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THE HISTORY OF

DILIGENT DICK;

OR,

Truth will out though it be hid in a Well.

falfe witnefs fhall not go unpunished, and he who fpeaketh lies fall perish.

DON'T be frightened, Reader! Although I

fet out with a text, I am not going to preach a fermon, but to tell a ftory. On the right fide of Marfh-moor common, and not more than five hundred yards out of the turnpike road, stood a lone cottage, inhabited by one Richard Rogers, a day-laborer, commonly called DILLIGENT DICK. Though poor, he was as much noted for his honefty as for the care and industry with which he had brought up a large family in a very decent manner. About fifteen years ago, in the month of January, there fuddenly fell a deep fnow, attended by fuch a high wind, that many travellers loft their lives in it. When all on a fudden, as Rogers and his family were crowding round a handful of fire to catch a last heat before they went to bed, they heard a doleful cry of "Help! help! for God's fake help!"-Up ftarted Rogers in an inftant, when clapping the end of a farthing candle into a broken horn lanthern, and catching up his ftaff, out he fallied, directing his feps towards the fpot, from whence

the cries came. In one of the fand-pits he found a gentleman who had fallen from his horfe, and was nearly buried in the fnow. Rogers, though with much difficulty, at length dragged him out, and after fecuring the horfe, conveyed them both home.

The gentleman appeared elderly, and seemed almoft perished with cold; for a long time he was quite fpeechlefs, his jaws appeared locked, and it was only by inward groans they could perceive he had any remains of life in him, fo benumbed an ftiffened was he with cold. After they had rubbed his limbs for fome time before the fire, the gentleman by degrees recovered hinfelf, and began to thank Rogers and his wife, whom he faw bufied about him, as well as his children.

Sir," faid Betty Rogers, although we be poor in pocket, we may nevertheless be kind in heart." Hear the ftranger, after fetching a deep figh, faid, "if his life were granted him, he hoped it would be in his power to reward them for their kindness." Rogers replied, "that what he had done for him, he would have done for his worst enemy." Here the gentleman groaned heavily, faying he had been long fick himself, and that he could not enough admire the healthy looks of Rogers's children.

"Bleffed be God, fir," faid Rogers," although my family is numerous, I never paid a fhilling for doctor's stuff in my life, nor do I even know the price of a coffin; if my wealth is fmall, my wants are few, and though I know I

am a finner, and need daily repentance, yet my confcience is quiet, for I have knowingly done wrong to no man, nor would I forfeit my peace of mind, fir, to become the richest man in Old England. I am not covetous of wealth, fir, fince I have feen how little comfort they often enjoy who poffefs it; the honeft man, fir, fleeps foundly on the hardest bed, whilft he who has "made too much hafte to be rich," may lie down on the fofteft bed with an aching heart, but fhall not be able to find reft." All this while Betty Rogers fat puffing and blowing the fire with a pair of broken nofed bellows in order to boil her kettle, to make the gentleman a difh of her coarse bohea tea, as fhe had no fpirits or liquor of any kind, except fpring water, to of fer him: fhe alfo toafted a bit of bread, though fhe had no butter to rub over it; this fhe hoped the gentleman would excufe, fince many of the farmers were fo extortionate in their price of butter and cheefe, that fome of their laborers live, for the greater part of their time, on bread only, or a few potatoes.

Here the gentleman attempted to partake of Betty's tea and toaft, when all at once he began to tremble all over fo exceedingly, that he begged fhe would fet it down for the prefent, for if he was to attempt to fwallow it, he was certain it would choak him. "It is but cold comfort to be fure, fir," said Rogers, "we have to of fer you; but nevertheless we muft hope you will take the will for the deed. I fuppofe, fir, you

are very rich, and yet you now fee, that all the wealth in the world cannot help a man in certain fituations. I had a pretty education, fir, and I remember when I was a boy at school to have read the hiftory of a great king, who, when harraffed by the enemy, and being overcome with thirst, was thankful to a poor foldier who brought him a draught of cold water in his helmet, which he drank off greedily, faying, that amidst all his pomp he had never tasted such luxury as that cup of water yielded him. So you fee, fir, what ftrange ups-and-downs there are in life; therefore people of all degrees fhould be careful to keep pride out of their hearts, fince the most profperous man to-day, may be thankful for the poor man's affiftance to morrow." "And after all," cried Betty Rogers, "high and low, rich and poor, fhould pray daily for God's grace, fince that alone can give peace to their poor fouls when the hour of affliction cometh. But, blefs me," cried fhe, clafping her hands, "what fhall we do, our laft inch of candle is burnt out." "Then," faid Rogers, "we must content ourselves, my Betty, with paffing the reft of the night in the dark." The gentleman faid he must be content to do as they did. "Many is the dark night, fir," faid Richard, "have I fat by my dames's bed-fide when fhe had been fick or lying-in, endeavoring to make up to her in kindness what I could not provide for her in comforts, when I have not had the leaft glim

mering of light, but what came from the twinkling ftars through our tattered casement.

"Amidft all our poverty, fir, we have ever been the happiest pair in each other. It is a brave thing, fir, to be able, by the grace of God, to drive pride out of the cottage, when poverty enters in; for fin is the father of fhame. man, fir, amidst the extremeft poverty, yet may stand high in the favor of God, by patience, prayer, and a hearty faith in his Redeemer."

A

Here the ftranger appeared under very great diftrefs both of body and mind; he fhivered all over as if he had an ague fit upon him, and by a little blaft, which was just then lighed up, they perceived he looked as pale as death; they begged him to lie down on their bed, faying, "it was very clean, though it was ill provided with fheets and blankets." "O my good people." cried the gentleman, "your goodness will be the death of me; the kindnefs of your hearts proves to me the unkindness of my own: No, go you to bed, and let me fit here till morning." "That," Rogers faid, "they could not do." The gentleman then replied, he should be glad if Rogers would give him a little hiftory of himfelf and family to beguile the time.

"That I will do moft readily, fir," said he, "if fo be it will oblige you in the leaft.--My name is Rogers, although my neighbors are pleafed to call me DILIGENT DICK. I have a wife and feven children; I rife with the lark,

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