Blair Collection > Rhys Lewis, minister of Bethel

RHYS LEI VIS.
heard'st of him no more ; neither loved'st thou to hear mention
of h.is name. Already have I referred to thy poverty and
want, and all thou did'st go through consequent upon the
imprisonment and death of Bob ; but there was not, as far as I
can tell, either shame, or guilt, or dishonour connected with
these. "What vexation, what sorrow and what hardship thou
suffered'st before I came into the world, when thy house was
the den of hard-hearted, reckless poachers, who neither feared
God nor respected man, no living creature ever knew, nor
thou did'st ever mention but sparingly. For all thou said'st to
me, I should not have known the hundredth part of thy trouble.
I had grown a biggish boy before becoming acquainted
with anything definite about thy history, save what I had
gathered from the hints and taunts of my enemies. The only
thing I knew for certain was that in thy cupboard was a
skeleton of some kind ; and Bob was the first to enlighten me
— in bed, on the night of Seth's death— after I had told him
about the man who had stopped me near the Hall Park, and
what he bad said to me. I have many times asked myself the
question was it possible thou could'st have bad a spark of
affection left for him who brought upon thee so much misery
and shame ? love pf women ! Was it not about the last
thing thou said'st to me before dying, " If ever you and your
father meet, face to face, try and forget his wickedness and,
if you have any good to do him, do it. He bas a soul to be
saved like you and me ; and it does not much matter, now, how
he behaved towards me; but it matters everything that he
should be saved. If you should ever see him — and who knows
but that you will ?— try and remember he is your father. I,
myself, forgive him all, and endeavour to pray that He whose
forgiveness is life everlasting do the same."
Well did Will Bryan, in his own way, speak of thee that,
like Job, thou did'st "stick to thy colours, first class." Not
soon would I come to an end did I relate every counsel and
advice thou gavest me in thy last days. I do not forget there
may be some one who will fancy that I have over-coloured thy
virtues. The fact that thou wert my mother may make this
possible. In tbis place I will chronicle only thy last words to
me— those which were so helpful to me in after life : —