flavour of
drink, and I never lost it until I was converted to God, through
the blessed words spoken in the open air. When I look back, and
think how I have beaten my poor wife--it was through the drink--it
makes me ashamed of myself. It was the word and the blow, but
sometimes the blow first. After I got sober, sometimes it would
make me ashamed to look at her black eyes; but I do thank God there
is no fear of black eyes now; for we are very happy together.

"I am a stoker and engine-driver, and I wonder I have never had an
explosion, for I have been drunk for a week at a time. On one
occasion, I had been drunk overnight, and was not very sober in the
morning. I went to work at half-past five, instead of five, and,
without looking to see if there was any water in the boiler, I
began stoking the fire up. The fright sobered me. It cost above
L100 before it was fit for work again. But that did not alter me,
only for the worse. I broke up my home. I got worse, after that,
and cared for nothing. Half my wages went in drink, my wife was
afraid to speak to me, and the poor children would get anywhere out
of my way. Afterwards I was discharged; but although I soon got
another job, I could not leave off the drink. I was reckoned a
regular drunkard. I lost place after place, and was out of work
several weeks at a time; for they did not care to employ a
drunkard. Still, I would have beer somehow, I did not care how. I
have given one and sixpence for the loan of a shilling, and though
there was not a bit of bread at home, the shilling went in beer.

"I have often had the police called in for ill-using my wife. On
one occasion she ran down to her mother's, with her face bleeding;
but I went to bed. When I woke, I saw she was not there, so I went
out and got drunk. I came home and got a large carving-knife, put
it up my sleeve, and went down to her mother's, with the intention
of killing her; but they saw the knife. The police were called in,
and I was taken to Spitalfields Station. But no one coming to press
the charge, I got off.

"Eight years ago God thought fit to lay me on a bed of sickness for
thirteen weeks, and I was given up by all the doctors. When I got
better, people thought I would alter my life, and become a steady
man; but no, I was as bad