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heard of I shall not forget the new shoes, the cut finger, and the foul water cask.

Mr. F. You see, by the example of Mr. Fielding, how useful any one, possessing knowledge and a kind disposition, may be, without the expense of a single farthing. I do not mean that Mr. Fielding never gives anything away, for he is a truly benevolent and Christian-hearted man; but besides what he gives away, his very advice is of great advantage to those around him. When we next meet, you shall hear more of him, but having something to attend to, I must now leave you to yourselves. The last time I saw Mr. Fielding he was giving some good advice to a servant girl. "Sally," said he, "remember that a young woman may go to heaven without health, without wealth, without learning, and without friends, but she can never go to heaven without Christ."

The young people were all anxious to hear more about Mr. Fielding, and determined that they would remind their father of his promise, the very next time they met together.

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CHAPTER XXI.

ACTS OF USEFULNESS CONTINUED.

WHO has ever seen the happiness of a Christian family dwelling together in love and peace, and witnessed the unhappiness of those who, unchastened by the fear of God, and uninstructed by his holy word, give way to bad passions, without wondering that any can be so blind to their own interest as to live a life of ungodliness? It was delightful to see Mr. Franklin and his children together, and difficult would it have been to decide whether he or they were the most happy.

"Father is coming! father is coming!" cried out little Peter, as he scampered to his brothers and sister, who were assembled in the parlour. In another minute, Mr. Franklin was among the busy group. No sooner did he enter the room, than he was at once assailed with the cry from Mary, repeated by all of them, “ Mr. Fielding! Mr. Fielding! Now we must hear all about Mr. Fielding.

"Very well," said Mr. Franklin, occupying his seat with a smile, while Mary took away his crutches, and placed them carefully in the corner. "You shall hear a little more about him, and if it should teach you to be like him,

so much the better. Let me see! I was representing him as walking through the village." M. Yes; and the last time you saw him, he was giving advice to a servant girl.

Mr. F. He is almost always either saying or doing something good. One day, when speaking to him on the subject of wisdom, "Mr. Franklin," said he, " true wisdom is to know what is best worth knowing, and to do what is best worth doing."

Edward. And that was a very wise remark; but please now to let him go on through the village.

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Mr. F. Very well. In arriving at Joseph Ball's, he finds Joseph busy in making a rick: Joseph," says he, "I hardly like to see that rick of yours stand so near your cottage chimney; but as you have almost finished it, I will tell you what you must do. You must soak the straw, that you thatch it with, in lime and water, and that will keep it from burning, even if the sparks from your chimney should fly upon it." Joseph promised to follow his advice; and thus, very likely, prevents his rick, and perhaps his cottage, too, from being burned to the ground.

P. Well done, Mr. Fielding.

T. And so say I, too, Peter! Well done, Mr. Fielding!

Mr. F. While he is talking to Joseph Ball, Joseph's wife comes up to him, dropping a curtsey, and begging pardon for being so

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bold, to ask his advice about the warts on the hands of her daughter Susan. "Rub them two or three times a day," says he, “with a piece of unslacked lime, and after awhile Susan herself will hardly be able to point out the places where they grew."

M. I am sure Susan ought to be very much obliged to him.

Mr. F. As he goes by the tan-house, he sees, up in the chamber window, a glass globe, half filled with water. So he raps at the door, and begs to speak with Mrs. Rawlinson. He then tells her that there is some danger in having a glass globe, or a glass bottle, with water in it, in a bed-room window in very hot weather; for that it sometimes acts as a burning glass, and might set the house in flames. She thanks him for his kindness, and the glass globe is directly placed where no evil can ensue.

E. He must be a very wise man, to know so many things.

Mr. F. Just as he is leaving the house, Mrs. Rawlinson requests his advice respecting a decanter, the stopper of which is so fast in the neck of it, that she cannot get it out, do what she will. "Soak the end of a towel, ma'am," says he, "in hot water, and wrap it round the neck of the decanter; this will soon make the glass expand, and you will have no difficulty in removing the stopper." M. Mr. Fielding must be a wonderful man!

Mr. F. Whether he is a wonderful man or not, he is a very useful man. Not a hundred yards from the tan-house he meets Robert Allen, who has latterly become a gin drinker. "Robert," says he, "I do not want to say severe things to you, but listen to me. Two glasses of gin a day for one year, at three half-pence a glass, will cost a sum which will purchase two shirts, two pair of hose, two pair of shoes, a fustian jacket, a waistcoat, a pair of trowsers, garment, cap, flannel waistcoat, a coarse cloth cloak, neckcloth, two pair of cotton sheets, and two large blankets."

P. I wonder what Robert Allen would say to that?

Mr. F. In the lane, as you get towards the spring, he meets Hannah Tonks carrying home two loaves. "Well, Hannah," says he, "you are taking home some food for your little family; but your bread looks as if it were new, and new bread is not so profitable, nor half so wholesome, as stale bread: the difference between eating new bread and stale bread is one loaf in five; and that, in your family, is a great consideration." She tells him that the children like a bit of new bread; but if it makes all that difference, no more new bread for her. "I hope, Hannah," says he, "that while you go home laden with the bread that perishes, you will think of the Bread that came down from heaven, even Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for

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