Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/76
QQ LIFK 01 REV. JOHN MI'UR.VY.
We walked on together, mutually deli{;hied ; 1, witli cs'ery thing I saw, and my c()mj)aiiions with mc, tor my expressed satislaction. We soon >toj)|)ed at the door of a very neat house. This caimot, said my ht'art. he the (.lucUiug of a hav-ujakrr ; it \\n^, however, and opening the door, he said : " Here, Bess, I have brouglit thee liome a young iMeiliodist, I know tiiee wilt he glad to see him," 1 was then, by this rough, good-hearted man, j^resfuteil to Ins wife: "Thou must find out his name thyself." 1 immediately told her my name, when, in a friendly man.ier, she requested me to be seated. She was a very ditVer- enl character fro'.n her husband, her manners were even polished ; she entered into rriendU convcrsalion wjth nu?, anil we derived nuich sat- isfaction therelrom, w Isen her husband entering, inquired in his rough manner, " What the plague, Bess hast got no su])per for thy guest ?" This was a matter to which wc had neither of us recurred. Th(> good man, however, was spe«.'dily obcyi'il, and an elegant repast was fortii- with placed upon the table, of which I partook with appetite. We afterwards sang one of the Methodist hymns, and we unitetl in sol- emn prayer ; while my heart acknowledged all the fervour of devotion, even mv host himself seemed ufiected and pleased, declaring he es- teemed himself fortunate in meeting me. I was introduced to a hand- some lodging room, and a good bed, but the fulness of my grateful heart would not, for some time, allow me to close my eyes ; at length I sunk into th(! most n?freshing slumbers, and I arose the next morning gn'aliy exhilarated. T was received by my hospital)le host, and hostess, with every mark of satisfaction : we breakfasted together, sang a hynm, and addressed the throne of grace, when the good man went forth to the labours of the lieKl, rrcpiesting that I would not think of leaving the;n. In the course of the morning, the good lady informed me, that they had recently settled, in Bath, a Mr. Tucker, who had been a preacher in Irelan'd. My heart leaped at this intelligence ; ofallilie preachers, with whom 1 had ever associated, this man j)ossessed the greatf^st share of my allection. Ilis tender, innocent, child-like disj)o- -ilion, not only endeared him to me, but to all who were ac(juainted with his woith. My hostess was charmed to learn, that 1 was known to Mr. Tucker: I solicited her to direct me to his residenci-, but when ^he informed me, that, by the death of his father, lie had recently come into possession of thirty thousand pounds sterling, 1 became apprelien- ^ivc I should not be recognised. But I liad occasion to reproacli my- self for my susp ••ions, for no sooner was I conducted to his dwelling, than he caught me in his arms, and expressed die highest satisfaction.
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