f itself,
and not to smear our clothes by trying of ourselves to wipe it off. He
had hearty helpers in Ned Brierley and his family; Ned himself being a
special support, for the persecutors were all afraid of him. But his
chief earthly comforter was Betty. Oh, how she rejoiced in her father's
conversion and in his signing the pledge! Oh, if Samuel would only
write, how happy she should be! She would write back and tell him of
the great and blessed change wrought by grace in their father, and maybe
he would come back again to them when he heard it. But he came not, he
wrote not; and this was the bitterest sorrow to both Betty and her
father. Johnson knew that his own sin had driven his son away, and he
tried therefore to take the trial patiently, as from the hand of a
Father who was chastening him in love. Betty longed for her brother's
return, or at least to hear from him, with a sickening intensity, which
grew day by day; for though she was really convinced that he had not
destroyed himself, yet dreadful misgivings would cross her mind from
time to time. The knife, with its discoloured blade, was still in her
possession, and the mystery about it remained entirely unexplained. But
she too prayed for patience, and God gave it to her; for hers was the
simple prayer of a loving, trusting, and believing heart. Perhaps,
however, the sorest trial to both Johnson and his daughter was the
conduct of Alice. She was bitterly incensed at her husband's signing
the pledge. No foul language was too bad for him; and as for Betty, she
could hardly give her a civil word. They both, however, bore it
patiently. At one time she would be furious, at another moodily silent
and sulky for days. But what made the miserable woman most outrageous
was the fact that her husband would not trust her with any money, but
put his wages into the hands of Betty, to purchase what was wanted for
the family, and to pay off old scores. She was therefore at her wits'
end how to get the drink, for the drink she would have. Johnson, with
his characteristic decision, had gone round to the different publicans
in Langhurst and the neighbourhood, taking Ned Brierley with him as
witness, and had plainly given them to understand that he would pay for
no more drink on his wife's account. He then came home and told her
what he had done, when he was alone with her and Betty. Poor miserable
woman! She became perfectly livid with passion, and was about to