ered from my
mouth exactly in the same manner that I had seen the flames in the
engraving in our large Bible on the altar of Cain. Then there came a
huge block of wood, and stationed itself in the air above me, about six
inches from my eyes. I remember no more--I was in a raging fever.

I was ill for some weeks, and a helpless invalid for many more. When
again I enjoyed perception of the things around me, I found myself in a
new house in Red Cross Street, near Saint Luke's. My foster-parents had
opened a shop--it had the appearance of a most respectable fruiterer's.
Mr Brandon had become a small timber-merchant, had sawpits in the
premises behind the house, and men of his own actually sawing in them.
But the most surprising change of all was, that the reverend Mr Cate
was domesticated with us. Brandon, as a master, worked harder than ever
he did as a man. My nurse became anxious and careworn, and never seemed
happy--for my part, I was so debilitated, that I then took but little
notice of anything. However, the beautiful lady never called. I used
to spend my time thinking upon angels and cherubs, and in learning hymns
by heart. I suppose that I, like my foster-father, had had my call, but
I am sure that after it, I was as much weaker in mind as I was in body.
When I became strong enough to be again able to run about, I was once
more sent to a day-school, and all that I remember about the matter was,
that every day about eleven o'clock, I was told to run home and get a
wigful of potatoes from Brandon's, the venerable pedagogue coolly taking
off his wig, and exchanging it for a red night-cap, until my return with
the provender.

Things now wore a dismal aspect at home. At length, one day, the broker
sent his men into the shop, who threw all the greengrocery about like
peelings of onions. They carted away Mr Brandon's deals and planks,
and timber, and, not content with all this, they also took away the best
of the household furniture. My nurse called Mr Cate a devil in a white
sheet--her husband acted as he always would do when he was offended and
found himself strong enough: he gave the reverend gentleman, most
irreverently, a tremendous beating. The sheep sadly gored the shepherd.
Afterwards, when he had nearly killed his pastor, he seceded from his
flock, and gave him, under his own hand, a solemn abjuration of the
Caterian tenets. How Brandon came to launch out into this expensive and
ill-advised undertak