out his way
and come and see her in a day or two.

"While he was talking to me a plain farmer-looking gentleman in
boots, who stood by listened to all I said, but seemed to take no
notice. It was Mr. Jenkins's wife's father, who was come to pass the
Christmas-holidays at the parsonage-house. I had always heard him
spoken of as a plain frugal man, who lived close himself, but was
remarked to give away more than any of his show-away neighbors.

"Well! I went home with great spirits at this seasonable and
unexpected supply; for we had tapped our last sixpence, and there
was little work to be had on account of the weather; I told my wife
I had not come back empty-handed. 'No, I dare say not,' says she,
'you have been serving a master _who filleth the hungry with good
things, though he sendeth the rich empty away_.' True, Mary, says I,
we seldom fail to get good spiritual food from Mr. Jenkins, but
to-day he has kindly supplied our bodily wants. She was more
thankful when I showed her the shilling, than, I dare say, some of
your great people are when they get a hundred pounds."

Mr. Johnson's heart smote him when he heard such a value set upon a
shilling; surely, said he to himself, I will never waste another;
but he said nothing to the shepherd, who thus pursued his story:

"Next morning before I went out, I sent part of the money to buy a
little ale and brown sugar to put into her water-gruel; which you
know, sir, made it nice and nourishing. I went out to cleave wood
in a farm-yard, for there was no standing out on the plain, after
such snow as had fallen in the night. I went with a lighter heart
than usual, because I had left my poor wife a little better, and
comfortably supplied for this day, and I now resolved more than ever
to trust God for the supplies of the next. When I came back at
night, my wife fell a crying as soon as she saw me. This, I own, I
thought but a bad return for the blessings she had so lately
received, and so I told her,--'Oh,' said she, 'it is too much, we
are too rich; I am now frightened, not lest we should have no
portion in this world, but for fear we should have our whole portion
in it. Look here, John!' So saying, she uncovered the bed whereon
she lay, and showed me two warm, thick, new blankets. I could not
believe my own eyes, sir, because when I went out in the morning, I
had left her with no other covering than our little old thin blue
rug. I was still more amazed when she put half