Page:History of Charles Jones, the footman (1).pdf/3



father, George Jones, commonly called Black George, on account of his swarthy complexion, was one of the most industrious men in thothe [sic] whole village. His cottage, which was his own, and partly built by his own hands, stands on the common; about a stone's throw from the road, near the great Oak tree, in the parish of King's Charleton in Somersetshire. The Lord of the Manor having granted him leavoleave [sic] to inclose a bit of the common for a garden, my father had got a thriving young orchard and a long strip of potatoes, besides his cottage, all the produce of his own industry. It used to be a favourablofavourable [sic] saying with him, that no man to whom God had given two hands, had ever need to want. 'For my part, says he; I never knew what want was. When I am sick, the club supports me, and when I am well, I warrant I'll support myself. My mother, besides being equally industrious, was much more religious, and therefore much happier. She was as good and sweet tempered a woman as any in the world; for constancy at her duty, friendship, civility to her neighbours, cleanliness in her own person, her house and her children, shoshe [sic] had not her fellow. But the most remarkable thing in her (I am afraid a very uncommon thing) was her steady and uninterrupted practice of family prayer. It must have been a hard day's work {{hws|in|indeed}