'
"And the Lord and I proving stronger than the devil and he, he
had to get out of the way, or the wagon would have gone over him.
So I gave the wagon to the boy. Then said Tom:--
"'I've a good mind to smack thee on the face.'
"'Well,' I said, 'if that will do thee any good, thou canst do
it.' So he struck me on the face.
"I turned the other cheek to him, and said, 'Strike again.'
"He struck again and again, till he had struck me five times. I
turned my cheek for the sixth stroke; but he turned away cursing.
I shouted after him: 'The Lord forgive thee, for I do, and the
Lord save thee.'
"This was on a Saturday; and when I went home from the coal-pit
my wife saw my face was swollen, and asked what was the matter
with it. I said: 'I've been fighting, and I've given a man a
good thrashing.'
"She burst out weeping, and said, 'O Richard, what made you
fight?' Then I told her all about it; and she thanked the Lord I
had not struck back.
"But the Lord had struck, and his blows have more effect than
man's. Monday came. The devil began to tempt me, saying: 'The
other men will laugh at thee for allowing Tom to treat thee as he
did on Saturday.
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