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" and fin, by fending them to school!" If * there are any fuch here prefent, let that mother who values her child's pleasure

more than his foul, now walk away,

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"while I fet down in my lift the names of all those who wish to bring their in the way that leads to eternal "life, instead of indulging them in the

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pleasures of fin, which are but for a "moment."

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When Mrs. Jones had done fpeaking, most of the women thanked her for her good advice, and hoped that God would give them grace to follow it; promifing to fend their children conftantly. Others, who were not fo well-difpofed, were yet afraid to refuse, after the fin of fo doing had been fo plainly fet before them. The worst of the women had kept away from this meeting, refolving to fet their faces against the school. Moft of those also who were prefent, as foon as they got home, fet about providing their children with what little decent apparel they could raise. Many

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VOL. IV.

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Many a willing mother lent her tall daughter her hat, beft cap, and white handkerchief; and many a grateful father spared his linen waistcoat and bettermoft hat, to induce his grown-up fon to attend; for it was a rule with which Mrs. Jones began, that the would not receive the younger children, out of any family who did not fend their elder ones. Too Too many made excuses that their fhoes were old, or their hat worn out. But Mrs. Jones told them not to bring any excufes to her which they could not bring to the day of judg ment; and among thofe excufes fhe would hardly admit any except accidents, ficknefs, or attendance on fick parents or young children..

Subfcriptions

Mrs. Jones, who had fecured large fubfcriptions from the gentry, was defirous of getting the help and countenane of the farmers and trades-people, whofe duty and interest

intereft fhe thought it was to fupport a plan calculated to improve the virtue and happiness of the parish. Most of them fubfcribed, and promised to fee that their workmen fent their children. She met with little oppofition till fhe called on farmer Hofkins. She told him, as he was the richest farmer in the parish, she came to him for a handfome fubfcription. "Sub"fcription!" faid he, "it is nothing but "fubfcriptions, I think; a man had need "be made of money."-" Farmer," faid Mrs. Jones, "God has bleffed you with "abundant profperity, and he expects

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you fhould be liberal in proportion to "your great ability."-" I do not know "what you mean by bleffing," said he : "I have been up early and late, lived "hard while I had little, and now when I

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thought I had got forward in the world, "what with tithes, taxes, and fubfcrip"tions, it all goes, I think."-" Mr.

Hofkins," faid Mrs. Jones, " as to tithes " and taxes, you well know that the richer

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*68* you are the more you pay; fo that

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your murmurs are a proof of your "wealth. This is but an ungrateful re"turn for all your bleffings."-" You are "again at your bleffings," faid the farmer; "but let every one work as hard as I have "done, and I dare fay he will do as well. "It is to my own industry I owe what I "have. My crops have been good, be"cause I minded my ploughing and fow"ing."-" O, farmer!" cried Mrs. Jones, "you forget whofe funs and showers "make your crops to grow, and who it "is that giveth ftrength to get riches. But I do not come to preach, but to "beg."

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"Well, madam, what is the fubfcription now? Flannel or French? or weavers, or "Swifs, or a new church, of large bread, or

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cheap rice? or what other new whim"wham for getting the money 'out of one's "pocket."-"I am going to eftablifh a Sunday school, farmer; and I come to you as one of the principal inhabitants of "the

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"the parish; hoping your example will fpur on the reft to give."-" "Why, "then," said the farmer, "as one of the principal inhabitants of the parish, I will give nothing; hoping it will spur on the reft to refufe. Of all the foolish "inventions, and new-fangled devices to "ruin the country, that of teaching the poor to read is the very worst."-" And "I, farmer, think that to teach good principles to the lower claffes, is the "most likely way to fave the country. "Now, in order to this, we must teach

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"them to read."-" Not with my confent, nor my money," faid the farmer; " for I know it always does more harm "than good." "-" So it may," faid Mrs. Jones, "if you only teach them to read,

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and then turn them adrift to find out

«books for themselves.

There is a

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*It was this confideration chiefly, which stimulated the conductors of the Cheap Repofitory to fend forth that variety of little books fo peculiarly fuited

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