mily in this way with sufficient money to
keep them in luxury, loose living, and idleness, till the year of 1859,
when, by some unaccountable means, her conscience, which, up to this
time, had been insensible, dull, and without feeling, became awakened,
sharp, and alive. Probably this quickening took place in consequence of
her hearing a good Methodist minister in a mission-room in the
neighbourhood. The result was that the money she took by telling
fortunes began to burn her fingers, and to make it sit upon her
conscience as easy as possible she had a large pocket made in her dress
so that she could drop it in without much handling. It was no easy thing
to give up such an easy way of getting a living to face the realities of
an honest pedlar's life, in the midst of "slamming of doors,"
"cold-shoulders," "scowls," "frowns," and insults; and a woman with less
determination of character would never have attempted it--or, at least,
if attempted, it would soon have been given up on account of the
insurmountable difficulties surrounding it. Many times she has sat by
the wayside with her basket, after walking and toiling all day, and not
having taken a penny with which to provide the Sunday's dinner, when at
the last extremity Providence has opened her way and friends have
appeared upon the scene, and she has been enabled to "go on her way
rejoicing," and for the last twenty years she has been trying to do all
the good she can, and to day she is not one penny the loser, but, on the
other hand, a gainer, by following such a course. Personally, I have
received much encouragement and valuable information at her hands to help
me in my work to do the Gipsy children good in one form or other. I have
frequently called to see the grand old Gipsy woman, sometimes
unexpectedly, and when I have done so I have either found her reading the
Bible or else it has been close to her elbow. Its stains and soils
betoken much wear and constant use. Very different to the old woman who
put her spectacles into her Bible as she set it upon the clock, and lost
them for more than seven years. She is a firm believer in prayer; in
fact, it seems the very essence of her life, and she can relate numbers
of instances when and where God has answered her petitions. On her
bed-quilt are the following texts of scripture, poetry, &c., which, as
she says, these, with other portions of God's word, she "has learnt to
read without any other aid except His Ho