I saw it all and felt the pity of it. God knows I
would have helped him if I could. The old wave of emotion which used
to sweep over me so often surged forward again; and again I was
powerless in the presence of the enemy.

I said something of this, but my friend shook his head in protest.

"Nay, but I don't look at it i' that way. I'm no preacher, but there's
One above 'at knows better than us, and I wouldn't like to think 'at t'
Old Enemy 'ad ought to do wi' it. I've always been one to work wi' my
hands, and book-learning hasn't been o' much account to me, but there's
_one_ Book, miss, 'at I have read in, and it says, 'O death, where is
thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God which
giveth _us_ the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'"

I sat with my head in my hands for a long time after Farmer Brown had
left, and when at length I raised my eyes the shadows had left the
moor, and I saw that the sun would set in a clear sky.

CHAPTER VI

OVER THE MOOR TO ROMANTON

We have had our promised holiday, Mother Hubbard and I, and a right
royal one. On those rare occasions when work may be laid aside and
hard-earned coin expended upon the gratification of the senses, our
younger neighbours turn their steps to Airlee or Broadbeck, and seek
the excitements of the picture palace or the music-hall; their elders
are seldom drawn from the village unless to the solemn festivities of a
"burying."

We spent our day in the great alfresco palace of Nature, amid pictures
of God's painting, and returned at night, tired in body, but with heart
and soul and brain refreshed by unseen dews of heaven's own distilling.

Fortunately we have had a spell of fine, dry weather, with occasional
strong winds--at least, they were strong to me, but the folk about here
dismiss them contemptuously as "a bit of a blow." Had the weather been
wet Mother Hubbard's cherished desire to "take me across the moor" to
Romanton would have had to be postponed indefinitely.

We were to drive as far as "Uncle Ned's" in Mr. Higgins' market cart,
Mr. Higgins having volunteered to "give us a lift," as it was "nowt out
of his way."

We started early, before the morning mists had forsaken the valleys,
and whilst night's kindly tears still sparkled on the face of the
meadows. It was good to lean back, my hand in Mother Hubbard's and my
feet resting on the baskets in the bottom of the cart, and drink in
sight and sound and cris