religion went."

"Did this affair occur in England or Wales?"

"In the heart of England, yere hanner; we have never been to the Welsh
chapels, for we know little of the language."

"Well, I am glad it didn't happen in Wales: I have rather a high opinion
of the Welsh Methodist. The worthiest creature I ever knew was a Welsh
Methodist. And now I must leave you and make the best of my way to
Chepstow."

"Can't yere hanner give me God before ye go?"

"I can give you half-a-crown to help you on your way to America."

"I want no half-crowns, yere hanner; but if ye would give me God I'd
bless ye."

"What do you mean by giving you God?"

"Putting Him in my heart by some good counsel which will guide me through
life."

"The only good counsel I can give you is to keep the commandments; one of
them it seems you have always kept. Follow the rest and you can't go
very wrong."

"I wish I knew them better than I do, yere hanner."

"Can't you read?"

"Oh no, yere hanner, I can't read, neither can Tourlough nor his wife."

"Well, learn to read as soon as possible. When you have got to America
and settled down you will have time enough to learn to read."

"Shall we be better, yere hanner, after we have learnt to read?"

"Let's hope you will."

"One of the things, yere hanner, that have made us stumble is that some
of the holy women, who have come to our tent and read the Bible to us,
have afterwards asked my aunt and me to tell them their fortunes."

"If they have, the more shame for them, for they can have no excuse.
Well, whether you learn to read or not, still eschew striopachas, don't
steal, don't deceive, and worship God in spirit, not in image. That's
the best counsel I can give you."

"And very good counsel it is, yere hanner, and I will try to follow it,
and now, yere hanner, let us go our two ways."

We placed our glasses upon the bar and went out. In the middle of the
road we shook hands and parted, she going towards Newport and I towards
Chepstow. After walking a few yards I turned round and looked after her.
There she was in the damp lowering afternoon wending her way slowly
through mud and puddle, her upper form huddled in the rough frieze
mantle, and her coarse legs bare to the top of the calves. "Surely,"
said I to myself, "there never was an object less promising in
appearance. Who would think that there could be all the good sense and
proper feeling in that uncouth girl which there really