n and decision, in which father and son were so much alike.
And there was, hallowing every line and look, that peace which passeth
understanding, and which flows from no earthly fountain.

"Sammul, my lad," he said, "God has been very good to me, for I can say,
`This my son was lost, and is found.' He's given me a cup brimful of
mercies; but the biggest of all is, he's sent us our Sammul back again.
But I will not spin out my tale with needless talk, as you'll be
impatient to know all about our flitting. You'll remember Ned
Brierley?"

"Ay, well enough," said his son.

"Well, Ned were my best friend on earth, for you must know it were he as
got me to sign the pledge. That were arter I got well arter the
explosion. Ye heard of the explosion?"

"Yes," replied Samuel; "I heard on it arter I left Langhurst."

"It were a marvellous mercy," continued his father, "as I were spared.
I'd halted rather 'tween two opinions afore, but when I left my sick-bed
I came forward, and signed. Then Ned Brierley and all the family
flitted, for the mayster'd given him a better shop somewhere in Wales.
That were a bad job for me. I'd a weary life of it then. I thought
some of my old mates 'ud a torn me in pieces, or jeered the very life
out of me. Then, besides, you were not come back to us; and I were very
down about your poor mother, so that I were casting about to see if I
couldn't find work somewhere at a distance from Langhurst, where I could
make a fresh start. It were in the November arter the explosion that
same total abstinence chap as got yourself to sign came to our house,
and axed me to tell my experience at a meeting as was to be held in
Langhurst on the twenty-third of the month. I'd sooner have had nothing
to do wi't, but our Betty said she thought I were bound to speak for the
good of the cause, so I told the gentleman as I would. Now, you may
just suppose as my old mates at the `George' were in a fury when they
heard of this, and some on 'em were resolved to sarve me out, as they
called it, though I'd done 'em no harm. So they meets at Will Jones's
house, a lot on them, and makes a plot to get into our house the night
afore the meeting, and scratch my face over with a furze bush while I
was asleep, and rub lamp-black and gunpowder all over my face, so as I
shouldn't be able for shame to show myself at the meeting. But it so
happened as Will Jones's lad John were under the couch-chair, hiding
away from his fa