en brought up
to many comforts you cannot give him, and with the habits and ideas of a
gentleman. You are too clever, and too fond of him, to mind my speaking
plainly. Now there are things which a gentleman might do if he had the
money, which would satisfy his love of roving as well. Many rich
gentlemen dislike the confinement of houses and domestic ways as much as
Christian, and they leave their fine homes to travel among dangers and
discomforts. I could find the money for Christian to do this by and by.
If he likes a wandering life, he can live it easily so--only he would be
able to wander hundreds of miles where you wander one, and to sleep
under other skies and among new flowers, and in forests to which such
woods as these are shrubberies. He need not fall into any of the bad
ways to which you know people are tempted by being poor. I have thought
of it all, night after night, and longed to be able to tell you about
it. He might become a famous traveller, you know; he is very clever and
very fond of books of adventure. This young gentleman will tell you so.
How proud we should both be of him! That is what I have thought might be
if you did not hide him from me, and I did not keep him from you.

"And as to religion--dear good mother, listen to me. Look at me--see if
religion has been a fashion or a plaything to _me_. If it had not stood
by me when my heart was as heavy as yours, what profit should I have in
it?

"Christian's grandmother--you are his grandmother, I know, and have the
better right to him--if you cannot agree to my plans--if you won't let
me help you about him--if you hide him from me, and I must live out my
life and never see his dear face again--spare me the hope of seeing it
when this life is over.

"If I did my best for your grandson--and you know I did--oh! for the
love of Christ, our only Refuge, do not stand between him and the Father
of us all!

"If you have felt what he must suffer if he is poor, and if you know so
well how little it makes sure of happiness to be rich--if in a long life
you have found out how hard it is to be good, and how rare it is to be
happy--if you know what it is to love and lose, to hope and to be
disappointed in one's hoping--let him be religious, good mother!

"If you care for Christian, leave him the only strength that is strong
enough to hold us back from sin, and to do instead of joy."

The tinker-mother lifted her head; but before she could say a word, the
yo