■ €l)tap T&pmiiGri).

■ THE HI-iTORY OF

HESTER WlLMOT%

OR 3 THE

I NEW GOWN :

HElS'G A CONTINUATION OF THE

I SUNDAY SCHOOL,

PART II.

iiiiliijirMMS

_ Sold by HOWARD and EVANS,

■"ractoV , < T heap Re P° sitc>r y for Moral and Religion.
I- H Uth'a ^ ad J 2 ' Long-Lane, West-Smitbfieid, and
|A7 4Pn », D ' No> 190, Pic «di!Iv, London. By S.
l'wJcers^T ath; a:idby al] *Pi**$****, Newsmen, and

Great A n ° Wn :md

' S fll be m » de -o Shopkeepers and Hawk«r».

£ "1 / e »».V. 0r«* pn- Hundred.

©merrtj at &tafte4Ml,

HESTER WILMOT, & c .

T TESTER WILMOT, I am sorry to observe
JlJL had been by nature peevish, and lazy, slij
would now and then slight her work, and when i
mother was very unreasonable she was too aptt|
return her a saucy answer, but when she becameac
quainted with her own heart, and with the scripture?
these evil tempers were in a good measure .subdued
for she now learnt to imitate, not her violent mo
ther, but him who was meek and lowly. Whens
was scolded for doing ill she prayed for grace t
do better; and the only answer she made to 1
mother's charge, 4 'that religion only served I
make people lazy," was to strive to do twice a
much work, in order to prove, that it really mad
them diligent. The only thing in which shevel
tured to disobey her mother was, that when she 01
dered her to do week days work on a Sunt)
Hester cried, and said, "she did not dare disobe
God/' but to shew that she did not wish to sav
her own labour, she would do a double portion
work on the Saturday night, and rise two houl
earlier on the Monday morning. I
Once when she had worked very hard, her fll
ther told her she would treat her with a hoM
the following Sabbath, and take her a fine w^J
eat cakes and drink ale at Weston fern *J
though it was professed to be kept on the Moni

3

vet, to the disgrace of the village, always began on
\ he Sunday evening*. Rebecca, Who would on no
count have wasted the Monday, which was a
working day in idleness, and pleasure, thought -she
had a very good right to enjoy herself at the fair on
tie Sunday evening, as well as to take her children.
Hester earnestly begged to be left at home, and
her mother in a rage went without her. A wet walk
and more ale than she was used to drink , gave Re-
becca a dangerous fever; during this illness, Hester
who would not follow her to a scene of dissolute
mirth, attended her night and day, and denied her-
self necessaries that her sick mother might have
comforts. And though she secretiy prayed to God
that this sickness might change her mother's heart,
yet she never once reproached her, or put her in
mind, that it was caught by indulging in a sinful
pleasure. Another Sunday night her father told
Hester he thought she had been at School long
enough for him to have a Utile good of her learn-
ing so he desired she would stay at home and read
to him. Hester cheerfully ran and fetched her
Testament. But John fell a laughing, called her
a fool, and said, " it would be time enough to
read the Testament to him when he was going to
&'e, but at present he must have something merry."
k° saying, he gave her a song-book which he had
Picked up at -the Beii. Hester having cast her eyes,

* Tins praclice is too common. It is much to be wished that

ton /!' eS WOuJ:d P ut ? sl °P to ^ as Mr. Simpson did at Wcs-
W0 7,r.J ne of Mrs. J cues. There is another great evil

4 uVs Yp n ° tlCe ° f Jastlc ^ ; il1 many villages, during the fair,

. -op at private houses which have no licence, totfte ereat

m ot sobriety and good mora!*.

over it, refused to read it, saying, "she did not
dare offend God by reading what would hurt her
own soul.*' John called her a canting hypocrite
and said, he would put the Testament in the fire'
for there was not a more merry girl than she
was before she became religious. Her mother for
once took her part, not because she thought her
daughter in the right, but because she was glad of
any pretence to shew her husband was in the wrong;
though she herself would have abused Hester for
the same thing if John had taken her part. John,
with a shocking oath, abused them both, and went
off in a violent passion. Hester, instead of saying
one undutiful word against her father, took up a
Psalter in order to teach her little sisters, but Re-
becca was so provoked at her for not joining her
In her abuse of her husband, that she changed her
humour, said John was in the right, and Hester a
perverse hypocrite, who only made religion a pre-
tence for being undutiful to her parents. Hester
bore all in silence, and committed her cause to him
whojudgeth righteously. It would have been a
great comfort to her if she had dared to go and
open her heart to Mrs. Crew, and to have joined
in the religious exercises of the evening at. school
But her mother refused to let her,. saying, it would
only harden her heart in mischief. Hester said not
a word, but after having put the little ones to bed,
and heard them say their prayers, out of sight, she
went and sat down in her own little loft, and said
to herself, " it would be pleasant to me to have
taught my little sisters to read, I thought it was mj
duty ; for David has said, Gome ye children, beam
unto' me, t will teach you the fear of the Lord,
would have been still more pleasant to have passe

the evening at school, because T am still ignorant,
and fitter to learn than to teach ; but I cannot do
either without flying in the face of my mother ;
God sees fit to night to change my pleasant duties
into a painful trial, I give up my will, and I sub-
mit to the will of my father; but; when he orders
me tocommit a known sin, then 1 dare not do it, be-
cause, in so doing, I must disobey my father which
is in heaven. " Now it so fell out that this dispute
happened on the very Sunday next before Mrs.
Jones s yearly feast. On May-day all the school
attended her to church, each in a stuff gown of
their own earning, and a cap and white apron of her
giving. After church there was an examination
made into the learning and behaviour of the school;
those who were most perfect in their chapters and
brought the best character for industry, humility,
and sobriety, received a Bible, or some other good
book,

Now Hester had been a whole year hoarding up
her little savings in order to be ready with a new
gown on the May-day feast. She had never got
less than two shillings a week by her spinning, be-
sides working for the family, and earning a triflle by
odd jobs. This money she faithfully carried to
her mother every Saturday night, keeping back, by
consent, only two- pence a week towards the gown.
The sum was complete, the pattern had long been
settled, and Hester had only on the Monday morn-
jflgtogo to the shop,pay her money and bring home
W gown to be made. Her mother happened to
|° out that morning early to iron in a gentleman's
™miy, where she usually staid a iky or two, and
fester was busy putting the house in order before
s he went to the shop,

f

til

II

i 1»

On that very Monday there was to be a ffie&foW
at the Bell of all the idle fellows in the parish, 3<&§
Wilmot of course was to be there. Indeed he had
accepted a challenge of the Blacksmith to a batch
%t all fours. The Blacksmith was flush cf money,
John thought himself the be:,t player; and that he
might make sure of winning, he resolved to keep
himself sober, which he knew was more than the
other would do. John was so used to go upon tick
for ale, that he got to the door of the Bell before he
recollected that he could not keep his word with the
gambler without money, and he had not a penny
in his pocket, so he sullenly turned homewards.
He dared not apply to his wife, as he knew he
should be more likely to get a scratched face than
a sixpence from her 5 but he knew that Hester h id
received two shillings for her last week's spinning
on Saturday, and perhaps she might not yet have
given it to her mother. Of the hoarded sum he
knew nothing. He asked her if she could lend him
half-a crown and he would pay her nc^t day. Hester
pleased to see him in good humour after what had
passed the night before, ran up and fetched down
her little box, and, in the joy of her heart that he
jnow desired something she could comply with with-
out wounding her conscience, cheerfully poured
out her whole little stock upon the table. John
was in raptures at the sight of three half crowns
and a sixpence, and eagerly seized it, box and all,
together with a few hoarded halfpence at the bot-
tom, though he had only asked to borrow half *
crown. None but one whose heart was hardened
by a long course of drunkenness could have takflj
away the whole, and for such a purpose. He to
her she should certainly have it again next morn-

I • and indeed intended to pay it, not doubting

he should double the sum. But. John over-rated
t^own skill or luck, for he lost every farthing to
If Blacksmith, and sneaked home before midnight,
I d quietly walked up to-bed. He was quite sober,
Lhich Hester thought a good sign. Next morn-
W s j ie asked him in a very huunble way for the
fconey, which she said she would not have done,
fcut that if the gown was not bought directly it
■would not be ready in time for the feast. John's
L on srience bad troubled him a little for what he
End done* for when he was not drunk he was not
lllnatured, and he stammered out a broken excuse,
[but owned he had lost the money, and had not a
■farthing left. The moment Hester saw him mild
land kind', her heart was softened, and she begged
[him not to vex ; adding, that she would be con-
sented never to have a new gown as long as she
[lived, if she could have the comfor t of always see-
ing him come home as sober as he was last night.
For Hester did not know that he had refrained
from getting drunk, only that he might gamble with
a better chance of success, and that when a game-
ster keeps himself sober, it is not that he may prac-
|i e a virtue, but that he may commit a worse crime*
f 1 am indeed sorry for what I have done/' said he,
"you cannot go to the feast, and what will Madam
Jones say?' "Yes, but I can, (said Hester) for God
looks not at the gown, but at the heart, and i am sure
lie sees mine full of gratitude at hearing you talk so
kindly ; and if 1 thought my dear father would change
m present evil courses, I should be the happiest
gul at the feast to morrow." John w r aiked away
Mournfully, and said to himself, surely there

roust be something in religion since it can &

now

change the heart. Hester was a pert girl, a

she is as mild as a lam b. She was an indent
and now she is up with the lark. She Was a 1
girl, and would do any thing for a new f^Q
and now she is contented to go in rags to a f j
at which every one else will have anew gown Si
deprived herself of the gown to give me the feoj
and yetthis very girl so dutiful m some things J
submit to be turned out of doors rather than rej
a loose book at my command, or break the Sabbath
I do not understand this, there must be some nJ
tery in it." All this he said as he was going to world
In the evening he did not go to the Bell, whether it
was owing to his new thoughts or to his not hav,
ing a penny in his pocket, I will not take upon me
positively to say, but I believe it was a little of one
and a little of *he other.

As the pattern of the intended gown had long
been settled in the family, and as Hester had the
money by her, it was looked on as good as bought,

so that she was trusted to get it brought home
jnade in her mother s absence. Indeed so little
did Rebecca care about the school, that she would
not have cared any thing about the gown, if her
vanity had not made her wish that her daughter
should be the best drest of any girl at the feast)
Bef*£ from home, as was said before, she new no-
thing of the disappointment. On May-day morning
Hester, instead of keeping from the feast because
had not a newgown.or meanly inventing any excise
dressed herselr out as neatly as she couid in her p or
old things, and went to join the school in o) der to go
to church. Whether Hester had formerly indulge
a little pride of heart, arid talked of this gownra*

I 9

L €r too much, I am not quite sure, certain it is,
fcere was a gre.at hue and cry made at seeing Hes-
ter V. 'iimot, the neatest girl, the most industrious
l} r l in the school, come to the May-day feast in an
Kid stuff gown, when every other girl was so ere-
iitably drest Indeed, 1 am- sorry to say, there
Kyeretwo or three much too smart tor their station*
■nd who had dizened themselves out in very impro-
per finery which Mrs Jones made them take off
■ei we her. " I mean this feast,' 1 said she, " as a
■eward of industry and piety, and not as a trial of
Skill who can be hnest, and outvie the re. t in show^
If i do not take care my feast will become an en-
■ouragement, not to virtue, but to vanity. I am su>
■rear a friend to decency ofapparel that i even like
■usee you deny your appetites that you may be
■ble to come decently dressed to the house of God.
»o encourage you to do this, I like to set apart this
■neday of innocent pleasure against which you may
le preparing all the year, by laying aside something
■very week towards buying a gown out of your
■tuV savings. But, let me tell you that, meekness
■nuan humble spirit is of more value in the sight
|< God and good men than the gayest cotton gown,
■r the brightest pink ribbon in the parish."

■ Mrs. Jones, for ail this, was as much surprised as
Pe rest at Hester's mean garb : but such is the

■ wer ol a good character, that she gave her credit
P r aright intention, especially as she knew the un-
PPPy state of her family. For it was Mrs. Jones's
| a y ;and it is not a bad way) always,to wait, and
Pqwre into the truth, before she condemned any
I }. of good character, though appearances were

KK Cm i " AS WC Cann0t i urf ge of people's

■ said she, "we may from ignorance often

10

condemn their best actions, and approve of theif
worst. It will be always time enough to j Uc L
unfavourably, and let us give others credit as io^
as we can, and then we in our turn may expect
a favourable judgment from others/' Hester was
no more proud of what she -had done for her fa.
ther than she- was humbled by the meanness of
her garb, and though Betty Stiles, one of the gu3
whose finery had been taken away, sneered at her,
Hester never offered to clear herself by exposing
her father, though she thought it right secretly
to inform Mrs. Jones of what had past. When
the examination of the girls began, Betty Stiles
was asked some questions on the fourth and fifth
commandments, which she answered very well,
Hester was asked nearly the same questions, and
though she answered them no better than Betty had
done? they were all surprised to see Mrs. Jones
r ;, P u o and give a handsome Bible to Hester, while
she raVfc nothing to Betty. This girl cried otitrj
thc/pertly, "Madam; it is very hard that havj
no book/ 1 was as perfect as Hester. '—"}
often told you," said Mrs. Jones, -that religion;
not a thing of the tongue but of the heart. -
*\r\ give*me the test proof thai she has earned
fourth commandment to good purpose, who pei^M
in keeping holy the Sabbath day, though commanj
ed to break it by a parent whom she lovcb J
ihat girl best proves that she keeps the iittn, i
fctf&'Hsp her own comfort and cloat hing, aiK.c
to honour and obey her father *d mother, M
though 'they are not such as she couid WJsn. j
Stiles, though she could answer the questions ^
went a nutting last Sunday when sheshouia

II

at school, and refused to nurse her sick mo-

■ when she coaid not help herself."

farmer Hoskins, who scood by, whispered to
■-Jones, ' "Well, Madam, now you have con-
l ce a even me of the benefit of religious instruc-
W : i. I see there is a meaning to it. I thought
las in at one ear and out at the other, and that
In- was as well as a psalm ; but now I have found
■proof of the pudding is in the eating, I seeyour
fchrs must do what they bear, and obey what
% learn. Why, at this rate, they will all be the
- servants for being really godly, and so I will

■ a pudding to next year's feast,"
The pleasure Hester felt in receiving a new

|e, made her forget that she had on an old
n. She walked to church in a thankful frame;
how great was her joy, when she saw, among
raber of working men, her own father going
church. As she past by him she cast on him a
of so much joy and affection that it brought
Is into his eyes, especially when he compared her
|n dress to that of the other girls, and thought
" had been the cause of it. John, who had'
be en at church for some years, was deeply
ick with the service. The confession with which
■ens ; went to his heart. He felt, for the first
that he was «a miserable sinner, and that
F.^r no health in him." He now felt com-
■ tlo n tor sin in general, though it was only his

ISn^ t0 ^ S daUght6r Whidl had brou « ht
InPi) sermon was such as served to

I s nen the impression which the prayers had

lers ff ? itWas ° ver > instead of J° min g ^ e

ich T l° r \ e hel{x y was the onl y P art the
1 Joi)n ^ked, because it usually kd to th e

IS

alehouse) he quietly walked back to his work, ]
was indeed the best day's work he ever made, u
could not get out of his head the whole day the jl
words he had heard at church. r * When the wick|
man turneth away from his wickedness and dothty
which is lawfuland right, he shallsavehis soulalivl
At night, instead of going to the Bell, he wen
home, intending to ask Hester to forgive him ; J
as soon as he got to the door, he heard Rebec
rating his daughter for having brought such
disgrace on the family as to be seen in tl
old rag of a gown, and insisted on knowing wl
she had done with the money. Hester tried
keep the secret, but her mother declared l
would turn her out of doors if she did not tellthi
truth. Hester was at last forced to confess shek
given it to her father. Unfortunately for po
John it was at this very moment he opened!
door. The mother now divided her tury betwee"
her guilty husband and her innocent child,]
from words she fell to blows.. John defend,
his daughter, and received some of the strokes
tended for the poor girl. This turbu lent sc
partly put John's good resolutions to flight, m
the patience of Hester did him almost as,
,r od as the sermon he had heard. At lengtn th
girl escaped upstairs not a little bruised
scene of much violence passed between Joftj
Rebecca. She declared she would not sii
to supper with such a brute, and set o
- x.eighbour'shouse, that she might ^vethe p ea,
of abusing him. the longer. John, wj»
ww much disturbed, went upstairs ^MJ
supper. As he was pasing by Hestei
he heard her voice, and aa he concluded t»

1

3

■nfinfr bitter complaints against her unnatural pa-
■ts/he stopped to listen, resolving to go in and
|r,foi't her. He stopped at the door, fot by
1 light of the mron he saw her kneeling by her
Iside, and praying so earnestly that she did nat
fcrhim. Hs he made sure she could be praying

■ nothing but his death, what, was his surprise to
■r these words. " O Lord, have mercy upon

■ dear father and mother, teach me to love them,
■pray for them, and to do them good, make me
lore dutiful and more patient, that, adorning the
Bjtrine of God my Saviour, I may recommend

■ holy religion, 2nd my dear parents may be
Bught to love, and fear thee."

■oor John, who would never have been hard-
hearted if he had not been a drunkard, could not
Bid this, he fell down on his knees, embraced

■ child, and begged her to teach him how to
Jy. He prayed himself as well as he could, and
|ugh he did not know what words to use, yet

heart was melted ; he owned he was a sinner,
begged Hester to fetch the prayer-book, and
over the confession with which he had been
■truck at church. This was the pleasantest order

■ had ever obeyed. Seeing him deeply affected
| a sense of sin, she pointed out to him the Sa*
irofsiftnera; and in this mannershe passed some
pvvitji her father/ which were the happiest of
1] fe; such a night was worth a hundred cotton,

silk gowns. In the course of the week
■ te r read over the confession, and some other
■ers, to her father, so often that he got them

■ n*' re P eated them while he was at work.

■ at length he took courage to kneel down and

■ oetore he went to bed, From that time he

wit

>r

ie h
tioj

14

bore his wife's ill humour much better than!
ever done, and as he knew her to be neat and™
ble, and saving, lie began to think, that i
temper was not quite so bad, his home might S (
become as pleasant a place to him a . the 3
had been; but unless she became more trai ,
he did not know what to do with his long evetj
after the little ones were in bed, for he beganoq
more tp delight in playing with them. Hestetj
posed that she should teach them to read an I
every night, and he consented. Rebecca begd
ptofrii from the mere trick she had got of std
jog. but finding that he now brought home
his earnings, and that she. got both ids money]
his company (for she had once loved him I she be
to reconcile herself to this new way of life, f
few months John could read a psalm; m led
to read it he also got it by heart, and this prJ
a little store for private devotion, ind whiJ
wrs mowing he would call to mind a text to ct
his labor. He now went constantly to cW
and o f tcn dropped in at the school on a Sunday*
in- to hear their prayers. He expressed so nj
pleasure at this, that one day Hester ^
a4c him if they should set up ianrdy !>¥
home. John said he should like it mMl
said he could not yet read quite we! enoughJ
sired Hester to try to get a proper book and
next Sunday night. Hester had
Hawker fbr three pence the iiook of El aye H
ted for the Cheap Repository, ,
4 1, and 42, Long-lane, West-smithfield L
Wlien Hester read the exhortation at jn
; r ,g ot this little book, her mother, «l.o

15

the corner, and pretended to be. asleep, was so
much struck that she could not find a word tols^f
gainst it, For & few nights, indeed, she : cohtif
lueti to sit still, or pretended to i ccl; the v8iin&

lb. ^ * — - . ? V »*

hiid while her husband and daughter were kneei-
ng at their prayers. She expected John would
live scolded her for this, and so perverse was her
enrper, that she was disappointed at his finding no

he was very pa-

"r.

Seeing at last

lult Wifh h

lent, and that though he prayed fervently hinuelf
(he suffered her tp do as she liked, she lost the
pit of opposition for want of something to pro-
Lice it. As her pride began to be subdued, some
little disposition, of piety was awakened in her heart.

y degrees she slid down on her knees, though at
li t it was behind the cradle, or the clock, or ir~
lorne corner where she thought they would nc
lee her. Hester rejoiced even in this outward
Range of her mother, and prayed that God would
| last be pleased to touch her heart as he had done
■flat of her father.

■ As John now spent no idle money, he had saved
|pa trifle by working over hours/ this he kindly
Pered to Hester, to make up the loss of her gqwn
T^ead of accepting it, Hester told him, that &
, e herself was young and healthy, she should
| u:i " e abie to clothe herself out of her own
Kf/" d be ^ ed Wtn to make her mother a ore-
| U o, th ;s gown, which he did. It bad been a max-
|H| Kececca that it was better not to go to church
l' f ; r t ' lan t0 6°, Ola gown. She had, however,
| m conquered this evil notion, that she had Ia!c
|^ pretty a en . This kindness of the gowa
leaner not a little, and the first Sunday she
I ' Mr - Simpson happened to preach from

is

this text, "God reststeth the proud, but giveth
grace to the humble/' This sermon so affectel
Rebecca that she never once thought she hid he]
new gown on, till she came to take it off when she
went to bed, and that veiy night instead of skulk,
ing behind, she knelt down by her husband.

There was one thing sunk deep in Rebecca's
ftiind, she had observed, that since her husband had
grown reli gious he had been so careful not to give
her any oUence, that he was become scrupulously
clean ; took off his dirty shoes before he sat down
and was very cautious not to spill a drop of beef
on her shining table. Now it was rather remark:
able, that as John grew more neat Rebecca grew 1
more indifferent to neatness. But both these changed
arose troni the same cause, the growth of religion
in their hearts. John grew cleanly from the fed
pf giving pain to his wife, while Rebecca grew inn
different from having discovered the sin and vaniti
of an over anxious care about trifles.

Hester continues to grow in grace and in knowj
le&gL - Last Christmas day she was appointed ad
imder teacher in the school, and many people thinil
that some years hence, if any thing should happi
to Mrs. Crew, Hester may be promoted to be heal
mistress.

THE END,

Howard & Evans, Printer*, Loag-lane, WwUsxmthEeld, London,