, and desired the fiddler's woman never to call
there again.

This little incident afterward confirmed Mrs. Jones in a plan she
had before some thoughts of putting in practice. This was, after her
school had been established a few months, to invite all the
well-disposed grown-up youth of the parish to meet her at the school
an hour or two on a Sunday evening, after the necessary business of
the dairy, and of serving the cattle was over. Both Mrs. Jones and
her agent had the talent of making this time pass so agreeably, by
their manner of explaining Scripture, and of impressing the heart by
serious and affectionate discourse, that in a short time the
evening-school was nearly filled with a second company, after the
younger ones were dismissed. In time, not only the servants, but the
sons and daughters of the most substantial people in the parish
attended. At length many of the parents, pleased with the
improvement so visible in the young people, got a habit of dropping
in, that they might learn how to instruct their own families; and it
was observed that as the school filled, not only the fives-court and
public houses were thinned, but even Sunday gossipping and
tea-visiting declined. Even farmer Hoskins, who was at first very
angry with his maids for leaving off those _merry_ songs (as he
called them) was so pleased by the manner in which the psalms were
sung at the school, that he promised Mrs. Jones to make her a
present of half a sheep toward her first May-day feast. Of this
feast some account shall be given hereafter; and the reader may
expect some further account of the Sunday School in the history of
Hester Wilmot.

THE HISTORY OF HESTER WILMOT.

BEING THE SECOND PART OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Hester Wilmot was born in the parish of Weston, of parents who
maintained themselves by their labor; they were both of them
ungodly: it is no wonder therefore they were unhappy. They lived
badly together, and how could they do otherwise? for their tempers
were very different, and they had no religion to smooth down this
difference, or to teach them that they ought to bear with each
other's faults. Rebecca Wilmot was a proof that people may have some
right qualities, and yet be but bad characters, and utterly
destitute of religion. She was clean, notable, and industrious. Now
I know some folks fancy that the poor who have these qualities need
have no other, but this is a sad mistake, as I am sure every page in
the