or, 'Who's been here? Who's been here?'
Aat I went, and I wor raight grieved to see all th' garden spoilt,
flaars broken off, little beds trampled aat o' shape, and th' wark of
months all undone. I saw in a minute haa it wor: an owd ass had gotten
in during th' noight and done all th' mischief. 'Haa could he get in,'
said th' lad, 'th' fence was all roight and safe?' But I said, 'Did ta
fasten th' gate last noight?' He looked at th' gate and said, 'I don't
knaw, father.' Ah, that wor it, there wor his foot-tracks through th'
gateway. Ah, friends, the devil is like an owd ass, goin' skulking and
shuffling abaat in th' dark when other folks are in bed sleeping, and
he is always trying to get into th' Lord's garden and spoil th' flaars;
yo' may mend th' fence as much as yo loike, but if you don't fasten th'
gate, he'll be in and undo all th' good wark in your hearts. Shut th'
gate, and fasten it; nail it up, raather than let th' owd cuddy get in;
he hates everything that is good in nature and grace; he'll spoil th'
best wark of God in a single noight; th' track of his owd hoof means
mischief, and one of his kicks would lame onybody; keep th' devil aat
o' th' heart, fence it raand with prayer; watch against th' enemy, and
you'll be roight noight and day."

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace"
(Luke xi. 21).

"ELLOW! WHO'S THERE."

Abe had a very quaint and original way of rendering the parable of our
Lord on the importunate neighbour (Luke xi. 5).

"There was a good man who said one noight to his wife, 'Naa, lass, we
mun be getting to bed, I ha' to be up i' th' mornin' i' good toime.'
'Aye,' she said, 'thaa has?' So she put supper things away, and then
she and th' childer sat daan while th' good man read a chapter i' God's
Book; then they all knelt together at the family altar, and committed
their souls to the keeping of Him who never slumbers nor sleeps. In a
little while after that they were all in bed and th' candle blown aat;
they were just settling daan into sleep, when there came a loud
knocking at th' front door, ran, tan, tan, tan. 'Ellow! who's there?'
exclaimed th' good man of th' haase as he raised himself up in bed.

"'It's me!' answered a voice from th' aatside.

"'Me, who's me?'

"'I'm th' neighbour, thaa knaws.'

"'Aye, and a bonny neighbour thaa is to be comin' here knocking up sich
a row at this toime o' th' noight.'

"'Why, I'm vary sorry,' chimes in