often
make great folk _un_happy; and let us remember, Jacob, that whatever may
be our lot in life, we all have an opportunity of pleasing God, and so
obtaining the great reward, which of his mercy, and for Christ's sake,
he will give to all those who please him by patient continuance in
well-doing. The squire cannot please God any more than you."

"Oh," said Jacob, "the squire can spend more money than I can; he can
give to the poor, and do no end of things that I cannot: all I can do is
to lie still on my bed, and at times keep myself from almost cursing and
swearing when the pain is very bad."

"Exactly so, my son," answered Leonard Dobbin; "but remember that
patience is of great price in the sight of God; and he is very often
glorified in the sufferings of his people."

"The way I should like to glorify God," said Jacob, "would be by going
about doing good, and letting people see me do it, so that I could
glorify him before them, and not in my dull little corner here."

"Ah, Jacob, my son," replied old Leonard Dobbin, "you may glorify God
more than you suppose up in your little dull corner--what should you
think of glorifying him before angels and evil spirits?"

"Ah, that would be glorious!" cried Jacob.

"Spirits, good and bad, are ever around us," said old Leonard, "and they
are watching us; and how much must God be glorified before them, when
they see his grace able to make a sufferer patient and gentle, and when
they know that he is bearing everything for Christ's sake. When a
Christian is injured, and avenges not himself; when he is evil spoken
of, and answers not again; when he is provoked, yet continues
long-suffering: then the spirits, good and bad, witness these things,
and they must glorify the grace of God."

That night Jacob Dobbin seemed to have quite a new light thrown upon his
life. "Perhaps," said he to himself, as he lay upon the little settle,
"I'm afflicted in order that I may glorify God. I suppose he is
glorified by his people bearing different kinds of pain; perhaps some
other boy is glorifying him with a crippled hand, while I am with my
poor crippled leg: but I should like to be able even to bear
persecution from man for Christ's sake, like the martyrs in father's old
book; as I have strength to bear such dreadful pain in my poor leg, I
daresay I might bear a great deal of suffering of other kinds."

* * * * *

The spring with its showers passed away,