me thing if John had taken her
part. John, with a shocking oath, abused them both, and went off in
a violent passion. Hester, instead of saying one undutiful word
against her father, took up a Psalter in order to teach her little
sisters; but Rebecca was so provoked at her for not joining her in
her abuse of her husband, that she changed her humor, said John was
in the right, and Hester a perverse hypocrite, who only made
religion a pretense for being undutiful to her parents. Hester bore
all in silence, and committed her cause to Him _who judgeth
righteously_. It would have been a great comfort to her if she had
dared to go to Mrs. Crew, and to have joined in the religious
exercises of the evening at school. But her mother refused to let
her, saying it would only harden her heart in mischief. Hester said
not a word, but after having put the little ones to bed, and heard
them say their prayers out of sight, she went and sat down in her
own little loft, and said to herself, "It would be pleasant to me to
have taught my little sisters to read; I thought it was my duty, for
David has said, _Come ye children, hearken unto me, and I will teach
you the fear of the Lord_. It would have been still more pleasant to
have passed the evening at school, because I am still ignorant, and
fitter to learn than to teach; but I can not do either without
flying in the face of my mother; God sees fit to-night to change my
pleasant duties into a painful trial. I give up my will, and I
submit to the will of my father; but when he orders me to commit a
known sin, then I dare not do it, because, in so doing, I must
disobey my Father which is in heaven."

Now, it so fell out, that this dispute happened on the very Sunday
next before Mrs. Jones's yearly feast. On May-day all the school
attended her to church, each in a stuff gown of their own earning,
and a cap and white apron of her giving. After church there was an
examination made into the learning and behavior of the scholars;
those who were most perfect in their chapters, and who brought the
best character for industry, humility, and sobriety, received a
Bible or some other good book.

Now Hester had been a whole year hoarding up her little savings, in
order to be ready with a new gown on the May-day feast. She had
never got less than two shillings a week by her spinning, beside
working for the family, and earning a trifle by odd jobs. This money
she faithfully carried to her mother every