' the brother mouthed. 'Fruitful is the soil.
Watch Madlen keeps her fruitful.' But I am generous. Eight shall be the
rent. Are you not the wife of my flesh?"

After she had wiped away her tears, "Be kind," said Madlen, "and wisdom
it to Joseph."

"The last evening in the seiet I commanded the congregation to give the
Big Man's photograph a larger hire," said Essec. "A few of my proverbs I
will now spout." He spat his spittle and bundling his beard blew the
residue of his nose therein; and he chanted: "Remember Essec Pugh, whose
right foot is tied into a club knot. Here's the club to kick sinners as
my perished brother tried to kick the Bad Satan from the inside of his
female Madlen with his club of his baston. Some preachers search over
the Word. Some preachers search in the Word. But search under the Word
does preacher Capel Moriah. What's the light I find? A stutterer was
Moses. As the middle of a butter cask were the knees of Paul. A splotch
like a red cabbage leaf was on the cheek of Solomon. By the signs shall
the saints be known. 'Preacher Club Foot, come forward to tell about
Moriah,' the Big Man will say. Mean scamps, remember Essec Pugh, for I
shall remember you the Day of Rising."

It came to be that on a morning in the last month of his thirteenth year
Joseph was bidden to stand at the side of the cow which Madlen was
milking and to give an ear to these commandments: "The serpent is in the
bottom of the glass. The hand on the tavern window is the hand of Satan.
On the Sabbath eve get one penny for two ha'pennies for the plate
collection. Put money in the handkerchief corner. Say to persons you are
a nephew of Respected Essec Pugh and you will have credit. Pick the
white sixpence from the floor and give her to the mishtir; she will have
fallen from his pocket trowis."

Then Joseph turned, and carrying his yellow tin box, he climbed into the
craggy moorland path which takes you to the tramping road. By the pump
of Tavarn Ffos he rested until Shim Carrier came thereby; and while
Shim's horse drank of barley water, Joseph stepped into the wagon; and
at the end of the passage Shim showed him the business of getting a
ticket and that of going into and coming down from a railway carriage.

In that manner did Joseph go to the drapery shop of Rees Jones in
Carmarthen; and at the beginning he was instructed in the keeping and
the selling of such wares as reels of cotton, needles, pins, bootlaces,
mending wool, bu