mitted her; and many a maternal tear accompanied me still further, after I had taken leave of her, deeply affected. Ah, my good mother! never shall I forget the moment when, sobbing, I hung on thy neck, on the point of leaving thee for the first time, and removing to a distance! Although thou didst not, at that time, know the Saviour as I now know him, yet thou didst send up many a sigh to him on my behalf, that he would aid and protect me in this licentious and dangerous world, on which I was entering, without knowing either it, or myself, or the Saviour. May he recompense thee for thy faithful and maternal solicitude!

My mother's prayer was heard. Although I did not know the Lord, yet he knew me, and has never forsaken me. When I now look back upon the past years of my life, I feel astonished at the infinite love and patience of my Heavenly Father, with which he held me in his arms, and recalled me from so many aberrations; and in the consciousness of my unworthiness, I may well exclaim with Jacob, "I am not worthy of all the mercy and faithfulness which thou

hast shown to thy servant!" I left my parents' house, more defenceless than a dove ; but I was placed amongst thorns, and these were my protection. "Bless the Lord, O my soul! and forget not all his benefits!"

My situation with the farmer, into whose service I had entered, was attended with many difficulties, which, however, I did not regard in a very painful light, for I had been early habituated to labour and privation. At four in the morning I was obliged to rise and work, and after that, tend the flocks. There being scarcely anything but heath all around, and the summer being very dry, I was often compelled to bear being scolded and cursed, because I could find no better pasture; and no attention was paid to my assurances, that I had done my best, and ought not to be blamed for the barrenness of the soil. Besides this, I was not treated very well: in the morning, only some milk, and bread made of oats and chaff were given me; at noon, oatmeal pottage, and the same kind of bread, and in the evening, the same again. However, I should have thought myself very fortunate,

had I had enough even of this kind of food to satisfy my hunger; but of this there was a deficiency, and I was obliged to learn from experience, that "man liveth not by bread alone." Thus I was very poor in everything that belongs to this world; and how easily might I have consoled and raised myself above it, had I known, at that time, what I now know, that my citizenship is in heaven, and that I am therefore richer than the Emperor of China, with all his multitude of subjects, or the Emperor of Russia, who possesses such an extent of territory.

When I think of this, the Dalecarlian often recurs to me, who worked as a daylabourer on the grounds of a rich gentleman in the neighbourhood of Stockholm. The latter, one day, whilst taking a walk, entered into conversation with the labouring man, and said to him, 66 Do you know to whom that estate near the lake belongs?" "No," said the labourer. "It belongs to me. And that yonder, near the wood, and the castle on the hill-do you know whose they are?" "No." "They are mine also; nay, all

that you see here is mine." The Dalecarlian stood still a moment, plunged his spade into the soil, took off his cap, pointed towards heaven, and said, with a deep voice, "Is that yours also?" Let no one boast of his possessions, who cannot answer this question in the affirmative.

But however poor I was, and certainly none of you would have exchanged places with me, yet occasionally something occurred to console and encourage me. Once, during that summer, I experienced a great pleasure; for I was one day permitted to go to church, and on arriving there, I found my father there also. My joy was so great that I felt it uncommonly difficult to part with him so soon again; but yet I was obliged to go. However, I was almost always satisfied with my wretched situation, and was even happy, according to my standard of happiness at that time. Certainly, had I been able to employ my solitary hours, for Ț seldom saw a human being for days together, in holding social converse with my Saviour, and spending the time in inter

course with him, I should have been still more happy; but at that time I understood nothing of it.

There was, however, one circumstance which made my situation sometimes painful to me; and that was my desire to learn. As soon as the impulse to study was excited within me, I no longer felt happy; for in the circumstances in which I was then placed, there was no hope of ever having this wish satisfied. Whenever it became very lively in me, I ascended some large stone, and preached to the best of my knowledge and ability to my cows, sheep, and lambs. But these disobedient hearers had neither patience nor inclination to listen to my discourse, but ran about indifferently, hither and thither; and I was then, to my sorrow, compelled immediately to say "Amen!" and collect my scattered auditory again.

The wolves also caused me many a sorrowful hour, being too weak to drive them away; and if they had carried off any of the flock, the blame would have been laid solely upon me. If every pastor endeavoured to keep off the wolves from his flock with