words he uttered were, ' Zpear'd vor 'er zek.' With as little delay as possible we carried him to his home. When the doctor had examined him, he said it was a bad case. With the exception of a few slight bruises, his body was all right; but both of his legs were badly broken; and he doubted if he would ever be able to work in the pit again.

Jimmy had a long time of lying by; he suffered much, but no one heard him complain. His wife seemed stupefied at first. She certainly was the worse for drink when her husband was carried home, early as it was. But when the poor woman became capable of reflecting, after hearing what a narrow escape he had had, and seeing him so patient, racked as she knew he was with pain, and deprived of much that he needed, and would have had if she had acted a wife's part, it overwhelmed her. Then, for the first time, her husband saw the tears steal down her face, and he heard the halfsuppressed words, 'Forgive a wretch.'

Months passed away before Jimmy was able to leave his bed, and severe were the sufferings experienced ere he was able to leave the house to do anything for his wife and family. Friends were kind, and helped to the best of their ability. Still, much privation had to be endured; but not a word of complaining was heard from either husband or wife. Out of the ashes of affliction, and deep waters of trial, Betsy Templer was rising, by the grace of God, a better woman, henceforth to do her duty as a Christian wife and mother.

I, and his old tried friend, Charles Garfield, often visited him as he lay on his bed of pain. 'My 'Eavenly Vather,' he said on one occasion, 'iz very good; I wizh to zpek good ov 'Iz 'oly nem. In tho

midz' ov it al' I can praiz' 'Im. He knaws w'at 'E'z doin'; 'E'z anzerin' pra'er; 'E'z brengin' me wive to zee 'erzelv; an' we 'av' ax'd 'Im together to mek all the-az thengs work vor our good. Zhe 'az jined me in doin' w'thout tho drenk, 'an't 'e, Betsy? An zhe'z wantin' to get to tho 'ill ov Calvary. 'Iz, Charlez, 'tiz good vor me to be 'flicted, 'tiz good vor me wive, an' it 'ool be good vor me vamily.' 'Yes,' said Charles, and repeated a verse or two of my mother's favourite hymn:

'God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

'Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,
And works Ĥis sovereign will.'

'He can make the dead carcase of a lion, that taxed the strength of a Samson to overcome, a repository of honey; and He can make the poor mangled limbs of His servant do what nothing else could. Out of all this pain and anguish, this mysterious providence, this patient endurance, this triumph of grace year after year, has come-has come what?" 'My deliverance vrom tho drenk,' said Betsy, 'an', I do believe, me zalvation.' 'Do 'e believe it?' said her husband. 'I do,' she said. 'Vor ever an' ever glory be to 'Iz 'oly nem!' cried Jimmy Templer.

I

CHAPTER XXI.

MET Hunter on many occasions after my conversion. We worked in the same pit, and lived in the same village; and this gave me an opportunity of meeting him often; but I think he avoided me as much as possible.

Two or three times, soon after the great change wrought in my nature by the Holy Spirit, I spoke to him on the subject of religion; told him how much better I felt; my purse was heavier, my health had improved, my home was made comfortable, I was happy all the time, and my dear mother could scarcely contain herself. I wished him to get rid of his dogs and nets, to leave the publichouse, to forsake his old companions. Some of them,' I said, 'have forsaken your company, and are travelling in the heavenly road.' I pleaded hard with him, but to no purpose. He considered himself as good as any chap that went to the Methody chapel. 'W'at war live good vor iv a veller couldn't 'av' a bit ov enjoyment? I've alwa'z bin vond ov a zpree, but I disn't zee that I'm any

tho wuzz vor that. Gooin' to chapel 'ood do very weel vor ol' Zeb, an' Jimmy Templer, an' Charley Garvield, an' Methody Jane, an' thee into tho bargain, Aubourn; but it 'oodn't do vor me; an' thee might mind the own buzinezz, an' not intervere we' me.' Hunter generally wound up with a sneer. He treated invitation and warning alike. He kept his dogs and his nets, and he went on drinking and indulging in forbidden things which conscience told him he ought not to indulge in. The members of the Mission Band visited him very often. Many an earnest prayer was offered by them for his conversion. But he hardened his heart, and refused to become a servant of the Lord.

'What a man soweth, that shall he also reap;' that and nothing else, in quantity and quality. Hunter had just what he sowed. Charles Garfield used to say to me, 'Aubourn, your old companion is not long for this world; his constitution is breaking up; drink and fast living are doing their work." He was evidently passing away; his cough became troublesome, and for days together he was unable to go to the pit. A few months before he finished his earthly career, he had been confined some weeks to the house, when I called to see him. On making inquiry after his health, he told me he was getting better, and should be all right when the warm weather came.

His friends tried to make him sensible of his danger, but no visible impressions for good were made. He never prayed; never read the Word of God; he had no idea of death; he should be all right again when the warm weather came.' But before the warm weather came, my old companion had passed away, and stood in the presence of the

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Eternal; went without leaving us the shadow of a hope that his peace had been made with God. He seemed to have set himself resolutely to resist every influence that would have led him to the Saviour. When I think of him, the words of the sacred Book come into my mind: O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.' Hunter Coney destroyed himself; his sun went down while it was day. But he was not the only one who lived and died without Christ in Hathercott; there were others of my old companions who died, as they had lived, hardened, impenitent sinners.