receiving a new Bible, made her forget
that she had on an old gown. She walked to church in a thankful
frame: but how great was her joy, when she saw, among a number of
working men, her own father going into church. As she passed by him
she cast on him a look of so much joy and affection that it brought
tears into his eyes, especially when he compared her mean dress with
that of the other girls, and thought who had been the cause of it.
John, who had not been at church for some years, was deeply struck
with the service. The confession with which it opens went to his
heart. He felt, for the first time, that he was a _miserable sinner,
and that there was no health in him_. He now felt compunction for
sin in general, though it was only his ill-behavior to his daughter
which had brought him to church. The sermon was such as to
strengthen the impression which the prayers had made; and when it
was over, instead of joining the ringers (for the belfry was the
only part of the church John liked, because it usually led to the
ale-house), he quietly walked back to his work. It was, indeed, the
best day's work he ever made. He could not get out of his head the
whole day, the first words he heard at church: _When the wicked man
turneth away from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive._ At night, instead of going to
the Bell, he went home, intending to ask Hester to forgive him; but
as soon as he got to the door, he heard Rebecca scolding his
daughter for having brought such a disgrace on the family as to be
seen in that old rag of a gown, and insisted on knowing what she had
done with her money. Hester tried to keep the secret, but her
mother declared she would turn her out of doors if she did not tell
the truth. Hester was at last forced to confess she had given it to
her father. Unfortunately for poor John, it was at this very moment
that he opened the door. The mother now divided her fury between her
guilty husband and her innocent child, till from words she fell to
blows. John defended his daughter and received some of the strokes
intended for the poor girl. This turbulent scene partly put John's
good resolution to flight, though the patience of Hester did him
almost as much good as the sermon he had heard. At length the poor
girl escaped up stairs, not a little bruised, and a scene of much
violence passed between John and Rebecca. She declared she would not
sit down to supper wit