410 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

 

the world again!), I say, when I came thither, I found the young wo-
man I have mentioned above and William Atkins’s wife were become
intimates; and this prudent and religious young woman had perfected
the work Will Atkins had begun; and though it was not above four
days after what I have related, yet the new baptized savage woman
was made such a Christian as I have seldom heard of any like her in
all my observation or conversation in the world.

It came next into my mind in the morning, before I went to them,
that among all the needful things I had to leave with them, I had not
left a Bible, in which I showed myself less considering for them than
my good friend the widow was for me, when she sent me the cargo of
one hundred pounds, from Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles
and a Prayer-book.

However, the good woman’s charity had a greater extent than ever
she imagined, for they were reserved for the comfort and instruction
of those that made much better use of them than I had done.

I took one of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to William
Atkins’s tent, or house, I found the young woman and Atkins’s bap-
tized wife had been discoursing of religion together (for William Atkins
told it me with a great deal of joy). I asked if they were together
now? And he said yes; so I went into the house, and he with me,
and we found them together, very earnest in discourse: ‘ Oh, sir,”
says William Atkins, “when God has sinners to reconcile to himself,
and aliens to bring home, he never wants a messenger: my wife has
got a new instructor—I knew I was unworthy, as I was incapable of
that work; that young woman has been sent hither from Heaven—she
is enough to convert a whole island of savages.” The young woman
blushed, and rose up to go away, but I desired her to sit still; I told
her she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God would bless
her in it.

We talked a little, and I did not perceive they had any book among
them, though I did not ask, but I put my hand in my pocket, and
pulled out my Bible. “Here,” said I to Atkins, “I have brought you
an assistant, that perhaps you had not before. The man was so con-
founded, that he was not able to speak for some time; but recovering
himself, he takes it with both hands, and turning to his wife, ‘“‘ Here,
my dear,” says he, “did I not tell you, our God, though he lives above,
could hear what we said? Here is the book I prayed for, when you
and I kneeled down under the bush: now God has heard us, and sent
it.” When he had said thus, the man fell in such transports of pas-
sionate joy, that, between the joy of having it and giving God thanks
for *t, the tears ran down his face like a child that was crying.