Page:Death bed, or, Patience & resignation (to the will of God) displayed.pdf/15

 burſt into tears, they ſmote their hands together, the children clung about their father's knees, he claſped them by turns to his boſom. Mrs. Parker comforted them in the beſt manner the could, and declared her readineſs to fulfil the requeſt which Suſan had made to her. The cottage ſhe inhabited was very near to Thomas Daviſon, ſo that ſhe could ſtep in very frequently, and ſhe had a daughter fourteen years old, a very handy notable girl, whom ſhe employed to look after the little Daviſons, and now that Thomas was in work he could afford to pay her for doing ſo; by theſe means the two families helped each other. Thomas was ſo very induſtrious, that he was greatly noticed by the 'ſquire, who hearing an account of his diſtreſſes, was ſo kind as to give him ſomething towards paying his debts, and the 'ſquire's lady bought clothes for the children, and put ſome of them to ſchool; with theſe helps, and hard work, Thomas got on very well.

Robert had a great deſire to be a gardener, and Richard Parker having no boy of his own, hired him to work with him. The firſt week he inſiſted upon working for nothing, and could ſcarcely be prevailed on to leave off in the evening, ſo very deſirous he was of making ample amends for the apples; for ſeveral years after this he was a moſt truſty ſervant to Richard Parker, who