FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   >>  
. They dragged him along with them until they reached the town, and then, seeing the door of a large house open, Mr. Wesley tried to get in. But one of the cruel men got him by the hair and pulled him back into the middle of the mob; and then they dragged him from one end of the town to the other. "I talked all the time to those that were within hearing," said Mr. Wesley, afterwards, "and I never felt the least pain or weariness." At last he saw a shop door half open, and tried to get in, but the gentleman to whom the shop belonged would not let him. "Why, the people would pull my house down," he said, "if I let you in." However, Mr. Wesley stood at the door and shouted to the people: "Are you willing to hear me speak?" "No, no; knock him down! Kill him at once!" cried hundreds of voices. "Nay, let's hear him first," shouted others. "What harm have I done any of you?" exclaimed the fearless preacher. "Which of you have I wronged in word or deed?" For a quarter of an hour he talked to them, then his voice suddenly gave way, the strain had been too great. Then the cruel mob cried out again: "Bring him away! Bring him away!" But Mr. Wesley's strength had come back, and he began to pray aloud. That prayer acted like magic; the man who had just before been the leader of that brutal crowd, turning to Mr. Wesley, said: "Sir, I will spend my life for you; follow me, and no one here shall touch a hair of your head." Two or three of his companions said almost the same, and surrounded Mr. Wesley to protect him. Then four or five rough men set upon them, and tried to drag Mr. Wesley away; but a butcher, who was a little further off, shouted, "Shame! shame!" and pulled them back one after another. Some one else shouted, "For shame! For shame! let the good man go!" Then, just as if they had been struck by magic, all the people drew back right and left, and Mr. Wesley was carried safely through. [Illustration: "'Knock him down! Kill him at once!' cried hundreds of voices."--_Page 114._] But the danger was not quite over even yet. On the bridge which they had to cross, the mob assembled again; but Mr. Wesley's protectors took him across a mill-dam and then through some fields, and at last brought him safe into Wednesbury, with no other damage than a torn coat and a little skin scraped off one of his hands. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XXVII. Mr. Wesley's story of
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   >>  



Top keywords:

Wesley

 

shouted

 

Illustration

 
people
 
dragged
 

hundreds

 
pulled
 

voices

 

talked


follow

 
companions
 

surrounded

 

protect

 

butcher

 

fields

 
brought
 

protectors

 

Wednesbury


damage

 
CHAPTER
 

scraped

 
assembled
 

carried

 

safely

 

struck

 

bridge

 

danger


quarter
 

gentleman

 

belonged

 

weariness

 

However

 

middle

 

reached

 

hearing

 

strength


prayer

 

turning

 

brutal

 

leader

 

strain

 

fearless

 

preacher

 

exclaimed

 

wronged


suddenly