ld of him when hardly any one else would look at him, except a
policeman, who felt as if he had a sort of right to him, and often
found him board and lodgings for a few weeks. At the time of his
conversion he was almost naked, and absolutely destitute; said he, "I
had popt" (pawned) "my coat, and popt my shoes, my vest, my shirt, and
everything on which I could raise money, and I was almost in hell."
This was more than Abe could sit under; he sprang to his feet and
exclaimed, "It's a rare job th' devil didn't pop thee and all, my lad!
Praise th' Lord!" The young man fell on his seat and vented his
gratitude in a fresh burst of tears, and many an eye in that meeting
ran over as well.
RELIGION ALL HUMBUG.
Little Abe once got up in a lovefeast. "Friends," said he, "a man
asked me what I made so mich noise abaat religion for; he said, 'It's
all humbug,' and I said, 'Thaa'rt roight for once, mon; it's th'
sweetest humbug that iver I tasted. I have been sucking it for mony a
lang year, and it is sweeter than iver.'" (Humbug is the Yorkshire
name for sweets and goodies). It was just in Abe's way to turn the
tables on his assailant, and certainly in this case the Little Bishop
had the best of the encounter, and the joy of the humbug as well.
PENITENT PHYSIC.
The Bishop was leading a lovefeast in Shelley Chapel (where it is said
that the Rev. John Wesley once preached), and one of the speakers had
been a backslider, but had determined to return to the Lord. This man
was telling the meeting his bitter sorrow, and how he had drunk of the
wormwood and gall of repentance, and as he spoke tears ran chasing each
other down his face. "Bless th' Lord," said Little Abe, "I see my
Father has been giving the' some penitent physic, and it's made the'
'een" (eyes) "run. Ne'er moind, lad, He'll heal thee heart, and wipe'
away all tears from thee 'een.'"
HONLEY FEAST MONDAY.
The Honley feast is one of the remaining relics of byegone times, and
is tenaciously kept year by year throughout the parish as a holiday.
It begins with Sunday, and extends over the greater part of the week,
during which time the people enjoy themselves in ways suited to their
varied tastes, too many of them indulging in the cup which brings
aching heads and empty pockets. What a pity it is that men, and even
women, too, are so infatuated as to think that pleasure can only be
found in drunkenness and public-house brawling! Thank God there are
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