ple talking of the work which was
going on. It seemed to her to be such a strange thing in connection with
a Church minister, that she came to a cottage meeting to judge for
herself, without the remotest idea of being converted. God's ways are
not as ours; while she was listening, the word reached her with power,
so that she was convicted and converted, and came out of that cottage a
rejoicing believer, lost in wonder, love and praise. She was indeed
strikingly and manifestly changed, and did not hide it. It was such a
joy and surprise to her that she could not help telling every one. Out
of the abundance of her heart her lips spoke to tell of the loving
kindness of the Lord.

CHAPTER 32

Bible Readings, 1858-59.

The church (so-called) in which I now ministered had been built by
persons who intended to accommodate the largest number of people for the
smallest amount of money. It was scantily built, and almost square, with
galleries on three sides. On the remaining one there used to be a
pulpit, conspicuously placed in the middle of the wall. This important
portion of the edifice was now removed to one side, to make room for a
Communion table, the seats in front being arranged chancel-wise, facing
one another, for the choir. This was quite a damper to my ecclesiastical
tastes; besides being ugly in the extreme.

I tried by putting ornamental scrolls over the windows, and by staining
the glass in them, to make some improvement. I also painted a diaper
pattern round the side walls; and upon the high blank wall behind the
Communion table exercised all the skill I possessed, but fear it was
somewhat in vain, though I laboured hard. The designs looked very well
on paper, but when displayed on the wall gave no satisfaction; so one
after another they disappeared, till my dissolving views, as they were
called, ended in a large floriated cross of gold, with a monogram
inter-twined in it, on a dark background.

When once, however, the Lord began to bless the Word, and souls were
awakened, despite all anti-ecclesiastical appearances, my heart was
drawn towards the ugly place, and I loved it greatly. I could never have
believed that my former tastes and tendencies could have been so
completely changed as they were.

In those days it was a strange thing to hold an after-meeting in a
church; it was never done, even by the few who had such meetings.
Therefore, I took the anxious ones and others to my own house for the
inquir