but at all events tell me your name.' I hesitated
a moment, and then told him who I was, whereupon he exclaimed with much
emotion, 'I thought so; how wonderful are the ways of Providence. I have
heard of thee, young man, and know thy mother well. Only a month ago,
when upon a journey, I experienced much kindness from her. She was
speaking to me of her lost child, with tears; she told me that you were
one of the best of sons, but that some strange idea appeared to have
occupied your mind. Despair not, my son. If thou hast been afflicted, I
doubt not but that thy affliction will eventually turn out to thy
benefit; I doubt not but that thou wilt be preserved, as an example of
the great mercy of God. I will now kneel down and pray for thee, my
son.'

"He knelt down, and prayed long and fervently. I remained standing for
some time; at length I knelt down likewise. I scarcely knew what he was
saying, but when he concluded I said 'Amen.'

"And when we had risen from our knees, the old man left me for a short
time, and on his return led me into another room, where were two females;
one was an elderly person, the wife of the old man,--the other was a
young woman of very prepossessing appearance (hang not down thy head,
Winifred), who I soon found was a distant relation of the old man,--both
received me with great kindness, the old man having doubtless previously
told them who I was.

"I staid several days in the good man's house. I had still the greater
portion of a small sum which I happened to have about me when I departed
on my dolorous wandering, and with this I purchased clothes, and altered
my appearance considerably. On the evening of the second day, my friend
said, 'I am going to preach, perhaps you will come and hear me.' I
consented, and we all went, not to a church, but to the large building
next the house,--for the old man, though a clergyman, was not of the
established persuasion,--and there the old man mounted a pulpit, and
began to preach. 'Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,'
etc. etc., was his text. His sermon was long, but I still bear the
greater portion of it in my mind.

"The substance of it was that Jesus was at all times ready to take upon
Himself the burden of our sins, provided we came to Him with a humble and
contrite spirit, and begged His help. This doctrine was new to me; I had
often been at church, but had never heard it preached before, at least so
distinctly.