red 'uns
too, enough to make the two texts, `No drunkard shall inherit the
kingdom of God,' and `Prepare to meet thy God.' Then Job and me goes
quietly up-stairs, and I holds the candle while he pastes the words on
the chamber-floor. Then we rolls up some old bits of stuff into a
bundle, and lays 'em on my bed, and puts the old coverlid over 'em.
Then Job and me leaves the house, and locks the door; and that, Sammul,
is last I've seen of Langhurst."

"And what about the thunder and lightning as scorched out the letters?"
asked Samuel.

"Only an old woman's tale, I'll be bound," said his father. "You may be
sure the next tenant scoured 'em off."

"And now," said John Walters, "it comes to my turn. Father and Betty
came down to our house on the twenty-third of November. My dear mother
was living then. I was her only son. I was bailiff then, as I am now,
to Squire Collington of the Hall up yonder. Father worked about at any
odd jobs I could find him till his place were ready for him, and Betty
took to being a good daughter at once to my dear mother. She took to it
so natural, and seemed so pleased to help mother, and forget all about
herself, that I soon began to think, `If she takes so natural to being a
good daughter, she'll not find it hard maybe to learn to be a good
wife.' And mother thought so too; and as Betty didn't say, `No,' we
were married in the following spring."

"Yes, Sammul," said Betty, laughing and crying at the same time; "but I
made a bargain with John, when we swopped hearts, as I were to leave a
little bit of mine left me still for fayther and our Sammul."

Thomas Johnson looked at the whole group with a face radiant with
happiness, and then said,--

"The Lord bless them. They've been all good childer to me."

"We've always gotten the news of Langhurst from Uncle Job," said Betty.
"He settled with the landlord about our rent, and our few odd bits of
things; and he was to send us any letter as came from yourself."

"And so you've been here ever since?"

"Yes. Our John's mother died two years since come Christmas; and then
fayther came to live with us. He'd had a cottage of his own afore, with
a housekeeper to look arter him."

"And is your squire, Mr Collington, a total abstainer?"

"Ay, he is, for sure, and a gradely 'un too. He's owner of most of the
land and houses here. The whole village belongs to him; and he'll not
have a drop of intoxicating drinks sold in it. You p