerate in others4 ,for instance1   
they are very considerate about their   
pleasures1 but very inconsiderate about 
their duty4 ,they are often1 perhaps1   
very considerate about this world1      
always very inconsiderate about         
eternity2 very considerate for          
themselves1 and very little so about    
other people2 extremely considerate on  
their own side of a bargain1 but as     
inconsiderate about the side of the     
other party2 and when they have         
committed a sin1 they are apt to be very
 considerate in finding excuses for it1 
but very inconsiderate in tracing out   
the guilt and mischief of their         
wickedness4 ,in short1 then1 let it be  
remembered1 that inconsideration is     
often neither more nor less than another
 word for wickedness1 and that the      
inconsiderate way of spending ,christmas
 which has been spoken of1 is only1 in  
other words1 the wicked way of spending 
it4  ,but now let us come to the true   
way of keeping it4  ,first1 then1 in    

order to know how the time of ,christ's 
birth ought to be remembered by us1 ,i  
would observe1 that it is necessary to  
understand well who ,christ was1 and for
 what purpose he came on earth4 ,how    
absurd would it be to celebrate the     
fifth of ,november1 without knowing1    
that on that day the houses of          
parliament were saved from fire1 and our
 happy constitution1 as well as our     
religion1 was preserved to us4 ,again1  
how absurd would it be for any man to   
celebrate the king's birthday1 or       
coronation-day1 who did not feel within 
his heart loyalty and affection towards 
his sovereign1 and who did not think    
that any blessings were derived from our
 kingly government4  ,let every one1    
therefore1 who wishes to spend          
,christmas aright1 get acquainted with  
the benefits which have followed from   
,christ's coming into the world4 ,we    
will endeavor1 now1 to show very briefly
 what these benefits have been4 ,the    
world1 at the time of ,christ's         

appearing1 was divided into ,jews and   
,gentiles4 ,the word ,gentiles signifies
 nations1 that is1 all the nations      
except the ,jews4 ,let us speak of the  
,gentiles first1 and of the ,jews       
afterwards4  ,the ,gentiles were        
worshippers of false gods2 some of one  
kind1 some of another4 ,they all1       
however1 agreed in this1 that they      
thought one god as good as another1 and 
no one among them had any anxiety to    
bring his neighbor over to his religion1
 which is a plain proof that they had no
 true religion among them2 for whoever  
is possessed of true religion1 is       
possessed of a great comfort and        
blessing1 which he will therefore be    
glad to convey to other people also4 ,it
 was the custom of some of these        
,gentiles to worship stocks and stones2 
others bowed down to living animals1    
such as bulls1 or goats1 or lizards2 and
 others paid their stupid adoration to  
the sun1 instead of the ,author of it4  
,many of them worshipped their deceased 

fellow-creatures2 and the dead men who  
were thus turned into gods had been1 in 
general1 some of the most wicked and    
abominable of the human race4  ,now this
 ignorance of the true ,god was         
followed--as all ignorance of him is apt
 to be--by great wickedness in their    
practice4 ,they were given over on this 
account1 as ,st4 ,paul1 the inspired    
apostle1 declares1 to a reprobate mind2 
to work all uncleanness with greediness4
 ,they learned to confound good and     
evil2 vices were then commonly          
practised1 such as are not named among  
,christians4 ,false principles and false
 maxims of every kind abounded4 ,slavery
 prevailed1 even in the most civilized  
lands2 for almost all servants were     
slaves in those days4 ,the earth was    
filled with violence4 ,he that had      
killed the greatest number of his       
fellow-creatures got usually the        
greatest praise4 ,wars were carried on  
with dreadful ferocity1 and multitudes  
were massacred at the public games1 in  

battles fought for the amusement of the 
people4 ,humanity1 kindness1 and        
benevolence1 were made of no account2   
and such a thing as a hospital was not  
known4 ,revenge was both practised and  
recommended2 and those excellent        
,christian graces1 humility1 universal  
charity1 and forgiveness of injuries1   
were considered as weaknesses and       
faults4  ,i shudder to think of the     
dreadful state of mankind in those days4
 ,god grant that the same evils may     
never return4 ,they are the natural     
consequences of being without           
,christianity in the world2 for when    
,christianity is gone1 there is no rule 
to go by4 ,every man may then set up a  
false goodness of his own4 ,morals1 of  
course1 grow worse and worse2 a fierce  
and proud spirit comes in the place of  
,christian meekness and benevolence1 and
 claims the name of virtue2 and the     
,saviour of the world1 with all his     
works of mercy1 being forgotten1 man    
becomes cruel1 and unjust1 and selfish1 

and implacable1 and unmerciful2 for all 
the violent passions of our nature are  
let loose4  ,if we inquire also into the
 character of the ,jews who lived before
 the coming of our ,saviour1 we shall   
find them to have been deplorably       
corrupt1 though they expected his       
coming1 and were1 in some measure1      
acquainted with true religion4 ,the     
little knowledge which they had seems to
 have been perverted through the        
wickedness of their hearts2 and the     
,scriptures assure us1 that both ,jews  
and ,gentiles were all under sin4 ,such 
was the state into which the world was  
sunk before the time of our ,saviour's  
appearance in it4  ,let us describe1    
next1 who ,christ was1 and what were the
 consequences of his coming4 ,he is     
called in ,scripture1 the ,son of ,god2 
and in some places1 ,god's only ,son2   
which shows that there is no other being
 like unto him4 ,we know that a son1 by 
his very birth1 derives privileges from 
his father which belong to no other     

person2 that he partakes of the same    
rank and inheritance with his father2   
and that he possesses also1 in an       
especial manner1 his father's favor1 and
 altogether differs from a stranger or a
 servant4 ,christ1 then1 is to be       
considered1 in all such senses as these1
 as the ,son of ,god4 ,it is true1 he is
 called also the ,son of man1 for he was
 born of a woman1 namely1 of the virgin 
,mary1 and he took upon him our nature1 
dwelling on earth for thirty years4 ,we 
should take great care1 however1 that   
his appearance among us as a man1 does  
not lead us to form any low and unworthy
 notions of him4  ,suppose1 now1 that   
the son of a king was to travel1 in the 
dress of a private subject1 on some     
merciful and condescending errand to a  
distant and obscure part of his         
territory4 ,surely it would be very     
ungenerous and ungrateful1 if the poor  
villagers1 whom he came to serve1 were  
to deny to him the honors of a king's   
son merely because they could not       

believe that so great a person could    
stoop so low as to come among them1     
especially if he brought proofs of his  
power and greatness along with him4     
,just so1 methinks1 are all those       
persons ungenerous and ungrateful who   
refuse to ,christ that divine honor     
which belongs to him1 merely because he 
condescended to be made flesh and blood1
 and to dwell among us4 ,let us1 then1  
receive with simplicity and humility the
 scripture testimony concerning him4 ,it
 speaks of him in terms that are quite  
astonishing4 ,his name1 says the        
prophet1 foretelling his birth1 shall be
 called ,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 the    
mighty ,god1 the everlasting ,father1   
the ,prince of ,peace2 and the          
government shall be on his shoulders4   
,the evangelist ,john tells us1 that the
 ,word1 meaning ,christ1 was with ,god1 
and the ,word was ,god4 ,by him1 it is  
said in the ,hebrews1 ,god made the     
world2 and again1 ,let all the angels of
 ,god worship him4 ,all power hath been 

given him1 both in heaven and earth1 and
 ,god hath committed all judgment to the
 ,son4 ,the hour also cometh when they  
that are in the graves shall hear the   
voice of the ,son of man1 and shall come
 forth3 they that have done good1 to the
 resurrection of life2 and they that    
have done evil1 to the resurrection of  
damnation4  ,such are a few of the      
expressions used in ,scripture          
concerning ,christ4 ,let us learn from  
these to adore his divine ,majesty1 and 
trust his power1 as well as to fear his 
wrath1 and to account him able to fulfil
 all the purposes of his coming4  ,but  
let us next describe what these purposes
 were4 ,it may be said in general1 that 
it was for us men1 and for our          
salvation1 that he came down from       
heaven2 or1 as the ,scripture expresses 
it1 ,the ,son of man came to seek and to
 save that which was lost1 and to give  
his life a ransom for many4  ,the world1
 as hath already been shown1 was sunk in
 sin1 and not in sin only1 but in       

condemnation also4 ,ever since the fall 
of our first parent ,adam1 man had been 
a sinful creature4 ,but as in ,adam all 
died1 even so in ,christ were all who   
would receive him1 to be made alive4    
,christ1 then1 was the second ,adam3 as 
,adam was the destroyer1 so ,christ was 
the restorer of our race4 ,the devil1   
who is called the ,prince of darkness1  
had1 as we are told in ,scripture1      
become the god and the prince of this   
world4 ,christ1 therefore1 came into the
 world1 as a conquerer comes1 to recover
 an empire that was lost1 and to bring  
back the rebels to their obedience and  
to happiness4 ,he came to overthrow that
 kingdom of darkness which1 through the 
power of the devil and the corruption of
 man1 had been set up4 ,for this purpose
 the ,son of ,god was manifested1 that  
he might destroy the works of the devil4
 ,he came to redeem us from all         
iniquity1 and to purify unto himself a  
peculiar people1 zealous of good works4 
,but how does ,christ fulfil his purpose

 of delivering us8 ,first1 ,i would     
observe1 that he lived a most holy life1
 hereby setting us an example that we   
should tread in his steps4 ,he went     
about doing good3 never was any one so  
kind and gracious to all who came to him
 as ,jesus ,christ4 ,i would here       
observe also1 that he preached the      
gospel to mankind2 he told us what we   
must believe and do1 in order to enter  
into the kingdom of heaven4 ,through him
 also the ,holy ,spirit of ,god is      
granted to us4 ,and1 to crown all1 he   
died for us4 ,he was nailed to the      
cross1 and suffered a cruel death for   
our sakes1 bearing the wrath of ,god in 
our stead4 ,herein is love1 not that we 
loved ,god1 but that he loved us1 and   
sent his ,son to be the propitiation for
 our sins4 ,christ is that ,lamb of ,god
 which has been offered up as a         
sacrifice1 and which taketh away the    
sins of the world4 ,now1 then1 let us   
rejoice1 and say triumphantly1 with the 
prophet of old1 ,unto us a child is     

born1 unto us a son is given4 ,behold1  
said the angels1 ,i bring you good      
tidings of great joy2 for unto you is   
born this day1 a ,saviour1 which is     
,christ the ,lord4 ,glory to ,god in the
 highest1 on earth peace1 good will     
towards men4  ,oh1 how many thousands   
have had reason to bless the season     
which we are now commemorating--the     
season of the birth of ,jesus ,christ4  
,the world1 it is true1 is still wicked1
 for there are many who do not believe  
in this ,saviour2 and there are not a   
few who think they believe in him1 and  
who do not4 ,nevertheless1 even the     
world in general has been the better for
 his coming1 for the thick darkness is  
past1 and the true light now shineth4   
,through ,christ's coming1 iniquity has 
been lessened even among unbelievers2   
for real ,christians1 though few1 have  
held up to view the nature of true      
goodness1 and even bad men have1 in some
 measure1 been constrained to imitate   
them2 they have also grown more ashamed 

than they otherwise would have been of  
their vices4  ,but who can calculate the
 blessing which ,christianity hath been 
to thousands of true believers8 ,how    
many lives have been made holy here on  
earth2 how many hearts have been cheered
 and comforted by it2 how many deaths1  
which would otherwise have been most    
gloomy1 have been rendered joyful and   
triumphant2 and1 above all1 how many    
immortal souls have been saved and made 
happy to all eternity1 through faith in 
this blessed ,redeemer4 ,my sheep1 says 
,christ1 hear my voice1 and they follow 
me1 and ,i give unto them eternal life2 
and they shall never perish1 neither    
shall any pluck them out of my hand4 ,i 
go to prepare a place for them1 that    
where ,i am there they may be also4     
,and now1 reader1 what are your thoughts
 on the subject of our ,saviour's       
appearance on this earth of ours8 ,if   
you are a true ,christian1 your language
 will be such as the following3 ,it is  
through the coming of ,christ into the  

world that ,i have learned to know      
myself1 and to know the ,god who made   
me4 ,i am by nature blind and ignorant2 
,i am also sinful and undone2 ,i am     
utterly without hope1 except through the
 mercy of my ,saviour2 and even though  
,i have been born in a ,christian land1 
,i can trace back1 in my recollection1  
many proofs of this my natural ignorance
 and corruption and hardness of heart4  
,i was once like a sheep going astray1  
but ,i am now returned to the ,shepherd 
of my soul4 ,i followed the bent of my  
own foolish will1 but the grace of ,god 
in ,jesus ,christ has changed my sinful 
heart2 the knowledge of my corruption   
has humbled me2 the thought of my       
,saviour's dying for me has stirred up  
gratitude within me1 and that           
acquaintance with his gospel which ,i   
have gained has changed my whole views  
of life4  ,christ's character delights  
me3 ,i read the history of his humble   
birth1 his painful death1 and his       
glorious resurrection1 as it is recorded

 in ,scripture1 with hope and joy1 and  
with holy confidence and trust4 ,how    
shall ,i sufficiently bless ,god for    
,jesus ,christ8 ,whatever change has    
been wrought in me1 ,i trace to         
,christ's coming into the world4 ,if    
,christ had never come1 how corrupt     
should ,i be at this moment2 how blind1 
how dark1 how ignorant1 how different   
from what1 through the grace of ,god1 ,i
 now am4 ,how miserable1 in comparison  
of my present happiness4 ,i am engaged1 
indeed1 in a sharp conflict with my     
sins2 but1 through my ,saviour's help1  
,i hope to gain ground against them4 ,i 
have1 occasionally1 doubts and fears2   
but in general1 ,i feel confident that  
the promises of ,god are sure and       
certain in ,christ ,jesus2 for ,i know  
in whom ,i have believed1 and ,i am     
persuaded that he is able to keep that  
soul which ,i have committed to him till
 the great day4     ,a ,,new ,,christmas
 ,,hymn4     ,o how wondrous is the     
story     ,of our blest ,redeemer's     

birth6   ,see1 the mighty ,lord of glory
     ,leaves his heaven to visit earth4 
,hear with transport1 every creature1   
,hear the gospel's joyful sound3        
,christ appears in human nature1     ,in
 our sinful world is found6    ,comes to
 pardon our transgression1     ,like a  
cloud our sins to blot2   ,comes to his 
own favored nation1     ,but his own    
receive him not4    ,if the angels who  
attended     ,to declare the ,saviour's 
birth1   ,who from heaven with songs    
descended1     ,to proclaim good will on
 earth2    ,if1 in pity to our          
blindness1     ,they had brought the    
pardon needed2   ,still1 ,jehovah's     
wondrous kindness     ,had our warmest  
hopes exceeded6    ,if some prophet had 
been sent     ,with salvation's joyful  
news1   ,who that heard the blest event 
,could their warmest love refuse8       
,but 'twas ,he to whom in heaven        
,hallelujahs never cease2   ,he1 the    
mighty ,god1 was given--     ,given to  
us a ,prince of peace4    ,none but he  

who did create us1     ,could redeem    
from sin and hell2   ,none but he could 
reinstate us     ,in the rank from which
 we fell4    ,had he come1 the glorious 
stranger1     ,decked with all the world
 calls great--   ,had he lived in pomp  
and grandeur1     ,crowned with more    
than royal state--    ,still1 our       
tongues1 with praise o'erflowing1       
,on such boundless love would dwell--   
,still1 our hearts1 with rapture        
glowing1     ,speak what words could    
never tell4    ,but what wonder should  
it raise1     ,thus our lowest state to 
borrow6   ,o the high mysterious ways-- 
,god's own ,son a child of sorrow6      
',twas to bring us endless pleasure1    
,he our suffering nature bore2   ',twas 
to give us heavenly treasure1     ,he   
was willing to be poor4    ,come1 ye    
rich1 survey the stable     ,where your 
infant ,saviour lies2   ,from your full1
 o'erflowing table1     ,send the hungry
 good supplies4    ,boast not your      
ennobled stations1     ,boast not that  

you're highly fed2   ,jesus1 hear it all
 ye nations1     ,had not where to lay  
his head4    ,learn of me1 thus cries   
the ,saviour1     ,if my kingdom you'd  
inherit3   ,sinner1 quit your proud     
behavior2     ,learn my meek and lowly  
spirit4    ,come1 ye servants1 see your 
station     ,free from all reproach and 
shame2   ,he who purchased your         
salvation1     ,bore a servant's humble 
name4    ,come1 ye poor1 some comfort   
gather1     ,faint not in the race you  
run2   ,hard the lot your gracious      
,father     ,gave his dear1 his only    
,son4    ,think1 that if your humble    
stations     ,less of worldly food      
bestow1   ,you escape those strong      
temptations     ,which from wealth and  
grandeur flow    ,see1 your ,saviour is 
ascended2     ,see1 he looks with pity  
down3   ,trust him1 all will soon be    
mended2     ,bear his cross1 you'll     
share his crown4     ,,bear ,,ye ,,one  
,,another',s ,,burdens2 or1 ,,the       
,,valley ,,of ,,tears4 ,a ,,vision4     

,,by ,,hannah ,,more4   ,once upon a    
time methought ,i set out upon a long   
journey1 and the place through which ,i 
travelled appeared to be a dark valley1 
which was called the ,valley of ,tears4 
,it had obtained this name not only on  
account of the many sorrowful adventures
 which poor passengers commonly meet    
with in their journey through it1 but   
also because most of these travellers   
entered it weeping and crying1 and left 
it in a very great pain and anguish4    
,this vast valley was full of people of 
all colors1 ages1 sizes1 and            
descriptions2 but whether white1 or     
black1 or tawney1 all were travelling   
the same road1 or rather1 they were     
taking different little paths which all 
led to the same common end4  ,now it was
 remarkable1 that notwithstanding the   
different complexions1 ages1 and tempers
 of this vast variety of people1 yet all
 resembled each other in this one       
respect1 that each had a burden on his  
back1 which he was destined to carry    

through the toil and heat of the day1   
until he should arrive1 by a longer or  
shorter course1 at his journey's end4   
,these burdens would in general have    
made the pilgrimage quite intolerable1  
had not the ,lord of the valley1 out of 
his great compassion for these poor     
pilgrims1 provided1 among other things1 
the following means for their relief4   
,in their full view1 over the entrance  
of the valley1 there were written in    
great letters the following words3      
,,bear ,,ye ,,one ,,another',s          
,,burdens4   ,now ,i saw in my vision1  
that many of the travellers hurried on  
without stopping to read this           
inscription2 and others1 though they had
 once read it1 yet paid little or no    
attention to it4 ,a third sort thought  
it good advice for other people1 but    
very seldom applied it to themselves4   
,in short1 ,i saw that too many of these
 people were of the opinion1 that they  
had burdens enough of their own1 and    
that there was therefore no occasion to 

take upon them those of others2 so each 
tried to make his own load as light1 and
 his own journey as pleasant as he      
could1 without so much as once casting a
 thought on a poor overloaded neighbor4 
,here1 however1 ,i have to make a rather
 singular remark1 by which ,i shall     
plainly show the folly of these selfish 
people4 ,it was so ordered and contrived
 by the ,lord of this valley1 that if   
any one stretched out his hand to       
lighten a neighbor's burden1 in fact he 
never failed to find that he at that    
moment also lightened his own4 ,besides1
 the obligation to help each other1 and 
the benefit of doing so1 were mutual4   
,if a man helped his neighbor1 it       
commonly happened that some other       
neighbor came1 by and by1 and helped him
 in his turn2 for there was no such     
thing as what we call independence in   
the whole valley4 ,not one of all these 
travellers1 however stout and strong1   
could move on comfortably without       
assistance2 for so the ,lord of the     

valley1 whose laws were all of them kind
 and good1 had expressly ordained4  ,i  
stood still to watch the progress of    
these poor wayfaring people1 who moved  
slowly on1 like so many ticket-porters1 
with burdens of various kinds on their  
backs1 of which some were heavier1 and  
some were lighter2 but from a burden of 
one kind or other1 not one traveller was
 entirely free4   ,,the ,,widow4  ,a    
sorrowful widow1 oppressed with the     
burden of grief for the loss of an      
affectionate husband1 would have been   
bowed down by her heavy load1 had not   
the surviving children with great       
alacrity stepped forward and supported  
her4 ,their kindness1 after a while1 so 
much lightened the load1 which          
threatened at first to be intolerable1  
that she even went on her way with      
cheerfulness1 and more than repaid their
 help1 by applying the strength she     
derived from it1 to their future        
assistance4   ,,the ,,husband4  ,i next 
saw a poor old man tottering under a    

burden so heavy1 that ,i expected him   
every moment to sink under it4 ,i peeped
 into his pack1 and saw it was made up  
of many sad articles3 there were        
poverty1 oppression1 sickness1 debt1 and
 what made by far the heaviest part1    
undutiful children4 ,i was wondering how
 it was that he got on even so well as  
he did1 till ,i spied his wife1 a kind1 
meek1 ,christian woman1 who was doing   
her utmost to assist him4 ,she quietly  
got behind1 gently laid her shoulder to 
the burden1 and carried a much larger   
proportion of it than appeared to me    
when ,i was at a distance4 ,she not only
 sustained him by her strength1 but     
cheered him by her counsels4 ,she told  
him that through much tribulation we    
must enter into the kingdom2 that he    
that overcometh shall inherit all       
things4 ,in short1 she so supported his 
fainting spirit1 that he was enabled to 
run with patience the race that was set 
before him4   ,,the ,,kind ,,neighbor4  
,an infirm blind woman was creeping     

forward with a very heavy burden1 in    
which were packed sickness and want1    
with numberless other of those raw      
materials out of which human misery is  
worked up4 ,she was so weak that she    
could not have got on at all1 had it not
 been for the kind assistance of another
 woman almost as poor as herself2 who1  
though she had no light burden of her   
own1 cheerfully lent a helping hand to a
 fellow-traveller who was still more    
heavily laden4 ,this friend had indeed  
little or nothing to give2 but the very 
voice of kindness is soothing to the    
weary4 ,and ,i remarked in many other   
cases1 that it was not so much the      
degree of help afforded as the manner of
 helping1 that lightened the burdens4   
,some had a coarse1 rough1 clumsy way of
 assisting a neighbor1 which1 though in 
fact it might be of real use1 yet       
seemed1 by galling the travellers1 to   
add to the load it was intended to      
lighten2 while ,i observed in others1   
that so cheap a kindness as a mild word1

 or even an affectionate look1 made a   
poor burdened wretch move on cheerily4  
,the bare feeling that some human being 
cared for him1 seemed to lighten the    
load4  ,but to return to this kind      
neighbor4 ,she had a little old book in 
her hand1 the covers of which were worn 
out by much use4 ,when she saw the blind
 woman ready to faint1 she would read   
her a few words out of this book1 such  
as the following3 ,blessed are the poor 
in spirit2 for theirs is the kingdom of 
heaven4 ,blessed are they that mourn2   
for they shall be comforted4 ,i will    
never leave thee1 nor forsake thee4 ,for
 our light affliction1 which is but for 
a moment1 worketh out for us a far more 
exceeding and eternal weight of glory2  
and one of these little promises        
operated like a cordial on the sufferer4
   ,,the ,,clergyman4  ,a pious minister
 sinking under the weight of a          
distressed parish1 whose worldly wants  
he was totally unable to bear1 was      
suddenly relieved by a good widow1 who  

came up1 and took all the sick and      
hungry on her own shoulders4 ,the burden
 of the parish thus divided became      
tolerable4 ,the minister being no longer
 bowed down by the temporal distresses  
of his people1 applied himself          
cheerfully to his own part of the       
weight4 ,and it was pleasant to see how 
those two persons1 neither of them very 
strong1 or rich1 or healthy1 by thus    
kindly uniting together1 were enabled to
 bear the weight of a whole parish2     
though singly1 either of them must have 
sunk under the attempt4 ,and ,i remember
 one great grief ,i felt during my whole
 journey was1 that ,i did not see more  
of this union and concurring kindness1  
by which all the burdens might have been
 easily divided4 ,it troubled me to     
observe1 that of all the laws of the    
valley1 there was not one more          
frequently broken than the law of       
kindness4   ,,the ,,negroes4  ,i now    
spied a swarm of poor black men1 women1 
and children1 a multitude which no man  

could number2 these groaned1 and toiled1
 and sweated1 and bled under far heavier
 loads than ,i had yet seen4 ,but for a 
while no man helped them2 at length a   
few white travellers were touched with  
the sorrowful sighing of those millions1
 and very heartily did they put their   
hands to the burdens2 but their number  
was not quite equal to the work they had
 undertaken3 ,i perceived1 however1 that
 they never lost sight of these poor1   
heavy-laden wretches2 and as the number 
of these generous helpers increased1 and
 is continually increasing1 ,i felt a   
comfortable hope1 that before all the   
blacks got out of the valley1 the whites
 would so apply themselves to the       
burden1 that the loads would be         
effectually lightened4  ,among the      
travellers1 ,i had occasion to remark1  
that those who most kicked and struggled
 under their burdens1 only made them so 
much the heavier2 for their shoulders   
became extremely galled by these vain   
struggles4 ,the load1 if borne          

patiently1 would in the end have turned 
even to the advantage of the            
bearers--for so the ,lord of the valley 
had kindly decreed2 but as to these     
grumblers1 they had all the smart and   
none of the benefit4 ,but the thing that
 made all these burdens seem so very    
heavy was1 that in every one1 without   
exception1 there was a certain inner    
packet1 which most of the travellers    
took pains to conceal1 and carefully    
wrap up2 and while they were forward    
enough to complain of the other part of 
their burdens1 few said a word about    
this1 though in truth it was the        
pressing weight of this secret packet   
which served to render the general      
burden so intolerable4  ,in spite of all
 their caution1 ,i contrived to get a   
peep at it4 ,i found1 in each1 that this
 packet had the same label3 the word sin
 was written on all as a general title1 
and in ink so black that they could not 
wash it out4 ,i observed that most of   
them took no small pains to hide the    

writing2 but ,i was surprised to see    
that they did not try to get rid of     
their load1 but the label4 ,if any kind 
friend who assisted these people in     
bearing their burdens1 did but so much  
as hint at the secret packet1 or advise 
them to get rid of it1 they took fire at
 once1 and commonly denied that they had
 any such article in their portmanteau2 
and it was those whose secret packet    
swelled to the most enormous size1 who  
most stoutly denied they had any such   
packet at all4  ,i saw with pleasure1   
however1 that some who had long labored 
heartily to get rid of this inward      
packet1 at length1 by prayers1 and      
tears1 and efforts1 not made in their   
own strength1 found it much diminished1 
and the more this packet shrunk in size1
 the lighter was the other part of their
 burdens also4  ,then1 methought1 all at
 once1 ,i heard a voice as it had been  
the voice of an angel1 crying out1 and  
saying1 ,ye unhappy pilgrims1 why are ye
 troubled about the burden which ye are 

doomed to bear through this ,valley of  
,tears8 ,know ye not1 that as soon as ye
 shall have escaped out of this valley1 
the whole burden shall drop off1        
provided ye neglect not to remove that  
inward weight of sin which principally  
oppresses you8 ,study1 then1 the whole  
will of the ,lord of this valley4 ,learn
 from him how the heavy part of your    
burdens may now be lessened1 and how at 
last it shall be removed for ever4 ,be  
comforted4 ,faith and hope may cheer you
 even in this valley4 ,the passage1     
though it seems long to weary           
travellers1 is comparatively short2 for 
beyond it there is a land of everlasting
 rest1 'where ye shall hunger no more1  
neither thirst any more2 where ye shall 
be led by living fountains of waters1   
and all tears shall be wiped away from  
your eyes4'     ,,the ,,strait ,,gate   
,,and ,,the ,,broad ,,way3  ,,being     
,,the ,,second ,,part ,,of ,,the        
,,valley ,,of ,,tears4  ,,by ,,hannah   
,,more4   ,now ,i had a second vision of

 what was passing in the ,valley of     
,tears4 ,methought ,i saw again the same
 kind of travellers whom ,i had seen in 
the former part1 and they were wandering
 at large through the same vast         
wilderness4 ,at first setting out on his
 journey1 each traveller had a small    
lamp so fixed in his bosom1 that it     
seemed to make a part of himself2 but as
 this natural light did not prove to be 
sufficient to direct them in the right  
way1 the ,king of the country1 in pity  
to their wanderings and their blindness1
 out of his gracious condescension1     
promised to give these poor wayfaring   
people an additional supply of light    
from his own royal treasury4  ,but as he
 did not choose to lavish his favors    
where there seemed no disposition to    
receive them1 he would not bestow any of
 his oil on such as did not think it    
worth asking for4 ,ask1 and ye shall    
receive1 was the universal rule he laid 
down for them4 ,many were prevented from
 asking through pride and vanity1 for   

they thought they had light enough      
already2 preferring the feeble          
glimmerings of their own lamp1 to all   
the offered light from the ,king's      
treasury4  ,yet it was observed of those
 who rejected it as thinking they had   
enough1 that hardly any acted up to what
 even their own natural light showed    
them4 ,others were deterred from asking1
 because they were told that this light 
not only pointed out the dangers and    
difficulties of the road1 but by a      
certain reflecting power it turned      
inward on themselves1 and revealed to   
them ugly sights in their own hearts to 
which they rather chose to be blind2 for
 those travellers chose darkness rather 
than light1 because their deeds were    
evil4 ,now it was remarkable that these 
two properties were inseparable1 and    
that the lamp would be of little outward
 use1 except to those who used it as an 
internal reflector4 ,a threat and a     
promise also never failed to accompany  
the offer of this light from the ,king3 

a promise1 that to those who improved   
what they had1 more should be given2 and
 a threat1 that from those who did not  
use it wisely1 should be taken away even
 what they had4  ,i observed that when  
the road was very dangerous1 when       
terrors and difficulties and death beset
 the faithful traveller1 then1 on their 
fervent importunity1 the ,king          
voluntarily gave large and bountiful    
supplies of light1 such as in common    
seasons never could have been expected2 
always proportioning the quantity given 
to the necessity of the case3 ,as their 
day was1 such was their light and       
strength4  ,though many chose to depend 
entirely on their own lamp1 yet it was  
observed that this light was apt to go  
out1 if left to itself4 ,it was easily  
blown out by those violent gusts which  
were perpetually howling through the    
wilderness1 and indeed it was the       
natural tendency of that unwholesome    
atmosphere to extinguish it2 just as you
 have seen a candle go out when exposed 

to the vapors and foul air of a damp    
room4 ,it was a melancholy sight to see 
multitudes of travellers heedlessly     
pacing on1 boasting they had light      
enough1 and despising the offer of more4
  ,but what astonished me most of all   
was1 to see many1 and some of them1 too1
 accounted men of firstrate wit1        
actually busy in blowing out their own  
light1 because1 while any spark of it   
remained1 it only served to torment     
them1 and point out things which they   
did not wish to see4 ,and having once   
blown out their own light1 they were not
 easy till they had blown out that of   
their neighbor's also2 so that a good   
part of the wilderness seemed to exhibit
 a sort of universal blind-man's-buff1  
each endeavoring to catch his neighbor1 
while his own voluntary blindness       
exposed him to be caught himself1 so    
that each was actually falling into the 
snare he was laying for another2 till at
 length1 as selfishness is the natural  
consequence of blindness1 catch he that 

catch can1 became the general cry       
throughout the wilderness4  ,now ,i saw 
in my vision1 that there were some      
others who were busy in strewing the    
most gaudy flowers over the numerous    
bogs1 precipices1 and pitfalls1 with    
which the wilderness abounded2 and thus 
making danger and death look so gay1    
that the poor thoughtless creatures     
seemed to delight in their own          
destruction4 ,those pitfalls did not    
appear deep or dangerous to the eye1    
because over them were raised gay       
edifices with alluring names4 ,these    
were filled with singing men and singing
 women1 and with dancing1 and feasting1 
and gaming1 and drinking1 and jollity1  
and madness4 ,but though the scenery was
 gay1 the footing was unsound4 ,the     
floors were full of holes1 through which
 the unthinking merrymakers were        
continually sinking4 ,some tumbled      
through in the middle of a song1 many at
 the end of a feast2 and though there   
was many a cup of intoxication wreathed 

with flowers1 yet there was always      
poison at the bottom4  ,but what most   
surprised me was1 that though no day    
passed over their heads in which some of
 these merry-makers did not drop        
through1 yet their loss made little     
impression on those who were left4 ,nay1
 instead of being awakened to more      
circumspection and self-denial by the   
continual dropping off of those about   
them1 several of them seemed to borrow  
from thence an argument of a directly   
contrary tendency1 and the very         
shortness of the time was only urged as 
a reason to use it more sedulously for  
the indulgence of sensual delights4 ,let
 us eat and drink2 for to-morrow we die4
 ,let us crown ourselves with rose-buds 
before they are withered4 ,with these1  
and a thousand other such little        
mottoes1 the gay garlands of the        
wilderness were decorated4  ,some       
admired poets were set to work to set   
the most corrupt sentiments to the most 
harmonious tunes3 these were sung       

without scruple1 chiefly1 indeed1 by the
 looser sons of riot1 but not seldom    
also by the more orderly daughters of   
sobriety1 who were not ashamed to sing1 
to the sound of instruments1 sentiments 
so corrupt and immoral1 that they would 
have blushed to speak or read them2 but 
the music seemed to sanctify the        
corruption1 especially such as was      
connected with love or drinking4  ,now  
,i observed1 that all the travellers who
 had so much as a spark of life left1   
seemed every now and then1 as they moved
 onwards1 to cast an eye1 though with   
very different degrees of attention1    
towards the ,happy land1 which they were
 told lay at the end of their journey2  
but as they could not see very far      
forward1 and as they knew there was a   
dark and shadowy valley1 which must     
needs be crossed before they could      
attain to the ,happy land1 they tried to
 turn their attention from it as much as
 they could4 ,the truth is1 they were   
not sufficiently apt to consult a map   

which the ,king had given them1 and     
which pointed out the road to the ,happy
 land so clearly1 that the wayfaring    
man1 though simple1 could not err4 ,this
 map also defined very correctly the    
boundaries of the ,happy land from the  
land of ,misery1 both of which lay on   
the other side of the dark and shadowy  
valley2 but so many beacons and         
lighthouses were erected1 so many clear 
and explicit directions furnished for   
avoiding the one country and attaining  
the other1 that it was not the ,king's  
fault1 if even one single traveller got 
wrong4 ,but ,i am inclined to think1    
that in spite of the map1 and the       
,king's word1 and his offers of         
assistance to get them thither1 the     
travellers in general did not heartily  
and truly believe1 after all1 that there
 was any such country as the ,happy     
land2 or at least1 the paltry and       
transient pleasures of the wilderness so
 besotted them1 the thoughts of the dark
 and shadowy valley so frightened them1 

that they thought they should be more   
comfortable by banishing all thought and
 forecast4  ,now ,i also saw in my      
dream1 that there were two roads through
 the wilderness1 one of which every     
traveller must needs take4 ,the first   
was narrow1 and difficult1 and rough1   
but it was infallibly safe4 ,it did not 
admit the traveller to stray either to  
the right hand or to the left1 yet it   
was far from being destitute of real    
comforts or sober pleasures4 ,the other 
was a broad and tempting way1 abounding 
with luxurious fruits and gaudy flowers 
to tempt the eye and please the         
appetite4 ,to forget the dark valley1   
through which every traveller was well  
assured he must one day pass1 seemed1   
indeed1 the object of general desire4   
,to this great end1 all that human      
ingenuity could invent was industriously
 set to work4 ,the travellers read1 and 
they wrote1 and they painted1 and they  
sung1 and they danced1 and they drank as
 they went along1 not so much because   

they all cared for these things1 or had 
any real joy in them1 as because this   
restless activity served to divert their
 attention from ever being fixed on the 
dark and shadowy valley4  ,the ,king1   
who knew the thoughtless temper of the  
travellers1 and how apt they were to    
forget their journey's end1 had thought 
of a thousand little kind attentions to 
warn them of their dangers4 ,and as we  
sometimes see in our gardens written on 
a board in great letters1 ,beware of    
spring-guns--,man-traps are set here2 so
 had this ,king caused to be written and
 stuck up1 before the eyes of the       
travellers1 several little notices and  
cautions1 such as1 ,broad is the way    
that leadeth to destruction2 ,take heed1
 lest ye also perish2 ,woe to them that 
rise up early to drink wine2 ,the       
pleasures of sin are but for a season4  
,such were the notices directed to the  
,broad-way travellers2 but they were so 
busily engaged in plucking the flowers1 
sometimes before they were blown1 and in

 devouring the fruits1 often before they
 were ripe1 and in loading themselves   
with yellow clay1 under the weight of   
which millions perished1 that they had  
no time so much as to look at the       
,king's directions4  ,many went wrong   
because they preferred a merry journey  
to a safe one1 and because they were    
terrified by certain notices chiefly    
intended for the ,narrow-way travellers1
 such as1 ,ye shall weep and lament1 but
 the world shall rejoice2 but had these 
foolish people allowed themselves time  
or patience to read to the end1 which   
they seldom would do1 they would have   
seen these comfortable words added3 ,but
 your sorrow shall be turned into joy2  
also1 ,your joy no man taketh from you2 
and1 ,they that sow in tears shall reap 
in joy4  ,now ,i also saw in my dream1  
that many travellers who had a strong   
dread of ending at the land of ,misery1 
walked up to the ,strait gate1 hoping1  
that though the entrance was narrow1 yet
 if they could once get in1 the road    

would widen2 but what was their grief1  
when on looking more closely they saw   
written on the inside1 ,narrow is the   
way3 this made them take fright2 they   
compared the inscriptions with which the
 whole way was lined1 such as1 ,be ye   
not conformed to this world--,deny      
yourselves1 take up your cross1 with all
 the tempting pleasures of the          
wilderness4  ,some indeed recollected   
the fine descriptions they had read of  
the ,happy land1 the ,golden city1 and  
the river of ,pleasures1 and they       
sighed2 but then1 those joys were       
distant1 and from the faintness of their
 light they soon got to think that what 
was remote might be uncertain2 and while
 the present good increased in bulk by  
its nearness1 the distant good receded1 
diminished1 disappeared4 ,their faith   
failed2 they would trust no farther than
 they could see3 they drew back and got 
into the ,broadway1 taking a common but 
sad refuge in the number and gayety of  
their companions4  ,when these          

faint-hearted people1 who yet had set   
out well1 turned back1 their light was  
quite put out1 and then they became     
worse than those who had made no attempt
 to get in2 for it is impossible1 that  
is1 it is next to impossible1 for those 
who were once enlightened1 and have     
tasted of the heavenly gift1 and the    
good word of ,god1 and the powers of the
 world to come1 if they shall fall away1
 to renew them again to repentance4  ,a 
few honest1 humble travellers1 not      
naturally stronger than the rest1 but   
strengthened by their trust in the      
,king's word1 came up by the light of   
their lamps1 and meekly entered in at   
the ,strait gate4 ,as they advanced     
farther they felt less heavy1 and though
 the way did not in reality grow wider1 
yet they grew reconciled to the         
narrowness of it1 especially when they  
saw the walls here and there studded    
with certain jewels called promises1    
such as1 ,he that endureth to the end   
shall be saved2 and1 ,my grace is       

sufficient for thee4  ,some1 when they  
were almost ready to faint1 were        
encouraged by seeing that many niches in
 the ,narrow-way were filled with       
statues and pictures of saints and      
martyrs1 who had borne their testimony  
at the stake1 that the ,narrow-way was  
the safe way2 and these travellers1     
instead of sinking at the sight of the  
painted wheel and gibbet1 the sword and 
the furnace1 were animated by these     
words written under them3 ,those that   
wear white robes came out of great      
tribulation2 and1 ,be ye followers of   
them who through faith and patience     
inherit the promises4  ,in the meantime 
there came a great multitude of         
travellers1 all from ,laodicea3 this was
 the largest party ,i had yet seen2     
these were neither cold nor hot2 they   
would not give up future hope1 they     
could not endure present pain2 so they  
contrived to deceive themselves by      
fancying1 that though they resolved to  
keep the ,happy land in view1 yet there 

must needs be many different ways which 
led to it1 no doubt all equally sure    
without being all equally rough2 so they
 set on foot certain little contrivances
 to attain the end without using the    
means1 and softened down the spirit of  
the ,king's directions to fit them to   
their own practice4  ,sometimes they    
would split a direction in two1 and only
 use that half which suited them4 ,for  
instance1 when they met with the        
following rule1 ,trust in the ,lord1 and
 do good1 they would take the first     
half1 and make themselves easy with a   
general sort of trust1 that through the 
mercy of the ,king all would go well    
with them1 though they themselves did   
nothing4 ,and on the other hand1 many   
made sure that a few good works of their
 own would carry them safely to the     
,happy land1 though they did not trust  
in the ,lord1 nor place any faith in his
 word3 so they took the second half of  
the spliced direction4 ,thus some       
perished by a lazy faith1 and others by 

a working pride4  ,a large party of     
,pharisees now appeared1 who had so     
neglected their lamp that they did not  
see their way at all1 though they       
fancied themselves to be full of light2 
they kept up appearances so well as to  
delude others1 and most effectually to  
delude themselves with a notion that    
they might be found in the right way at 
last4 ,in this dreadful delusion they   
went on to the end1 and till they were  
finally plunged in the dark valley1     
never discovered the horrors which      
awaited them on the dismal shore4 ,it   
was remarkable1 that while these        
,pharisees were often boasting how      
bright their light burned1 in order to  
get the praise of men1 the humble       
travellers1 whose steady light showed   
their good works to others1 refused all 
commendation1 and the brighter their    
light shined before men1 so much the    
more they insisted that they ought to   
glory1 not in themselves1 but their     
,father which is in heaven4  ,i now set 

myself to observe what was the          
particular let1 molestation1 and        
hinderance1 which obstructed particular 
travellers in their endeavors to enter  
in at the ,strait gate4 ,i remarked a   
huge portly man1 who seemed desirous of 
getting in1 but he carried about him    
such a vast provision of bags full of   
gold1 and had on so many rich garments  
which stuffed him out so wide1 that     
though he pushed and squeezed like one  
who had really a mind to get in1 yet he 
could not possibly do so4 ,then ,i heard
 a voice crying1 ,woe to him that       
loadeth himself with thick clay4 ,the   
poor man felt something was wrong1 and  
even went so far as to change some of   
his more cumbersome vanities into others
 which seemed less bulky2 but still he  
and his pack were much too wide for the 
gate4  ,he would not1 however1 give up  
the matter so easily1 but began to throw
 away a little of the coarser part of   
his baggage2 but still ,i remarked1 that
 he threw away none of the vanities     

which lay near his heart4 ,he tried     
again1 but it would not do2 still his   
dimensions were too large4 ,he now      
looked up and read these words3 ,how    
hardly shall they who have riches enter 
into the kingdom of ,god6 ,the poor man 
sighed to find that it was impossible to
 enjoy his fill of both worlds1 and went
 away sorrowing4 ,if he ever afterwards 
cast a thought towards the ,happy land1 
it was only to regret that the road     
which led to it was too narrow to admit 
any but the meagre children of want1 who
 were not so encumbered by wealth as to 
be too big for the passage4 ,had he read
 on1 he would have seen that with ,god  
all things are possible4  ,another      
advanced with much confidence of        
success2 for having little worldly      
riches or honors1 the gate did not seem 
so strait to him4 ,he got to the        
threshold triumphantly1 and seemed to   
look back with disdain on all that he   
was quitting4 ,he soon found1 however1  
that he was so bloated with pride1 and  

stuffed out with self-sufficiency1 that 
he could not get in4 ,nay1 he was in a  
worse way than the rich man just named1 
for he was willing to throw away some of
 his outward luggage2 whereas this man  
refused to part with a grain of that    
vanity and self-applause which made him 
too big for the way4 ,the sense of his  
own worth so swelled him out1 that he   
stuck fast in the gateway1 and could    
neither get in nor out4  ,finding now   
that he must cut off all those big      
thoughts of himself1 if he wished to be 
reduced to such a size as to pass the   
gate1 he gave up all thoughts of it4 ,he
 scorned that humility and self-denial  
which might have shrunk him down to the 
proper dimensions3 the more he insisted 
on his own qualifications for entrance1 
the more impossible it became to enter1 
for the bigger he grew4 ,finding that he
 must become quite another manner of man
 before he could hope to get in1 he gave
 up the desire2 and ,i now saw1 that    
though when he set his face towards the 

,happy land he could not get an inch    
forward1 yet the instant he made a      
motion to turn back into the world1 his 
speed became rapid enough1 and he got   
back into the ,broad-way much sooner    
than he had got out of it4  ,many1 who  
for a time were brought down from their 
usual bulk by some affliction1 seemed to
 get in with ease4 ,they now thought all
 their difficulties over2 for having    
been surfeited with the world during    
their late disappointment1 they turned  
their backs upon it willingly enough4 ,a
 fit of sickness perhaps1 which is very 
apt to reduce1 had for a time brought   
their bodies into subjection1 so that   
they were enabled just to get in at the 
gateway2 but as soon as health and      
spirits returned1 the way grew narrower 
and narrower to them2 they could not get
 on1 but turned short1 and got back into
 the world4  ,i saw many attempt to     
enter who were stopped short by a large 
burden of worldly cares2 others by a    
load of idolatrous attachments2 but ,i  

observed that nothing proved a more     
complete bar than that vast bundle of   
prejudices with which multitudes were   
loaded4 ,others were fatally obstructed 
by loads of bad habits which they would 
not lay down1 though they knew they     
prevented their entrance4 ,some few1    
however1 of most descriptions who had   
kept their light alive by craving       
constant supplies from the ,king's      
treasury1 got through at last by a      
strength which they felt not to be their
 own4  ,one poor man1 who carried the   
largest bundle of bad habits ,i had     
seen1 could not get on a step2 he never 
ceased1 however1 to implore for light   
enough to see where his misery lay3 he  
threw down one of his bundles1 then     
another1 but all to little purpose1     
still he could not stir4 ,at last1      
striving as if in agony--which is the   
true way of entering--he threw down the 
heaviest article in his pack3 this was  
selfishness4 ,the poor fellow felt      
relieved at once1 his light burned      

brightly1 and the rest of his pack was  
as nothing4  ,then ,i heard a great     
noise as of carpenters at work4 ,i      
looked to see what this might be1 and   
saw many sturdy travellers1 who1 finding
 they were too bulky to get through1    
took into their heads not to reduce     
themselves1 but to widen the gate3 they 
hacked on this side1 and hewed on that2 
but all their hacking and hewing and    
hammering was to no purpose1 they got   
only their labor for their pains3 it    
would have been possible for them to    
have reduced themselves1 but to widen   
the ,narrow-way was impossible4  ,what  
grieved me most was1 to observe that    
many who had got on successfully a good 
way1 now stopped to rest1 and to admire 
their own progress4 ,while they were    
thus valuing themselves on their        
attainment1 their light diminished4     
,while these were boasting how far they 
had left others behind1 who had set out 
much earlier1 some slower travellers1   
whose beginning had not been so         

promising but who had walked            
circumspectly1 now outstripped them4    
,these last walked1 not as though they  
had already attained1 but this one thing
 they did1 forgetting the things which  
were behind1 they pressed forward       
towards the mark for the prize of their 
high calling4 ,these1 though naturally  
weak1 yet by laying aside every weight1 
finished the race that was before them4 
,those who had kept their light burning1
 who were not wise in their own conceit1
 who laid their help on ,one that is    
mighty1 who had chosen to suffer        
affliction rather than to enjoy the     
pleasures of sin for a season1 came at  
length to the ,happy land4 ,they had    
indeed the dark and shadowy valley to   
cross2 but even there they found a rod  
and a staff to comfort them4 ,their     
light1 instead of being put out by the  
damps of the valley of the ,shadow of   
,death1 often burned with added         
brightness4  ,some1 indeed1 suffered the
 terrors of a short eclipse2 but even   

then their light1 like that of a dark   
lantern1 was not put out1 it was only   
hid for a while2 and even these often   
finished their course with joy4 ,but be 
that as it might1 the instant they      
reached the ,happy land1 all tears were 
wiped from their eyes2 and the ,king    
himself came forth and welcomed them    
into his presence1 and put a crown upon 
their heads1 with these words3 ,well    
done1 good and faithful servant2 enter  
thou into the joy of thy ,,lord4        
,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,laborers   
,,in ,,the ,,vineyard4   ,the kingdom of
 heaven is compared by our ,saviour to a
 householder which went out early in the
 morning to hire laborers into his      
vineyard4 ,and again he went out about  
the third hour1 and saw others standing 
idle in the market-place1 and said unto 
them1 ,go ye also into the vineyard3 and
 they went their way4 ,and he went out  
about the sixth and ninth hour1 and did 
likewise4 ,and about the eleventh hour  
he went out1 and found others standing  

idle1 and saith unto them1 ,why stand ye
 here all the day idle8 ,they say unto  
him1 ,because no man hath hired us4 ,he 
saith unto them1 ,go ye also into the   
vineyard2 and whatsoever is right1 that 
shall ye receive4  ,by the householder  
here spoken of1 our ,saviour himself is 
intended2 and by the laborers hired into
 the vineyard1 those persons are meant  
who enter into his service4 ,these      
laborers are said to be found standing  
idle in the market-place2 for the gospel
 finds men idle1 that is1 not employed  
in ,god's service4 ,they are working    
busily enough1 perhaps1 for themselves2 
for men will rise up early1 and go to   
bed late1 for the sake of getting money1
 or following pleasure2 but then their  
diligence is of a wrong kind4 ,they are 
not diligent in the way of duty to their
 ,maker4 ,they may be likened to a      
certain kind of servants1 who though    
they may seem busy1 and may get from    
ignorant persons some credit for being  
so1 are nevertheless merely running on  

their own errands1 and doing their own  
work1 so that they are no better than   
idle in respect to the work which they  
ought to be doing for their householder 
or master4  ,but when they become true  
,christians they are no longer like     
those idle fellows who are always       
sauntering about with their arms folded1
 in the market-place1 pretending that   
they are in want of employment1 no man  
having as yet hired them3 they may now  
be compared to a set of laborers in the 
vineyard or garden1 who1 whenever you   
look at them1 are sure to be seen either
 digging1 or planting1 or watering1 or  
doing1 in short1 whatever is most       
wanting in the place where they are     
working2 and they have always an eye1   
moreover1 to the honor and interests of 
the great ,householder their ,master4   
,the householder is said to go out at   
different hours of the day to hire these
 servants4 ,this signifies that the     
light of revelation was sent at         
different periods of the world to the   

different people in it1 and in          
particular to the ,jews at one period1  
and the ,gentile nations at another4    
,the ,jews had been much offended at    
seeing ,christ address himself to the   
,gentiles1 who1 as they thought1 not    
having been called into the church or   
vineyard of ,god at an early period of  
the world1 ought not to be received at a
 later hour4 ,our ,saviour1 therefore1  
makes use of this parable1 or story1 as 
a convenient means of showing how       
unreasonable these ,jewish prejudices   
were4  ,i mean here1 however1 to        
accommodate the parable to the purpose  
of showing in what manner the gospel    
often addresses itself to men in        
different periods of life1 calling one  
at an early age1 and one much later1    
into the same vineyard of ,christ4 ,we  
are in no danger of erring exactly as   
the ,jews did1 by raising objections to 
,christ's calling the great body of the 
,gentile nations into his church4 ,we   
may be in great danger1 however1 of     

acting much in the same spirit with the 
,jews1 and if we do so1 that spirit is  
most likely to show itself in our       
objecting to extend the privileges of   
the gospel to some poor outcasts or aged
 sinners among ourselves4  ,first1 then1
 ,i will put the case of one who is     
brought to obey the gospel in the       
morning of life1 and is one of the      
youngest of the laborers in our ,lord's 
vineyard4 ,he sets out well1 as ,i will 
suppose1 and goes on well through all   
the following stages of life2 even his  
most early prayers are not a mere matter
 of form1 but they spring out of a      
persuasion already rising up in his     
mind1 that he is entirely dependent on  
,god1 and needs the help of his ,holy   
,spirit4 ,it pleases ,god1 in answer to 
his infant prayers1 to strengthen this  
child against his early temptations1 so 
that he does as ,christ commands1 and   
not as wicked children may require or   
expect of him4 ,such a child as this    
will also be diligent in learning his   

lessons1 and improving his time2 for he 
will be like the laboring men in the    
vineyard1 spoken of in the parable1 and 
not like the idle ones in the           
market-place4  ,now what a vast quantity
 of good may such a person be the means 
of doing in the course of a long life on
 earth4 ,first of all1 he is a blessing 
to his young connections and            
school-fellows1 for he will often       
reprove vice and irreligion in them1    
even though it should be much against   
the modesty of his own natural          
inclinations4 ,then he grows up to be a 
bold witness for ,god in the face of all
 the gay and unthinking young men or    
women among whom he is thrown in early  
life4 ,next1 he proceeds to do good     
about the village or town where he is   
settled4 ,after this1 perhaps1 he       
marries1 when his wife1 and all her     
connections1 and his own offspring also1
 have the advantage of observing him4   
,they remark his humble1 candid1 pious1 
and affectionate spirit1 and his        

diligent and self-denying life1 and they
 profit both by his kind services and   
his example4  ,now1 too1 his income very
 probably increases through his good    
character and industry1 and hence he is 
able to assist the poor1 the fatherless1
 the widow1 and to pay for the          
instruction of the ignorant2 for he     
spends little on himself4 ,having no    
vices he has few wants1 and his family1 
being trained to religious habits1 and  
preserved from the gay and expensive    
customs of the world1 have few wants    
also4 ,thus is happiness of all kinds   
spread abroad4 ,he explains1 also1 as he
 has opportunity1 those ,christian      
doctrines which have led him into this  
life of usefulness1 and is a great      
promoter of the gospel1 so that a little
 world of ,christians is continually    
gathering together around him1 and even 
a new generation is coming forward1     
which shall1 by and by1 rise up and call
 him blessed4  ,in the midst of all this
 usefulness1 however1 he is very modest 

and lowly4 ,he gives ,god the praise of 
every good thing he does1 and he is     
sincerely pained when flattering and    
inconsiderate people load him with their
 extravagant commendations2 for he sees 
a thousand faults in himself which he is
 much engaged in overcoming1 though     
others perceive them not4 ,he is        
conscious of neglecting many an         
opportunity of doing good1 and of       
failing to suppress sufficiently many an
 evil thought2 and though some          
irreligious people may fancy that he    
already carries things too far1 as they 
absurdly term it1 yet there is nothing  
of which he is himself more sure than   
that he falls short in every duty1 and  
especially in those things of which they
 least see the importances--in zeal for 
religion1 in the duties of prayer and   
praise1 and in all the feelings and     
expressions of gratitude to his ,creator
 and ,redeemer4  ,but while we are thus 
describing the amiable character of a   
,christian1 let it be remarked also1    

that he meets with various difficulties1
 and is exposed to not a few            
misrepresentations1 ,his virtuous       
singularity1 for instance1 is considered
 by some1 who do not understand his     
principles1 to be unnecessary           
preciseness1 and is thought to arise    
from a conceited or disobliging spirit4 
,his courage in reproving vice1 if      
unsuccessful1 is called1 by those whom  
he reproves1 impertinence4 ,his activity
 in doing good is not seldom ascribed to
 forwardness4 ,even his extraordinary   
liberality is accounted for1 by those   
who do not care to follow his example1  
by saying that it is mere vanity1 or    
lavish imprudence4 ,and1 above all1 his 
piety is apt to be thought1 by the      
impious and irreligious1 to be mere     
hypocrisy1 or at best a poor1 pitiable  
sort of weakness4  ,thus1 then1 while   
the ,christian has many peculiar hopes1 
and joys1 and consolations on the one   
hand1 he experiences many trials and    
hardships on the other4 ,nevertheless1  

he bears up under them all2 many of     
them1 indeed1 appear light to him in    
comparison of what they seem to other   
men1 and grow more and more light as he 
becomes used to them4 ,he goes on1      
therefore1 cheerful and contented3 he   
labors much1 he suffers much1 he        
renounces much1 he contends much in the 
cause of ,christ2 and he does this in   
every place to which he moves1 in every 
changing situation and circumstance1 and
 in every season of life through which  
he passes4  ,and now at last1 after a   
long life1 death closes in upon him2 he 
looks with thankfulness back to what is 
past1 and with composure to the         
important and decisive hour that is     
approaching4 ,he trusts1 indeed1 not in 
himself1 but in his ,saviour1 for1 after
 all1 he is but an unprofitable servant1
 having done no more than it was his    
duty to do2 but he has much comfortable 
proof that his ,christian faith has not 
been a mere name2 and he is able to take
 up the same language with the apostle1 

and to say1 with a measure of the same  
confidence1 ,i have fought a good fight1
 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have    
kept the faith2 henceforth there is laid
 up for me a crown of righteousness1    
which the ,lord the righteous ,judge    
shall give me at that day4 ,this then is
 one of those who1 to borrow the phrase 
in the parable1 may be said to have     
borne the burden and heat of the day4   
,there is another class of persons who  
may now be spoken of as entering into   
the vineyard of ,christ at a somewhat   
later hour2 at the age1 we will suppose1
 of twenty-five or thirty4 ,these have  
lost an hour indeed2 they have idled    
away one precious season of life4 ,alas1
 it is also to be feared1 that during   
the heat and self-confidence of youth1  
they have done much evil1 as well as    
neglected to do good4 ,perhaps it has   
also happened that they have already    
formed some rash connection1 and        
established themselves on some          
irreligious plan2 but now they repent2  

they break through all difficulties2    
they turn away from the path in which   
they had set out in life1 and they turn 
into the vineyard of ,christ4 ,they     
become humble1 diligent1 and useful     
,christians2 for even those also give a 
good part at least of their health and  
strength to the cause of their ,saviour1
 and with grief and shame at having been
 thus far idle1 they become             
fellow-laborers with those happier      
persons already spoken of4  ,but let us 
come to a class of persons who repent   
somewhat later still2 ,i mean at the age
 of forty or fifty4 ,how affecting is   
the condition of such persons when it is
 well considered4 ,they now discover    
that they have been all their lives     
living1 as it were1 to no purpose2 that 
the whole of these forty or fifty years 
has been idly thrown away1 or if spent  
in labor1 it has been mere labor in     
vain4 ,for even though they may have    
been diligent1 yet they have been merely
 diligent in doing their own will1 and  

not the will of ,god2 they have been    
working in their own vineyard1 and not  
in the vineyard of ,christ2 they have   
been year after year pushing their own  
fortune1 building up their own credit1  
exalting their own consequence1         
indulging their own ease1 following     
their own pleasure1 caring about their  
own interest1 or family interest1 while 
the great interests of the kingdom of   
,christ have been quite out of the      
question4  ,now1 therefore1 they have to
 repent perhaps of the very things they 
have been the most proud of4 ,they have 
also to resist many sinful habits which 
have become1 as it were1 a second       
nature2 they have to disentangle        
themselves from a multitude of          
irreligious connections1 whose opinions 
have hitherto ruled over them2 they have
 to unteach even their own children many
 a false principle which they had taught
 them4 ,with many a weary and painful   
step1 they have to measure back the     
whole ground which they have been       

treading2 and they have to undo1 as it  
were1 every thing which for fifty years 
they have been doing4 ,when more than   
half of life is over1 they have to enter
 upon the work which they were sent into
 the world to do2 but at length they    
hire themselves into the vineyard of    
,christ1 and he receives them1 though it
 is the ninth hour3 and now they husband
 well their time1 and begin to be       
fruitful in every good work2 and        
whatever they do1 they do all to the    
glory of ,god3 they perform what he     
commands1 and simply because he commands
 it3 they become a part of the church of
 ,christ1 and are numbered among the    
laborers in his vineyard4  ,but if the  
case of such as were last spoken of is  
affecting1 what shall be said of those  
aged persons whom it still remains for  
us to describe8 ,some there are--but1   
alas1 it is to be feared1 that it is the
 case of very few--who even at seventy1 
or more than seventy years old1 repent1 
and become the servants of ,christ ,when

 scarcely an hour of life remains1 when 
the evening is closing in1 and the night
 cometh in which no man can work1 then  
it pleases ,god to send his grace       
possibly to a few of these also1 and    
they go for the short hour that remains 
into the same vineyard of ,christ4  ,how
 mournful is the view which we have now 
to take of such an aged sinner's        
condition4 ,here is a person1 the whole 
term of whose earthly existence1 one    
poor uncertain hour excepted1 has been  
spent in a sinful course4 ,how plain is 
it in his case1 that there can be no    
such thing as merit1 and that if ever he
 is saved1 it must be through the mere  
mercy of ,god--a doctrine1 indeed1 which
 is equally true in the case of all4    
,let us run over the woful tale of his  
wicked life1 and as before we thought   
fit to describe an eminent and          
distinguished ,christian1 so now1 by way
 of making the difference more          
particularly striking1 let us draw the  
picture of one who1 though no thief or  

murderer1 and therefore not accounted   
one of the most abandoned of mankind1   
yet is lying under a load of much more  
than ordinary guilt4 ,those persons who 
feel themselves guilty of any part of   
the crimes we shall enumerate1 should   
take their share of the reproof1 and if 
they have not repented1 so as to enter  
into the vineyard of ,christ1 they      
should remember1 that though they may be
 criminals of a smaller size1 yet they  
are still remaining under condemnation4 
,to a perverse and disobedient childhood
 has succeeded1 as we will suppose1 a   
wild and vicious youth1 and then a proud
 and ambitious manhood1 and after this a
 fretful or covetous old age4 ,in the   
course of his long life many temptations
 have broken in upon him1 and by turns  
he has yielded to them all4 ,many       
different situations have been filled by
 him1 and in each1 as he now sees1 he   
has either neglected or betrayed his    
trust4 ,he has been a negligent and bad 
father1 an unreasonable1 nay1 secretly  

an unfaithful husband1 a careless       
inattentive brother1 a hollow1          
flattering1 and designing friend2       
perhaps1 also1 a mean time-serving      
politician1 and even a mischievous      
common acquaintance4 ,do you ask what   
has been the turn of his common         
conversation8 ,instead of being pious1  
useful1 benevolent1 candid1 and sincere1
 it has at one time been proud and      
passionate1 at another vain and         
flourishing1 at another slanderous and  
revengeful2 now again1 it has been      
selfish1 crafty1 and dissembling1 often 
also daringly impious and profane1 and  
not seldom exceedingly polluting and    
impure4 ,do you ask what have been the  
sinful deeds he has done8 ,o what a     
dreadful variety has there been in them6
 ,at one time he has been trying to     
overreach his fellow-trader2 at another1
 he has been endeavoring to seduce some 
unhappy maiden3 at one time he is seen  
quarrelling with his neighbor2 at       
another1 he falls out with one of his   

own family1 after which he grows mad    
with every one around him1 and1 at last1
 equally mad and out of humor with      
himself4 ,he has been selfish1 griping1 
and avaricious on all occasions1 and    
what he has saved or gained by          
oppression and fraud1 he has spent on   
his profligacy3 he has got drunk with   
the money which he has acquired by      
dishonesty1 and he has paid for his     
debauchery at night by the sum which he 
has contrived in the morning to keep    
back from the poor4 ,at the same time he
 has been turbulent1 factious1 and      
complaining--always talking of what is  
amiss in others1 and very sudden and    
severe in judging them1 but very proud  
and confident in himself1 disdaining    
even the smallest blame4 ,would you get 
into favor with him1 you must flatter   
him at every word2 and you will please  
him best by doing it grossly and to his 
face1 for he is quite used to praise3 he
 has long lived among those who look up 
to him as their patron1 or gape at him  

as their principal wit1 or glory in him 
as their chief songster1 possibly as the
 chairman of their drinking club1 and as
 their merry leader in debauchery4  ,to 
all these sins he adds that of being the
 decided enemy of every religious man4  
,is the gospel preached at his very     
door1 he stands in the front rank of its
 enemies2 he denies its efficacy1 makes 
a joke of its doctrines1 reviles its    
followers1 and is the avowed hinderer of
 its progress4 ,christianity1 indeed1 is
 against him1 and therefore it is no    
wonder that he is against ,christianity4
 ,hence it is1 that the religion of     
every man around him1 however pure and  
excellent1 if it is but zealous and     
fervent1 is declared1 without           
distinction1 to be mere hypocrisy1      
enthusiasm1 bigotry1 and cant4  ,but let
 us look a little also to the various   
consequences of his life of sin4 ,who   
can trace a thousandth part of the      
miseries which have arisen even from one
 single source2 ,i mean from the levity 

and inconsideration which have made one 
leading feature in his character8 ,who  
can calculate the effects of all those  
evil principles which he has scattered  
at random1 reaching even to distant     
places and generations8 ,who can        
calculate the mischief which he may have
 caused even in one of his light        
convivial hours8 ,view the inscription  
on that gravestone1 which is now almost 
overgrown with thorns4 ,ah1 it is the   
name of an old companion1 an ale-house  
friend1 who once used to sing with him1 
in one joyful chorus1 the praises of the
 flowing bowl1 and who thus was         
encouraged in those habits of           
intemperance which led to that untimely 
grave4  ,let us open one other source of
 no less painful reflection4 ,behold    
that miserable female1 once the gay     
partner of his guilty pleasures1 whom if
 he has not been the first to seduce1 he
 has at least carried on and confirmed  
in a life of sin1 and whom he has left  
afterwards to sink in want1 to grow     

loathsome through disease1 and to become
 a nuisance to the village or the town4 
,he has helped to ruin but not to       
deliver her2 he has soon left her to the
 tender mercies of some of her own sex  
as hardened as herself1 among whom she  
has sunk1 and groaned1 and died4  ,which
 way1 then1 shall this aged sinner turn 
his eyes8 ,every scene1 every place1    
every month and day of his life1 which  
he can call to remembrance1 reminds him 
of some sin4 ,shall he look to some of  
his more reputable actions8 ,alas1 even 
when his conduct has been most          
creditable1 his motives have been       
unchristian and impure4 ,true1 ,i have  
had some character1 he now says to      
himself1 but ,i have had no title to it4
 ,men have not known me2 or if a few    
have known me1 and yet praised me1 they 
have praised me because they have wanted
 to carry some point of their own by    
pleasing me3 nay1 my companions have    
even praised me for what was evil1 for  
the same people seem now1 methinks1 to  

blame me in proportion as they discern  
any thing in me that is good4 ,thus the 
recollection of the applauses he used to
 receive from these wicked men is one   
aggravation of his pain4  ,but shall he 
look to his more innocent and early     
years8 ,alas1 the review of his infancy 
only serves to remind him how naturally 
and how soon he went astray2 how soon he
 forsook the guide of his youth1 and    
forgot the covenant of his ,god4 ,thus1 
if he looks backward1 all is misery1 and
 horror1 and despair4 ,shall he then    
look forward and comfort himself by     
thinking how effectually he will repair 
all the evil he has done8 ,but how shall
 he now repair it8 ,of those whom he has
 corrupted many are dead1 and of the    
survivors very few can now be found4    
,go1 then1 and bring these few back to  
,god4 ,alas1 one will mock1 another will
 dissemble1 a third will despise4 ,go1  
try to reclaim even the children of     
thine own loins1 who are all trained    
through thy means in an evil course4    

,nay1 even these also will scoff at thy 
rebuke1 and say1 ,our old father is     
grown troublesome and peevish through   
age2 he is turned religious only because
 he has just done with this life1 and   
has one foot in the grave4  ,what then1 
,i say1 can this aged sinner do to      
remedy the evils he has caused8 ,he can 
only abhor himself for what is past1 and
 repent sincerely of all that he has    
done4 ,see him then at length abhorring 
himself1 and repenting in dust and      
ashes4 ,see him retiring to his chamber1
 and1 for the first time1 communing     
seriously with his own heart4 ,see him  
reviewing the whole of his past life1   
from the first dawn of reason to the    
present hour1 endeavoring to survey with
 exactness his thoughts1 words1 and     
actions1 and all his most secret        
practices1 intentions1 and inclinations4
 ,see him meditating also on his        
numberless omissions1 taking the law of 
,god for his rule1 and beginning now1   
for the first time1 to discover what    

manner of person he has been4 ,how does 
he stand amazed at his own former       
stupidity and blindness and hardness of 
heart1 and how astonished also at the   
patience of ,god1 which has so long     
borne with him4  ,and now his heart     
relents1 the tears of penitential sorrow
 begin to flow2 the lion also is changed
 into a lamb1 and the same person who   
before might have been compared to the  
woman in the gospel1 out of whom there  
went seven devils1 or to ,saul breathing
 out threatenings and slaughter1 may now
 be likened to the ,magdalen weeping at 
the feet of ,jesus1 or to ,paul         
trembling and astonished1 and crying    
out1 as he lay on the ground1 ,lord1    
what wilt thou have me to do8 or to the 
same ,paul1 when it was afterwards said 
of him1 ,behold1 he prayeth4 ,with      
trembling limbs1 and with a body bowed  
down with age1 behold then this         
repenting sinner walking to that public 
worship which he had so long neglected2 
with weak and failing eyes he opens the 

scripture2 at the age of seventy he     
begins to inquire with childlike        
simplicity into the nature of the       
gospel1 and knowing how short his time  
is1 he makes haste to obey it4  ,and    
now1 perhaps his old companions deride  
him2 for as he once sneered at others   
who were religious1 and called them all 
hypocrites1 so is he now sneered at1 and
 called a hypocrite in his turn3 he     
becomes the scoff of the drunkard and   
the merry jest of the profane1 and they 
that sit in the gate make songs of him4 
,now also the very sins of his youth1   
which had been scarcely mentioned       
before1 are brought forward by his      
former favorites and friends as present 
evidence against him2 his crimes are    
even aggravated1 and are all blazed     
abroad2 but it is one proof of his      
sincerity1 that even these cutting      
reproaches do not shake him from his    
purpose1 nor induce him to turn back to 
his old companions4 ,no1 they may laugh1
 they may smile at what they call his   

pretended sanctity1 but in truth he is  
no hypocrite4                    ,the   
tear   ,that drops upon his ,bible is   
sincere4  ,he is disposed to doubt1     
indeed1 for a time1 his own sincerity2  
for his guilt is so great1 and the      
blessings of the gospel1 including as   
they do the gift of eternal life1 appear
 so large in his eyes1 that he cannot at
 once raise his hopes so high4 ,his     
sincerity is proved1 however1 by his    
proceeding to repair1 as far as he has  
opportunity1 each evil that he has done2
 by his mourning over what he cannot    
cure1 and by the determination of his   
mind1 through the help of divine grace1 
to walk for the future in newness of    
life4 ,in short1 he feels that if his   
life were prolonged a thousand years1   
and youth and health were restored to   
him1 he should choose to spend his      
strength and the utmost length of his   
days in the service of the same ,master1
 and to be a laborer in the same        
vineyard4  ,but here1 methinks1 some    

objector rises up1 and says1 ,what then1
 shall this man be accepted of ,god1    
like him who has been moral and orderly 
all his days1 or like the first person  
you mentioned8 ,we shall now answer this
 objection by proceeding with the       
parable4  ,the ,jews are there          
represented as murmuring against the    
good man of the house1 on account of his
 rewarding the more late and early      
laborers1 the ancient ,jews and the     
newly converted ,gentiles1 by giving    
each of them a penny1 saying1 ,these    
last have wrought but one hour1 and thou
 hast made them equal unto us1 who have 
borne the burden and heat of the day4   
,but he answered one of them1 and said1 
,friend1 ,i do thee no wrong3 didst not 
thou agree with me for a penny8 ,take   
that thine is1 and go thy way3 ,i will  
give unto this last even as unto thee4  
,is it not lawful for me to do what ,i  
will with mine own8 ,it was no injury to
 the ,jews that the poor ,gentiles were 
admitted1 though at a later hour1 into  

the church1 and the ,jews had therefore 
no right to complain2 on the contrary1  
they ought to have rejoiced at it4 ,in  
like manner1 it can be no injury to     
those among us who may have served      
,christ from our youth1 that any poor   
outcast should be admitted to the same  
,christian privileges with ourselves2   
and we also ought to rejoice1 as the    
angels of ,god are said to do1 over one 
sinner that repenteth4 ,again it may be 
remarked1 that even the first calling of
 the ,jews arose not from any superior  
merit in them1 but from the sovereign   
goodness of ,god4 ,surely1 therefore1 it
 was most unreasonable in those people  
to complain of ,god's extending the same
 mercy to the ,gentiles4 ,much in the   
same manner1 it may be remarked in      
respect to the present day1 that the    
salvation even of the best of men arises
 not from any merit of their own1 but   
merely from ,god's free mercy in        
,christ2 and surely1 therefore1 one     
pardoned sinner among us ought not to   

complain of the extension of the same   
pardon to another4  ,but the parable1 in
 the two last verses of it1 proceeds a  
step further1 for it is there added by  
our ,saviour1 ,is thine eye evil because
 ,i am good8 which is as if he said1    
,what1 do you take offence then at my   
being so merciful8 ,does it provoke your
 envy to see a vile ,gentile called at  
the eleventh hour1 and made equal to    
yourselves1 who profess to have been the
 people of ,god from the beginning1 and 
to have borne the whole burden and heat 
of the day8 ,some very awful words are  
then added1 wherein it is implied1 that 
they who are ready to make this         
objection1 brought thereby their own    
religious character into suspicion2 and 
that these very penitents of the        
eleventh hour1 whom they now presumed to
 despise1 should hereafter even take    
place above them--for it is said1 ,so   
the first shall be last1 and the last   
first2 for many are called1 but few     
chosen4  ,these words appear to be a    

prophecy of our ,judge1 which relates to
 the great day of judgment4 ,then many a
 popular but irreligious character1 many
 a one who has been praised to the stars
 in this ignorant and misjudging world1 
and whose supposed virtues have both    
deceived himself1 and dazzled all around
 him1 shall sink at once into           
everlasting shame and disgrace2 while   
many a poor1 despised1 yet repenting    
sinner1 shall come forward and receive  
his crown of glory4  ,o1 what a         
wonderful change in many of the         
appearances which we now see1 shall we  
witness on the day of judgment4 ,let us 
not fail to remark1 that then also many 
a false though flaming professor of the 
gospel1 many a vain1 forward1 and       
conceited teacher1 many a self-confident
 enthusiast1 and many a narrow-minded   
and fiery bigot1 who has spent his life 
in little else than in judging and      
condemning others1 shall be brought     
forward in the face of the assembled    
world1 and shall receive his own        

condemnation4 ,then also many a         
diffident and trembling believer1 and   
many a meek and lowly ,christian1 who   
has been laboring with little noise in  
some obscure corner of his ,lord's      
vineyard1 and on whom the bigots1 not   
seeing him among their party1 have      
presumptuously dealt damnation1 shall   
take that prize which has been denied to
 those who set themselves up as judges  
over him1 and shall be bid to enter into
 the joy of his ,lord4 ,so the first    
shall be last1 and the last first2 for  
many are called1 but few chosen4