ance. Nothing therefore remained, but to reconcile myself as cheerfully as it was in my power, to an uninteresting, monotonous life at Bedale, and to endeavour once more to make myself useful there.

Another difficulty pressed upon me; I had made my decision to secede from Trinitarian worship, whenever it should be in my power to join any other society of Christians, whose principles appeared more conformable to what I believed to be the truth of Scripture. But at Bedale I had no choice. I must either continue to attend the Established Church, or totally abstain from all public worship. The manner too in which the service was performed there, even if I had not objected to the principles upon which it was founded, was dull, and unedifying ;-and respecting the sermons, scarce a single ray of light was ever irradiated from the mass of contradictory assertions, with which they usually abounded; and thus it happened, that the return of Sunday, which formerly, and more especially at Catterick, I had been wont to anticipate with unfeigned delight, was now as constantly expected by me, with a mixed sentiment of disapprobation and grief.

During this year however, an unexpected event occasioned a temporary interruption of the dull uniformity of a Bedale life. Mr. Baron Winn had a large estate left him in Yorkshire, of which he came into the country to take possession; and he so earnestly requested that my mother and myself would spend the following

Christmas with him and his little girl in London, that we consented and went thither accordingly. We found that he had relinquished his situation of Baron of the Exchequer in Scotland, and had been created a baronet; and that having lost his beloved companion, whose turn of mind was perfectly domestic, he had entered much more into the vortex of fashionable life than formerly, and had continual engagements at the crowded assemblies of the gay and the dissipated; appearing to enjoy, at the same time that he probably despised, their folly and frivolity. We repeated our visit the following summer holidays, but, notwithstanding these excursions gave me the privilege of seeing my friends in Essex-street, of attending the chapel there, and of witnessing its increasing success; yet were they attended by so many in convenient and painful circumstances, both to my mother and myself, and seemed to answer so very little purpose to any other person, that we determined not to repeat them any more. I promised Sir George Winn however, if he would bring his little girl to his seat in Yorkshire, I would meet her there, or that if she were ill, and he desired it, that I would go to her immediately, either in London, or in any other part of the world.

The remainder of the year 1776, and the beginning of 1777, with the exception of a few short excursions, were principally spent at Bedale; not very pleasantly indeed, for most of the events connected with our situation there, during that period, such as the sickness and death of a female

relation of my mother's, under our own roof, &c. were of a melancholy cast, but these I do not. enumerate, as they did not involve in them any consequences particularly connected with my immediate design, in committing to paper this narrative.

My brother was now become desirous that we should join him at Stank-house, to which we at length consented; but my mother determined to continue her house at Bedale, and that we should merely go to him on the footing of a visit. A lonely farm-house appeared at first to be a situation sufficiently desolate; it did not however turn out so; there were some tolerable rooms in it; we were near a large colliery, and could have excellent fires in every room in winter; my brother had a London newspaper, which we received, together with our letters, three times in the week ;-he took in the Monthly Review, and Gentleman's Magazine;-and we had some very worthy, intelligent neighbours, within the compass of a moderate walk. But what was of more consequence to me than all the rest, we were only seven miles distant from Leeds, and as my brother's horses were at liberty on the Sunday, I usually attended dissenting worship there, at Millhill chapel; rising very early in the morning, for that purpose; in winter, long before it was light, not regarding the weather, and the nearly impassable roads, as we had a wet moor to cross, on which were the remains of many former coalpits and I frequently got there before the family, at whose house I was always very kindly

*

These

welcomed, had come down to breakfast. were days to me of pure enjoyment. The worship was conducted by my late very worthy friend Mr. Wood, in a rational and highly impressive manner. He was a person of extensive learning, superior talents, and of a very amiable disposition. His sermons were highly interesting, his ideas often new, and irradiated by the light of genius. With Mrs. Dawson, the lady at whose house I was so kindly received at Leeds, I had the happiness of forming a very sincere friendship. She had great goodness of heart, a highly cultivated understanding;-in her manners, she was quite the gentlewoman, and of an integrity so inflexible, and of a benevolence so unbounded, that she was the first favourite of Dr. Priestley, the predecessor of Mr. Wood at Mill hill, and always particularly distinguished by him. During the latter years of her life, a series of slight paralytic attacks, threw a shade over these fine qualities; but it was remarkable, that at times, especially when she saw an old friend, the power of forming strong associations, for a few moments restored those intellectual powers, which the loss of memory appeared to have wholly obliterated. In one of my last visits, she said to me, adverting to her own situation, "Ah, you see that every thing in this world is liable to change, but I am certain that all is for the best, and I know you think so too.-I have

* See Memoirs of the late Rev. William Wood, by the Rev. Charles Wellbeloved.

still many blessings, and particularly in two exemplary daughters, who attend upon me with unexampled patience and unwearied affection." She died a few years ago, at the advanced age of eighty five.

CHAPTER 23.

The Author assists her friend Mrs. Eamonson, in establishing a female benefit club....In abridging a work of Mr. Hanway's....Singular trait of character in a new acquaintance....Her extraordinary piety and benevolence.... Pecuniary anxiety respecting the result of farming plans and experiments.

AMONG the most valuable of our near neighbours at Stank-house, was the late worthy Mrs. Eamonson, who lived at Lazencroft, at the distance of about a mile and a half; she possessed an excellent understanding, which was continually exercised in forming plans of usefulness and benevolence. Soon after we went into the neighbourhood, she communicated to me a project she had much at heart, of establishing a female benefit club, for the assistance principally, of the wives and daughters of the numerous colliers, scattered over a neighbouring common, or resident in the adjoining villages. The idea was quite new to me, but I thought the plan likely to be so useful, that I gave her all the assistance in my power, and at length we completely suc