put upon the fame footing with Dobfon "neither."-"Yes, and you must exert "yourself befides, in infifting that your "workmen fend their children, and often

look into the fchool yourfelf, to fee "if they are there, and reward or dif દ courage them accordingly," added Mrs. Jones. "The moft zealous teachers " will flag in their exertions, if they are "not animated and fupported by the "wealthy; and your poor youth will foon "despise religious inftruction as a thing "forced upon them, as a hardship added to their other hardships, if it be not made pleasant by the encouraging prefence, kind words, and little gratuities, from their betters."

Here Mrs. Jones took her leave; the farmer infifted on waiting on her to the door. When they got into the yard, they fpied Mr. Simpson, who was standing near a little group of females, confisting of the farmer's two young daughters, and a couple of rofy dairy maids, an old blind

fiddler,

fiddler, and a woman who led him. The woman had laid. a. basket on the ground, out of which fhe was dealing fome, fongs to the girls, who were kneeling round it, and eagerly picking out fuch whose titles fuited their taftes. On feeing the clergyman come up, the fiddler's companion (for I am forry to fay fhe was not his wife) pufhed fome of the fongs to the bottom of the basket, turned round to the company, and, in a whining tone, asked if they would please to buy a godly book. Mr. Simpson faw through the hypocrify at once, and instead of making any answer, took out of one of the girl's hands a fong which the woman had not been able to fnatch away. He was fhocked and grieved to fee that these young girls were about to read, to fing, and to learn by heart fuch ribaldry as he was ashamed even to caft his eyes on. He turned about to the girl, and gravely, but mildly, faid, "Young woman, what do you think fhould be done to a perfon who should be found ❝ carrying

"

carrying a box of poifon round the "country, and leaving a little at every "house ?" The girls all agreed that fuch fa perfon ought to be hanged. "That he "fhould," faid the farmer, "if I was up"on the jury, and quartered too." The -fiddler and his woman were of the fame 'opinion; declaring, they would not do fuch a wicked thing for the world, for if they were poor they were honeft. Mr. Simpson, turning to the other girl, faid, "Which is of most value, the foul or the 66 body?"-" The foul, fir," faid: the girl." Why fo?" faid he." Because, "fir, I have heard you fay, in the pulpit, "the foul is to laft for ever."-" Then," cried Mr. Simpson, in a stern voice, turning to the fiddler's woman, "Are you not "afhamed to fell poifon for that part ❝ which is to last for ever? poison for the "foul?"—"Poison!" faid the terrified girl, throwing down the book, and fhuddering as people do who are afraid they have touched fomething infectious. "Poifon!" echoed

..

"I know it, I will no more allow a wicked

"book to be fold in my parish than

17

a

"dofe of poifon." The girls threw away all their fongs, thanked Mr. Simpson, begged Mrs. Jones would take them into her fchool after they had done milking in the evenings, that they might learn to read only what was proper. They promised they would never more deal with any but

t

fober, honest hawkers, fuch as fell good little books, Christmas carols, and harmlefs fongs, and defired the fiddler's woman never to call there again.

This little incident afterwards confirmed Mrs. Jones in a plan fhe had before fome thoughts of putting in practice. This was, after her school had been established a few months, to invite all the well-difpofed grown-up youth of the parish to meet her at the school an hour or two on a Sunday evening, after the neceffary business of the dairy, and of ferving the cattle was over. Both Mrs. Jones, and her agent had the

94 talent of making this time pafs fo

agree

ably,

ably, by their manner of explaining fcripture, and of impreffing the heart by ferious and affectionate difcourfe, that in a fhort time the evening fchool was nearly filled with a fecond company, after the younger ones were difmiffed. In time, not only the fervants, but the fons and daughters of the most fubftantial people in the parish attended. At length many of the parents, pleased with the improvement fo visible in the young people, got a habit of dropping in, that they might learn how to inftruct their own families. And it was obferved that as the fchool filled, not only the fives-court and public houfe were thinned, but even Sunday goffiping and tea-vifiting declined. Even Farmer Hofkins, who was at firft angry with his maids for leaving off thofe merry fongs, (as he called them,) was fo pleafed by the manner in which the pfalms were fung at the school, that he promised Mrs. Jones to make her a present of half a sheep towards her first May-day feast. Of this

VOL. IV.

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