Part 10 (2/2)
”Arr bit bairn 's badly,” replied the big man, ”and th' missus wants the' to come and sprinkle it”
”Th' missus wantly at him ”Does thaa wantrather hu that Abe had obtained his first victory by that confession
”Well, I'll goa wi' the',” and, putting on his hat, they went out together, and betook the there Abe beheld a painful yet by no means uncohost of corouped together, and in the ure of all--”the missus,” the wife, the mother, in tears, and on her lap, wrapped in an old faded shaas a dying infant The woman tried to smile amid her tears as Abe came in, just the shadow of a suish it had before, as if all herwith that little creature that lay feebly gasping on her lap It was so like a won of welcome to her visitor
”Aye, my lass, I'm real sorry for the'; thaa has a mother's heart, I see, and thaa'd loike to keep thee bairn, I knaw thaa wad; but thaa mun remember God has first claim on 't, and if He wants it, thaa'll be loike to let Him ha' it He can tak' better care on 't nor thaa can; bless it, it'll sooin be better off nor ony on us--don't fret, my lass--th' Lord co, softening, co the bitter heart of that poor woth he said, ”Thaa wants me to baptize th'
little un, I reckon”
”If yo' pleeas,” she replied ”Jack,” added she turning to her husband, who stood all the ti hard to keep his eyes dry and sn a luet a basin o' watter, my lad” It was said so sadly and yet so kindly, that if Jack had had to go through fire to fetch that basin of water he would have got it In abroad hand and stood close up to his wife's side, looking down on his dying child
”This is a religious service,” said Abe, ”and I want yo' to understand that” He had his doubts about thehis evident effort to control his emotions; he knew the ious, and now that he had hie, he wanted to make the most of it ”I'm baan to baptize that bairn in God's na at the father he said, ”Wilt ta knug”
(kneel) ”daan with us?”
Thedown on the infant
”Wilt ta knug with us, Jack?” he repeated; ”it's thy bairn, and it'll sooin be gone” Still there ca on in the breast of that strong ainst the father
”If thaa will n't knug beside the' wife and bairns, I'll go haaean,” said Abe
Thein hiht of paying a slight to his dying child ”I'll knug,” said he, and that instant he full on his knees Abe baptized the child, and then all of theether, while he poured out his soul in earnest supplication to God for the child and the family; but especially for the father as now, al at the throne of grace It would have been very gratifying if we could say that this was the turning-point in that e of the case ends It is, however, not too ht, coupled with the loss of the little child, would have a good influence on the subsequent life of thehirace which alone could afford hilory
Whether this was so or not, the incident shows the high estee whoe over the hardened sinner when he constrained him to kneel before the Lord; and it also shows that when scoffers and so-called unbelievers are brought into the shadows of death, their unbelief forsakes them, and like devils, ”they believe and tre for Abe to be called out of the mill to conduct the burial service at Salem, in place of the minister, who perhaps had never been informed of the funeral, or even of the death
No matter, poor man, he has sadly lowered hi present He ht have known he would be wanted, and at what time of the day, and in what place, and it is very unkind of hi off to a distant country appointuilty A --knoho is well and who is not; ministers are different from all other people, and more is expected from them If, for instance, any one is ill, the doctor must be sent for; but therequested It is his duty to attend to the sick of his flock It is no ht to know of it; a pretty shepherd he must be not to know if any of his sheep are ill; he shouldthe people Are any persons dead here, or any sick? any to be prayed for? or are there any disaffected parties waiting to be coaxed into a good huood subject to vent their bile upon? or anything at all in the general ? Aoff, with a little ingenuity and perseverance; and it would save all the trouble and expense of a post card to thehim to call Let us hope, therefore, that in future there will be noupon these important matters, because every place in the land is not favoured with such an able, willing, and acceptable substitute as the people of Berry Brow had in Little Abe
Reference has already been arded by his felloork-people As years went on this regard was, if possible, intensified, and it was beautiful to see how the younger hten his work, and make his duties as easy for hi confined to the h position in the locality, held hiht man, and a faithful servant He had, in his latter days, many liberties and favours which could not be perenerally; often one or another of his masters would come into the mill, and have a few minutes' conversation with hiious zeal, enlivened by his irrepressible humour, almost invariably sent the ood opinion of the Little Bishop confirmed
CHAPTER XXII
Used Up
As tie, Little Abe began to show, by unh his lively teainst his infirmities for some time, the day came when he confessed he was an old an to speak of hi ”used up,” ”worn aat,” ”done for,” and the like All the marks were upon hie, his sight was dim, his step was slow and feeble, his voice trens were plainly seen that the Little Bishop was drawing near the end of his journey
One day he was unexpectedly called to go into his master's office, and i like the following dialogue took place ”Well, Abe,” hisso infirm that you cannot do a day's work now I have seen this for some time, yet did not want to turn you away, but now I am sorry to say you will have to leave the mill, and I must put another man in your place”