to any trouble upon that account; but you know it is now
three years since he went, and in all that time we have heard nothing
about him." "Then," said the woman, bursting into tears, "you, and all
your poor dear children are ruined for my ungrateful brother; for here
are two bailiffs in the house, who are come to take possession of all
you have, and to sell it."

At this the man's face became red as scarlet, and seizing an old sword
which hung over the chimney, he cried out, "No, it shall not be; I will
die first; I will make these villains know what it is to make honest men
desperate." He then drew the sword, and was going out in a fit of
madness, which might have proved fatal either to himself or to the
bailiffs, but his wife flung herself upon her knees before him, and,
catching hold of his legs, besought him to be more composed. "Oh, for
heaven's sake, my dear, dear husband," said she, "consider what you are
doing! You can do neither me nor your children any service by this
violence; instead of that, should you be so unfortunate as to kill
either of these men, would it not be murder? and would not our lot be a
thousand times harder than it is at present?"

This remonstrance seemed to have some effect upon the farmer; his
children too, although too young to understand the cause of all this
confusion, gathered round him, and hung about him, sobbing in concert
with their mother. Little Harry too, although a stranger to the poor man
before, yet with the tenderest sympathy took him by the hand and bathed
it with his tears. At length, softened and overcome by the sorrows of
those he loved so well, and by his own cooler reflections, he resigned
the fatal instrument, and sat himself down upon a chair, covering his
face with his hands, and only saying, "The will of God be done!"

Tommy had beheld this affecting scene with the greatest attention,
although he had not said a word; and now beckoning Harry away, he went
silently out of the house, and took the road which led to Mr Barlow's.
While he was on the way, he seemed to be so full of the scene which he
had just witnessed that he did not open his lips; but when he came home
he instantly went to Mr Barlow and desired that he would directly send
him to his father's. Mr Barlow stared at the request, and asked him what
was the occasion of his being so suddenly tired with his residence at
the vicarage. "Sir," answered Tommy, "I am not the least tired, I assure
you; you have b