Since this one talent Thou hast granted me,
I give Thee thanks, and joy, in blessing
Thee That I am worthy any.
I would not hide or bury it, but rather
Use it for Thee and Thine, O Lord and Father
And make one talent many.
We may be sure that various were the influences tending to mold the character of Mary Jones during the years of her school-life, confirming in her the wonderful steadfastness of purpose and earnestness of spirit for which she was remarkable, as well as fostering the tender and loving nature that made her beloved by all with whom she had to do.
Her master, John Ellis (who afterward was stationed at Barmouth), seems to have been a conscientious and able teacher, and we may infer that he took no small part in the development of the mind and heart of a pupil who must always have been an object of special interest from her great intelligence and eagerness to learn.
But as the years passed, the time came for John Ellis to change his sphere of labor. He did so, and his place was taken by a man, a sketch of whose story may perhaps not inappropriately be given here, as that of the teacher under whom Mary Jones was being instructed at the time when a great event occurred in her history, an event the recounting of which we leave for the next chapter.
The successor to John Ellis was Lewis Williams, a man who from a low station in life, and from absolute ignorance, rose to a position of considerable influence and popularity; from an utterly heedless and godless life, to be a God-fearing and noble-minded Christian.
He was a man of small size, and from all that we can learn of his intellect and talents we can hardly think that they were of any high order. But what he lacked in mental gifts he made up in iron resolution, in a perseverance which was absolutely sublime in its determination not to be baffled.
He was born in Pennal in the year 1774 his parents were poor, but of them nothing further is known.
Like other boys at that time, and in that neighborhood, he was wild and reckless, breaking the Sabbath continually, and otherwise drawing upon himself the censure of those with whom he was acquainted.
But when he was about eighteen years old he chanced on one occasion to be at a prayer-meeting, when a Mr. Jones, of Mathafarn, was reading and expounding the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans.
The word of God, thus made known to Lewis Williams in perhaps a fresh and striking manner, was the means of carrying home to his hitherto hard heart the conviction of sin; and a change was from that time observed in him, which gradually deepened, until none could longer doubt that he had become an earnest and consistent Christian.
On the occasion of his requesting to be admitted to membership in a little Methodist church at Cwmllinian, he was asked (probably as one of the test questions), " If Jesus Christ asked you to do some work for Him, would you do it?" His answer gives us the key to his success: "Oh yes; whatever Jesus required of me I would do at once."
Such was the commencement of the religious life of this most singular man.
Some years after, when in service at a place called Trychiad, near Llanegryn, he could not but notice the ignorance of the boys in the neighborhood, and, burning with zeal to perform some direct and special work for his Heavenly Master, he resolved to establish there a Sunday school, and a week-night school besides, if possible, in order to teach the lads to read.
This would have been praiseworthy, but still nothing remarkable in the way of an undertaking, had Lewis Williams received any sort of education himself. But as he had never enjoyed a day's schooling in his life, and could hardly read a word correctly, the thought of teaching others seemed, to say the least, rather a wild idea.
But how often the old proverb has been proved true, that where there is a will there is a way and once more was this verified in the experience of Lewis Williams.
Owing to the young man's untiring energy and courage, his school was opened in a short time, and he began the work of instruction, teaching, we are told, the alphabet to the lowest class by setting it to the tune of " The March of the Men of Harlech."
Dr. Moffat, we know, tried the same plan of melody lessons forty years later, with a number of Bechuana children, teaching them their letters to the tune of " Auld Lang Syne " with wonderful facility and success.
But Lewis Williams, if he set up for a schoolmaster at all, could hardly confine his instructions to the lowest class in the school; yet in undertaking the teaching of the older boys, he was coming face to face with an obstacle which might well have seemed insurmountable to any one whose will was less strong or courage less undaunted.
The master could not read, or at least he could neither read fluently nor correctly, yet he had bound himself to teach reading to the lads in his school.
Painfully mindful of his deficiencies, he used, before commencing his Sunday-school exercises or his evening classes, to pay a visit to a good woman, Betty Evans by name, who had learned to read well. Under her tuition he prepared the lessons he was going to give that day or the next, so that in reality the master of that flourishing little school was only beforehand with his scholars by a few hours.
At other times he would invite a number of scholars from an endowed high school in the neighborhood, to come for reading and argument.
With quiet tact and careful foresight he would arrange that the subject taken for reading and discussion should include the lesson which he would shortly have to give.
While the reading and talk went on, he listened with rapt attention. The discussions as to the meaning or pronunciation of the more difficult words was all clear gain to him, as familiarizing his mind with what he desired to know.
But none of these youths meeting thus had an inkling that the man who invited them, who spoke so discreetly, and listened so attentively, was himself a learner, and dependent upon them for the proper construction of phrases, or for the correct pronunciation of words occurring in his next day's or week's lessons.
The school duties were always commenced with prayer, and as the master had a restless, unruly set of lads to do with, he invented a somewhat peculiar way of securing their attention for the devotions in which he led them.
Familiar with military exercises through former experiences in the militia, he would put the restless boys through a series of these, and when they came to " stand at ease," and " attention! " he would at once, but very briefly and simply, engage in prayer.
While Lewis Williams was thus hard at work at Llanegryn, seeking to win hearts to the Savior, and train minds to serve Him, it happened that Mr. Charles of Bala, intending to preside at a members' meeting to be held at Abergynolwyn, arrived at Bryncrug the evening before, and spent the night at the house of John Jones, the schoolmaster of that place.
In the course of conversation with his host, Mr. Charles asked him if he knew of a suitable person to undertake the charge of one of his recently established schools in the neighborhood. John Jones replied that he had heard of a young man at Llanegryn, who taught the children both on week-nights and Sundays; " but," added the schoolmaster, " as I hear that he himself cannot read, I can hardly understand how he is able to instruct others."
" Impossible! " exclaimed Mr. Charles. " How can any one teach what he does not himself know? "
" Still, they say he does so," replied John Jones.
Mr. Charles at once expressed a wish to see this mysterious instructor of youth, who was reported as imparting to others what he did not himself possess. The next day, accordingly, summoned by John Jones, our young schoolmaster made his appearance. His rustic garb, and the simplicity of his manner, gave the impression of his being anything but a pedagogue, whatever might have been said of him.
" Well, my young friend, said Mr. Charles, in the genial pleasant way that was natural to him, and that at once inspired with confidence all with whom he had to do, " they tell me you keep a school at Llanegryn yonder, on Sundays and week-nights, for the purpose of teaching children to read. Have you many scholars? "
" Yes, sir, far more than I am able to teach," replied Lewis Williams.
" And do they learn a little by your teaching? " asked Mr. Charles, as kindly as ever, but with a quaint smile lurking round his mouth.
" I think some of them learn, sir," responded the young teacher, very modestly, and with an overwhelming sense of his own ignorance—a consciousness that showed itself painfully both in his voice and manner.
" Do you understand any English? " questioned Mr. Charles.
" Only a stray word or two, sir, which I picked up when serving in the militia."
" Do you read Welsh fluently?
" No, sir, I can read but little, but I am doing my very best to learn."
" Were you at a school before beginning to teach? " asked Mr. Charles, more and more interested in the young man who stood so meekly before him " No, sir. I never had a day's schooling in my life."
" And your parents did not teach you to read while you were at home? "
" No, sir, my parents could not read a word for themselves."
Mr. Charles opened his Bible at the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and asked Lewis Williams to read the opening verses.
Slowly, hesitatingly, and with several mistakes, the young man complied, stumbling with difficulty through the first verse.
" That will do, my lad," said Mr. Charles; " but how you are able to teach others to read, passes my comprehension. Tell me now by what plan you instruct the children."
Then the poor young teacher described the methods to which he had recourse for receiving and imparting instruction; he gave an account of his musical A B C; the lessons given to himself by Betty Evans; the readings and discussions of the grammar-school boys; and the scholars playing at " little soldiers."
As Lewis Williams proceeded with his confessions (for such they appeared to him), Mr. Charles, with the discernment which seems to have been one of his characteristics, had penetrated through the roughness and uncouthness of the narrator to the real force of character and earnestness of the man. He saw that this humble follower of the Savior had earnestly endeavored to improve his one talent, and work with it in the Master's service, and that he only needed help in the development of his capacity, to render him a most valuable servant of Christ. He recommended him therefore to place himself for a time under the tuition of John Jones, and thus fit himself for efficient teaching in his turn.
During the following three months, Lewis Williams followed the advice of Mr. Charles and this was all the schooling that he ever had.
His self-culture did not, however, cease with the help gained from John Jones. Every hour he could spare was devoted to study, in order to fit himself for one of the schoolmasters' places under Mr. Charles's special control and management. And we are told that in order to perfect himself further in reading, he used to visit neighboring churches, to study the delivery and reading of the ministers presiding there His earnest desire was gratified at last, for in the year I 799-that is, when he was about twenty-five years of age-he was engaged by Mr. Charles as a paid teacher in one of his schools. He was removed to Abergynolwyn a year later, and here, among his pupils, was our young friend Mary Jones.
In his subsequent years of work he was the means of establishing many new schools, and of reviving others which were losing their vitality; and at length he even became a preacher, so great was his zeal in his Master's service, and so anxious was he that all should know the truth and join in the work of the Lord.
He died in his eighty-eighth year, followed by the sincere gratitude and deep love of the many whom he had benefited.
Our story now returns to Mary Jones, who at the time that Lewis 'Williams became schoolmaster at Abergynolwyn, was nearly sixteen years old.
She was an active, healthy maiden, full of life and energy, as earnest and as diligent as ever. Nor had her purpose faltered for one moment as regarded the purchase of a Bible. Through six long years she had hoarded every penny, denying herself the little indulgences which the poverty of her life must have made doubly attractive to one so young. She had continued her visits to the farm house, and while she there studied her Bible lessons for school, her desire to possess God's Holy Book for herself grew almost to a passion.
What joy it would be, she often thought, if every day she could read and commit to memory portions of Scripture, storing her mind and heart with immortal truths. " But the time will come," she had added, " when I shall have my Bible. Yes, though I have waited so long, the time will come." Then on her knees beside her little bed she had prayed aloud, " Dear Lord, let the time come quickly!"
As may be supposed, Mary was the great pride and delight of her parents. She was more useful, more her mother's right hand than ever; and her father, as he looked into her clear, honest, intelligent dark eyes, and heard her recite her lesson for school, or recount for his benefit all the explanations to which she had that day listened, thanked the Lord in his heart, for his brave, God-fearing child, and prayed that she might grow up to be a blessing to all with whom she might have to do in the future.