112 ‘HE HISTORY OF

having by no means ceased, I missed the turn-
ing which led to the town, or rather, my God,
who had hitherto been my guide, led me on
towards that place of rest which he had pro-
vided for me.

When I had walked on for nearly an hour, I
became so weary, that my heart began almost
to sink within me: my clothes, being quite
drenched with wet, clung around me, and made
it very difficult for me to walk; and the light-
ning, too, which flashed often in my face, and
the thunder which rolled over my head, made
me tremble; and I had almost resolved to lay
me down on the wet ground, when I saw be-
fore mea light. It came from a cottage, which
stood close by the way-side. I made the best
of my way up to this cottage, intending there
to beg shelter; but, as 1 walked by the win-
dow, | looked up, and saw two ill-looking men
sitting before a large fire; a small table stood
by their side, covered with mugs and tobacco-
pipes, and an old woman sat in the chimney-
corner, whom I remembered often to have seen
selling matches and ballads in the streets of
Ludlow, and whom I knew very well to be a
very drunkea dishonest woman.

« Alas!” I again said, as I turned from this
house, ‘here is no place of shelter for me!”
So, weary and worn with sorrow as I was, I
continued my sad course for a mile or two fur-
ther, I should think, till, being quite spent, I
sat down on the trunk of a tree, which lay .on
the way-side. I know not how long I sat there,
but such comfort was administered to me from