Page:The English Peasant.djvu/338

 At that time there was a person named Godfrey, an exciseman, in the town, a man of a stern and hard-favoured countenance, whom I took notice of for having a stick covered with white figures, and an inkbottle hanging at the button-hole of his coat. I imagined that man to be employed by God Almighty to take notice and keep an account of children's sins; and once I got into the market-house, and watched him very narrowly, and found that he was always in a hurry by his walking so fast; and I thought he had need to hurry, as he must have a deal to do to find out all the sins of children. I watched him out of one shop into another all about the town, and from that time eyed him as a most formidable being, and the greatest enemy I had in all the world, and would shun him if possible; but if he happened to meet me unawares in turning a corner, you might have struck me down with a feather; I hung down my head, bowed and scraped till I could get out of his sight, and then I fled when none but conscience pursued. This man was a terror to me a long time, and has caused me to say many prayers."

Gradually he learnt more of this great God, but only sufficient to make him terribly afraid.

"Punishment for sin I found was to be inflicted after death, therefore I hated the churchyard more than all the ground in the parish; and it was a rare thing to catch me there in the dark. I would travel any distance round about, rather than drag my guilty conscience over that enchanted spot."

When about six or seven years old he went to work with his mother's husband, who was a good man, but doubtless took a most melancholy view of life, as well he might. The work was threshing corn, and when the winnowing day came, which occurred about once in three weeks, the farmer allowed them a dinner. If it rained no winnowing could be done, and there would be no dinner.

As the boy sat watching the clouds, the thought, he says, "came into my mind, that God did everything contrary to people's desires; and that if I prayed for a fine day, it would surely rain; but if I swore I knew it would rain, then it certainly would not. I obeyed this wretched temptation, and swore several dreadful] oaths that I knew it would rain, and it cleared up and rained not.