after one the stars coming out above us, like
the eyes of the angels watching us—than I
had ever done in my life before. When he had
brought us to our tears and sighs, he stopped
his loud voice of upbraiding, and there was
a hush, only broken by sobs and quivering
moans, in which I heard through the gloom
the voices of strong men in anguish and
supplication, as well as the shriller tones of
women. Suddenly he was heard again; by
this time we could not see him; but his
voice was now tender as the voice of an
angel, and he told us of Christ and implored
us to come to Him. I never heard such
passionate entreaty. He spoke as if he saw
Satan hovering near us in the dark dense
night, and as if our only safety lay in a very
present coming to the Cross; I believe he did
see Satan; we know he haunts the desolate
old hills, awaiting his time, and now or never
it was, with many a soul. At length there
was a sudden silence; and by the cries of
those nearest to the preacher, we heard that
he had fainted. We had all crowded round
him as if he were our safety and our guide;
and he was overcome by the heat and the
fatigue, for we were the fifth set of people
whom he had addressed that day. I left the
crowd who were leading him down, and took
a lonely path myself.

Here was the earnestness I needed. To
this weak and weary fainting man, religion
was a life and a passion. I look back now,
and wonder at my blindness as to what was
the root of all my Nelly's patience and long-
suffering; for I thought, now I had found
out what religion was, and that hitherto it
had been all an unknown thing to me.

Henceforward, my life was changed. I
was zealous and fanatical. Beyond the set to
whom I had affiliated myself I had no sympathy.
I would have persecuted all who
differed from me, if I had only had the
power. I became an ascetic in all bodily
enjoyments.  And, strange and inexplicable
mystery, I had some thoughts that by every
act of self-denial I was attaining to my unholy
end, and that, when I had fasted and
prayed long enough, God would place my
vengeance in my hands.  I have knelt by
Nelly's bedside, and vowed to live a self-denying
life, as regarded all outward things,
if so that God would grant my prayer.  I left
it in His hands. I felt sure He would trace
out the token and the word; and Nelly
would listen to my passionate words, and lie
awake sorrowful and heart-sore through the
night; and I would get up and make her
tea, and re-arrange her pillows, with a strange
and wilful blindness that my bitter words
and blasphemous prayers had cost her miserable
sleepless nights. My Nelly was suffering
yet from that blow.  How or where the
stone had hurt her I never understood; but
in consequence of that one moment's action,
her limbs became numb and dead, and, by
slow degrees, she took to her bed, from
whence she was never carried alive. There
she lay, propped up by pillows, her meek
face ever bright, and smiling forth a greeting;
her white pale hands ever busy with some
kind of work; and our little Grace was as
the power of motion to her.  Fierce as I was
away from her, I never could speak to her
but in my gentlest tones. She seemed to me
as if she had never wrestled for salvation as
I had; and when away from her, I resolved,
many a time and oft, that I would rouse her
up to her state of danger when I returned
home that evening—even if strong reproach
were required I would rouse her up to her
soul's need. But I came in and heard her
voice singing softly some holy word of
patience, some psalm which, may-be, had
comforted the martyrs, and when I saw her
face, like the face of an angel, full of patience
and happy faith, I put off my awakening
speeches till another time.

One night, long ago, when I was yet young
and strong, although my years were past
forty, I sat alone in my houseplace.  Nelly
was always in bed, as I have told you, and
Grace lay in a cot by her side. I believed
them to be both asleep; though how they
could sleep I could not conceive, so wild and
terrible was the night. The wind came
sweeping down from the hill-top in great
beats, like the pulses of Heaven; and, during
the pauses, while I listened for the coming
roar, I felt the earth shiver beneath me. The
rain beat against windows and doors, and
sobbed for entrance. I thought the Prince
of the Air was abroad; and I heard, or
fancied I heard, shrieks come on the blast,
like the cries of sinful souls given over to his
power.

The sounds came nearer and nearer. I got
up and saw to the fastenings of the door, for
though I cared not for mortal man, I did
care for what I believed was surrounding the
house, in evil might and power. But the
door shook as though it, too, were in deadly
terror, and I thought the fastenings would
give way. I stood facing the entrance,
lashing my heart up to defy the spiritual
enemy that I looked to see, every instant, in
bodily presence; and the door did burst open;
but before me stood—what was it ? man or
demon ? a grey-haired man, with poor worn
clothes all wringing wet, and he himself
battered and piteous to look upon, from the
storm he had passed through.

"Let me in! " he said. "Give me shelter. I
am poor, or I would reward you. And I am
friendless too," he said, looking up in my face,
like one seeking what he cannot find. In that
look, strangely changed, I knew that God
had heard me; for it was the old cowardly
look of my life's enemy. Had he been a.
stranger I might not have welcomed him, but
as he was mine enemy, I gave him welcome in
a lordly dish. I sat opposite to him. " Whence
do you come? " said I. " It is a strange night
to be out on the fells."