blessing and
praising God for his mercies. Never were more hearty prayers
presented, than this grateful couple offered up for their
benefactors. The warmth of their gratitude could only be equaled by
the earnestness with which they besought the blessing of God on the
work in which they were going to engage.

The two gentlemen now left this happy family, and walked to the
parsonage, where the evening was spent in a manner very edifying to
Mr. Johnson, who the next day took all proper measures for putting
the shepherd in immediate possession of his now comfortable
habitation. Mr. Jenkins's father-in-law, the worthy gentleman who
gave the shepherd's wife the blankets, in the first part of this
history, arrived at the parsonage before Mr. Johnson left it, and
assisted in fitting up the clerk's cottage.

Mr. Johnson took his leave, promising to call on the worthy minister
and his new clerk once a year, in his summer's journey over the
plain, as long as it should please God to spare his life. He had
every reason to be satisfied with the objects of his bounty. The
shepherd's zeal and piety made him a blessing to the rising
generation. The old resorted to his school for the benefit of
hearing the young instructed; and the clergyman had the pleasure of
seeing that he was rewarded for the protection he gave the school by
the great increase in his congregation. The shepherd not only
exhorted both parents and children to the indispensable duty of a
regular attendance at church, but by his pious counsels he drew them
thither, and by his plain and prudent instructions enabled them to
understand, and of course to delight in the public worship of God.

THE TWO SHOEMAKERS

JACK BROWN and JAMES STOCK, were two lads apprenticed at nearly the
same time, to Mr. Williams, a shoemaker, in a small town in
Oxfordshire: they were pretty near the same age, but of very
different characters and dispositions.

Brown was eldest son to a farmer in good circumstances, who gave the
usual apprentice fee with him. Being a wild, giddy boy, whom his
father could not well manage or instruct in farming, he thought it
better to send him out to learn a trade at a distance, than to let
him idle about at home; for Jack always preferred bird's-nesting and
marbles to any other employment; he would trifle away the day, when
his father thought he was at school, with any boys he could meet
with, who were as idle as himself; and he could never be prevail