CHAPTER XI. THE COTTAGERS

nggood,pleasant,oruseful,comesfromHimandeverythingevil,everythingyouhavereasontohate,toshun,ortofear,comesfromSatan—Hisenemyaswellasours.AndforthiscausewasGodmanifestintheflesh,thatHemightdestroytheworksoftheDevil:inoneword,GodisLOVEandthemoreoflovewehavewithinus,thenearerwearetoHimandthemoreofHisspiritwepossess.’ “‘Well,sir,’Isaid,‘ifIcanalwaysthinkonthesethings,IthinkImightwellloveGod:buthowcanIlovemyneighbours,whentheyvexme,andbesocontraryandsinfulassomeon’emis?’ “‘Itmayseemahardmatter,’sayshe,‘toloveourneighbours,whohavesomuchofwhatisevilaboutthem,andwhosefaultssooftenawakentheevilthatlingerswithinourselvesbutrememberthatHemadethem,andHelovesthemandwhosoeverlovethhimthatbegat,lovethhimthatisbegottenalso.AndifGodsolovethus,thatHegaveHisonlybegottenSontodieforus,weoughtalsotoloveoneanother.Butifyoucannotfeelpositiveaffectionforthosewhodonotcareforyou,youcanatleasttrytodotothemasyouwouldtheyshoulddountoyou:youcanendeavourtopitytheirfailingsandexcusetheiroffences,andtodoallthegoodyoucantothoseaboutyou.Andifyouaccustomyourselftothis,Nancy,theveryeffortitselfwillmakeyoulovetheminsomedegree—tosaynothingofthegoodwillyourkindnesswouldbegetinthem,thoughtheymighthavelittleelsethatisgoodaboutthem.IfweloveGodandwishtoserveHim,letustrytobelikeHim,todoHiswork,tolabourforHisglory—whichisthegoodofman—tohastenthecomingofHiskingdom,whichisthepeaceandhappinessofalltheworld:howeverpowerlesswemayseemtobe,indoingallthegoodwecanthroughlife,thehumblestofusmaydomuchtowardsit:andletusdwellinlove,thatHemaydwellinusandweinHim.Themorehappinesswebestow,themoreweshallreceive,evenhereandthegreaterwillbeourrewardinheavenwhenwerestfromourlabours.’Ibelieve,Miss,themishisverywords,forI’vethought’emowermanyatime.An’thenhetookthatBible,an’readbitshereandthere,an’explained’emasclearastheday:anditseemedlikeasanewlightbrokeinonmysoulan’Ifeltfairaglowaboutmyheart,an’onlywishedpoorBillan’alltheworldcouldha’beenthere,an’hearditall,andrejoicedwi’me. “Afterhewasgone,HannahRogers,oneo’th’neighbours,cameinandwantedmetohelphertowash.ItelledherIcouldn’tjustthen,forIhadn’tsetonth’potatiesforth’dinner,norwashedupth’breakfaststuffyet.Sothenshebegana-callingmeformynastyidleways.Iwasalittlebitvexedatfirst,butIneversaidnothingwrongtoher:Ionlytelledherlikeallinaquietway,’atI’dhadth’newparsontoseemebutI’dgetdoneasquickaseverIcould,an’thencomean’helpher.Sothenshesofteneddownandmyheartlikeasitwarmedtowardsher,an’inabitwewasverygoodfriends.An’soitis,MissGrey,‘asoftanswerturnethawaywrathbutgrievouswordsstirupanger.’Itisn’tonlyinthemyouspeakto,butinyourself.” “Verytrue,Nancy,ifwecouldalwaysrememberit.” “Ay,ifwecould!” “AnddidMr.Westonevercometoseeyouagain?” “Yes,manyatimeandsincemyeyeshasbeensobad,he’ssatan’readtomebythehalf-hourtogether:butyouknow,Miss,hehasotherfolkstosee,andotherthingstodo—Godblesshim!An’thatnextSundayhepreachedsuchasermon!Histextwas,‘Comeuntomeallyethatlabourandareheavyladen,andIwillgiveyourest,’andthemtwoblessedversesthatfollows.Youwasn’tthere,Miss,youwaswithyourfriendsthen—butitmademesohappy!AndIamhappynow,thankGod!an’Itakeapleasure,now,indoinglittlebitso’jobsformyneighbours—suchasapooroldbody’at’shalfblindcandoandtheytakeitkindlyofme,justashesaid.Yousee,Miss,I’mknittingapairo’stockingsnow—they’reforThomasJackson:he’saqueerisholdbody,an’we’vehadmanyaboutatthreaping,oneanentt’otheran’attimeswe’vedifferedsorely.SoIthoughtIcouldn’tdobetternorknithimapairo’warmstockingsan’I’vefelttolikehimadealbetter,pooroldman,sin’Ibegan.It’sturnedoutjustasMaisterWestonsaid.” “Well,I’mverygladtoseeyousohappy,Nancy,andsowise:butImustgonowIshallbewantedattheHall,”saidIandbiddinghergood-bye,Ideparted,promisingtocomeagainwhenIhadtime,andfeelingnearlyashappyasherself. AtanothertimeIwenttoreadtoapoorlabourerwhowasinthelaststageofconsumption.Theyoungladieshadbeentoseehim,andsomehowapromiseofreadinghadbeenextractedfromthembutitwastoomuchtrouble,sotheybeggedmetodoitinstead.Iwent,willinglyenoughandtheretooIwasgratifiedwiththepraisesofMr.Weston,bothfromthesickmanandhiswife.Theformertoldmethathederivedgreatcomfortandbenefitfromthevisitsofthenewparson,whofrequentlycametoseehim,andwas“anotherguesssortofman”toMr.Hatfieldwho,beforetheother’sarrivalatHorton,hadnowandthenpaidhimavisitonwhichoccasionshewouldalwaysinsistuponhavingthecottage-doorkeptopen,toadmitthefreshairforhisownconvenience,withoutconsideringhowitmightinjurethesuffererandhavingopenedhisprayer-bookandhastilyreadoverapartoftheServicefortheSick,wouldhurryawayagain:ifhedidnotstaytoadministersomeharshrebuketotheafflictedwife,ortomakesomethoughtless,nottosayheartless,observation,rathercalculatedtoincreasethandiminishthetroublesofthesufferingpair. “Whereas,”saidtheman,“MaisterWeston’ullpraywithmequiteinadifferentfashion,an’talktomeaskindasowtan’o