482 P ATKINS AND HIS WIFE.

not yet come in. After this, my clergyman, waiting a while, was
curious to know where Atkins was gone; and turning to me, says
he, “I entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your labyrinth here and
look. I daresay we shall find this poor man somewhere or other
talking seriously to his wife, and teaching her already something
of religion. I began to be of the same mind; so we went out
together, and I carried him a way which none knew but myself,
and where the trees were so thick set, as that it was not easy to
see through the thicket of leaves, and far harder to see in than to
see out, when, coming to the edge of the wood, I saw Atkins and
his tawny savage wife sitting under the shade of a bush, very eager
in discourse. I stopped short till my clergyman came up to me,
and then, having showed him where they were, we stood and looked
very steadily at them a good while.

We observed him very earnest with her, pointing up to the sun,
and to every quarter of the heavens, then down to the earth, then
out to the sea, then to himself, then to her, to the woods, to the
trees. ‘‘ Now,” says my clergyman, ‘‘ you see my words are made
good; the man preaches to her. Mark him now; he is telling
her that our God has made him, and her, and the heavens, the
earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, &ec.” “I believe he is,” said
I. Immediately we perceived Will Atkins start up upon his feet,
fall down on his knees, and lift up both his hands. We suppose
he said something ; but we could not hear him, it was too far for
that. He did not continue kneeling half a minute, but comes and
sits down again by his wife, and talks to her again. We perceived
then the woman very attentive ; but whether she said anything or
no, we could not tell. While the poor fellow was upon his Knees,
I could see the tears run plentifully down my clergyman’s cheeks,
and I could hardly forbear myself; but it was a great affliction to
us both that we were not near enough to hear anything that
passed between them.

Well, however, we could come no nearer for fear of disturbing
them, so we resolved to see an end of this piece of still conversa-
tion, and it spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice.
He sat down again, as I have said, close by her, and talked again
earnestly to her; and two or three times we could see him embrace