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Herbert teaching the other children, and pressing upon them the awfulness of those promises; and to a mind like Susan's every word that was said relating to what she ought to do sunk into her heart, not being hindered by scarcely even the usual bad dispositions of children. She would often ask her dear mistress about it.

[Play-time; Susan sitting by Mrs. Wilson.]

Susan. Missis, I wish I always did as my godfather and godmothers promised I should do. It made me tremble so to-day, when Miss Herbert was telling Sarah Russell about it. I was thinking that I was very often breaking those promises.

Mrs. Wilson. I dare say you do, Susan; but you know you must pray for strength to keep them; and the more you pray, the more you will be able.

S. I always say them over to myself, night and morning, with my prayers, and that other question and answer after: "Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and to do as they have promised for thee?" And I always pray that I may try and do so. And then I say the Belief; and I want to ask you, missis, what it means about the Communion of Saints? Sometimes I have thought that perhaps it means, that if I try to do exactly as I promise, that though I cannot see

my Saviour and the angels and somebody else (I cannot say her name), that perhaps when I am saying my prayers, we are all together somehow. Do you think it means that?

Mrs. W. Yes, my dear, I dare say it does mean that, and a great deal besides; and when you grow big enough, Mr. Herbert will talk to you a good deal about it.

Mrs. Wilson knew very well whom it was poor little Susan did not like to mention : it was her mother; for though she was SO young when she lost her, the remembrance of her tender care was still on her mind, and she used to like to think that her mother perhaps could see her, and was near to her, though she could not see her mother.

With the permission of his bishop, Mr. Herbert had arranged a short service for every day in the week, and this began exactly at nine o'clock in the school. At the great festivals and for saints' days, there were particular prayers, and hymns translated from the Latin which they chanted, and also a psalm. The service lasted about ten minutes; and then they all stood round and said the Catechism and read the first lesson; by the time that was finished, it was church-time. Directly after the service they generally read the second morning lesson to Miss Herbert, when she questioned them in both the les

sons, that she might judge if they had attended to them during the service, and whilst they had been reading. In the afternoon they were chiefly employed in sewing. A few learnt writing when there was a good prospect of its being really useful to them; but Miss Herbert was not an advocate for girls learning to write, unless they were likely to make a good use of it. When they were all quietly settled at their knitting and sewing, Mrs. Wilson sometimes read to them a story, or one of the books with conversations that Miss Herbert lent for the school. There were many interruptions of course in the reading; for there was so much work to be fixed, and stitches to be picked up, which the little ones were continually letting down in their knitting. It was a rule of the school that every child should learn knitting, because it was considered that it might be very useful to them, and it was certain the knowledge would be no inconvenience to them. Mrs. Wilson was remarkable for her perfection in the art of knitting, and every child was taught to knit stockings from beginning to end. Immediately after the evening service the children dispersed into their different roads home; but before they set out they all shook hands with their mistress, and wished her good night. It was a very pleasant sight, the children all flocking

round her for her evening blessing. Two of the girls in the first class always took it in turn to sweep the school-room, and put things in order for the next morning; and if Mrs. Wilson had any complaint to make to Mr. Herbert, then she remained with the child after the service: this was the only chastisement that was exercised, and it was to the children more effectual than any other could have been; for they all loved Mr. Herbert so much, that a stern look or word from him went to the bottom of their hearts; for though they were young, they could feel that they had given him pain; and his countenance was so sorrowful always when he was told of it, that they almost always went home resolved in their hearts to try not to pain him so again.

If children and grown people would but consider a little sometimes of the heart-aching they occasion their minister when they do wrong, it would perhaps help them to struggle against their sins; and if it gives them pain to think that they grieve their best earthly friend, what ought they not to feel when they think of that Friend whom they crucify afresh by every sin they commit?

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CHAPTER III.

Who shuts his hand, hath lost his gold:
Who opens it, hath it twice told.

GEO. HERBERT.

FROM the time that Mr. Herbert first came to Compton, he had entertained a hope that, some day or other, he might be able to get a church built at one of the distant hamlets, called Woodend; and, from time to time, he had mentioned this his wish, when he was talking with Mrs. Wilson; and each time that he said any thing about it, she felt more and more desirous to do what she could to render some little help towards it: she thought to herself, "The widow's mite was not scorned; no more will mine be, if I deny myself to give it ;" and she secretly resolved that she would every week put by threepence out of her little salary. This she continued regularly to do for ten years, which was as long as she was able to attend to the school. So that in the ten years she was enabled to save six pounds ten shillings

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