378 Esther WharncUff ; {Oct. 



widely spread over the land. On the accession of Mary in 1553, and 

 her subsequent marriage with the tyrannical Philip the Second of Spain, 

 the Catholic faith had been again established as the religion of the state ; 

 and, prompted by her own cruel disposition and the audacious bigotry 

 of her advisers, the queen authorised the most barbarous and unre- 

 lenting persecution of all who dared even to read the scriptures in their 

 native tongue. But obstinacy and hypocrisy v.ere, as usual, the chief 

 effects of persecution ; and those purer spirits to whom the sacred writ- 

 ings had once been unfolded, were no longer to be deprived of their con- 

 solation. 



Amongst this number was Esther Wharncliff j and misfortunes, which 

 had fallen heavy upon her, perhaps made her more sensible of the beau- 

 ties of scripture, and more tenacious of its possession. From these she 

 had first drank in the words of comfort; and from these, when her 

 fellow-beings deserted her, she derived that calm humility Avhich cheer- 

 fully submits to the decrees of Heaven. She had experienced bitter 

 vicissitudes in a short life ; but now, aware that the hope is strongest 

 whose accomplishment is placed in eternity, she eaily endeavoured to 

 awaken holiness in the mind of her child. 



As if to assist her endeavours, the boy seemed endowed by nature 

 with humility and reverence. Debarred from all association with others 

 of his age, his gentle and affectionate mind eagerly received his mother's 

 lessons, and, with an vmderstanding beyond his years, he was soon able 

 to feel the beauties of the sacred Vv-ritings. To him only, though so 

 young, could Esther talk of her sorrows ; and it was little to be won- 

 dered at, that, taught by her to consider tlie world but as a vale of 

 tears — the passage to eternity, he became thoughtful, without the habits 

 and propensities of childhood, and loving rather to hearken to the dis- 

 courses of the old, than share in the sports of the young. 



To his mother the little Walter was inexpressibly dear ; all other 

 affections had died awaj^ or been rudely rooted from her heart, and the 

 tenderness of her nature now centred with redoubled force in her child. 

 He was her only tie to life — the sole object of her toil ; and as, with 

 weary fingers and aching heart, she often laboured far into the middle of 

 the night, the thought of her helpless boy would inspire her with 

 renewed energy. 



She was long silent on the evening we have described her, and seldom 

 noticed the occasional pauses in his discourse. It might be that, as she 

 caught the sounds of merriment from other apartments, she thought of 

 the revelries she had once shared at her father's heartii ; and it might 

 be, she grieved that her child was deprived of all the amusements of 

 youth ; or thought of her own deeply-repented error, by which they 

 were thus degraded. 



" Walter !" she at length said, suddenly starting up, and dashing off 

 the gathering tears, " it grows late ; you must go to rest : lay by your 

 book for to-night." 



The boy silently obeyed, and having deposited the sacred volume in 

 its ordinary place of concealment, di-ew near his mother, and knelt for 

 her blessing. 



" Not yet, my child !" she continued, raising him to her bosom ; 

 " you must have food. It is long since we made our meal ; and though 

 I have little to give you, yet, by God's blessing, M'e shall be richer to- 

 morrow." 



