XVII. 156

XXXVIII. 159

XXXIX. 163

[Illustration]

THE STORY OF JOHN WESLEY.

CHAPTER I.

Jacky.--His brothers and sisters.--His cottage
home.--What happened to the little pet-dog.--How
Jacky's father forgave the wicked men of
Epworth.--"Fire! Fire!"

LONG, long ago, more than one hundred and fifty years, lived the hero of
this book. Because his name was John, everybody called him Jack or
Jacky; and by everybody I mean his dear, good father and mother, and his
eighteen brothers and sisters. Eighteen, did I say? Yes, indeed, they
counted eighteen; and seeing there were so many, I will not trouble you
with all their names. I will just tell you three. Samuel was the eldest,
he was the "big brother"; Jacky was number fifteen, and Kitty and
Charlie came after him.

But Jacky did not mind all this houseful, I think he rather liked it,
for you see he always had plenty of playmates. His home was in a country
village called Epworth, in Lincolnshire. If you look on your map I think
you will find it. The house was like a big cottage; the roof had no
slates on like ours, but was thatched with straw, the same as some of
the cottages you have seen in the country; and the windows had tiny
panes of glass, diamond-shaped, and they opened like little doors. The
walls of the cottage were covered with pretty climbing plants, and what
was best of all, there was a beautiful big garden where apple and pear
trees grew, and where there was lots of room for Jacky and Charlie and
the others to run about and play "hide and seek."

But I must tell you that a great many wicked people lived at Epworth,
and Jack's father, who was a minister, tried to teach them how wrong it
was to steal and fight, and do so many cruel things. But his preaching
only made them very angry with good Mr. Wesley, and one of the men, out
of spite, cut off the legs of his little pet-dog. Was not that a
dreadfully cruel thing to do?

But Jack's father, because he loved Jesus so much, loved these wicked
men, and always forgave them. He knew if he could get _them_ to love
Jesus, they would soon stop being cruel and unkind.

One night in winter, when everybody was fast asleep, Kitty woke up
feeling something very hot on her feet. Opening her eyes she was
dreadfully frightened to see the bedroom ceiling all on fire. She was
only a very little girl, but she jumped out of bed,