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IN a little village on the sea coast of Lancashire, lived a poor, lame, and blind old woman, who habits of frugality and industry afford a useful example to persons in humble life; and whose cheerfulness, thankfulness, and submission to the providence of God, may be considered with advantage, by persons in every station.

This poor creature, who died the first of December 1808, was blind from her sixth year, and she had to maintain herself from very early life, which she was able to do without any assistance from the parish. The little cottage, in which she lived, was her own; she had besides about fifteen pounds, for which she received some little interest: but this was not sufficient even to buy her fuel, so that it was her own earnings which supported her. Her employment was that of spinning silk for making ferrets. By constantly labouring from Monday until Saturday, excepting the few moments which her meals required, she earned only one shilling a week. On this she contrived to live. Two shillings a year was all she laid out in flour. Clap-bread, which is made of oat-meal and water, was the chief article of her support. This is rolled into thin cakes, and baked on a stone over the fire, which poor Ellen performed without any help, making once enough to serve her three or four weeks. A half-penny work of blue milk served her for breakfast, and potatoes were her common dinner. Some of the neighbors have her a little butter-milk; of this she make porridge, thickened with clap-bread, which was her usual supper. An ounce of tea served her six weeks, as she seldom allowed herself to taste it but when she washed. She never bought any meat, except a small piece of beef against Christmas.

For nineteen years, poor Ellen had the whole care of a woman still more afflicted than herself; a miserable object, who had fits which disabled her from taking care of herself. A painful task this was, for the mind of this poor creature was weakened, and her temper bad. Two guineas a year was allowed by the parish for her support. "No body," as Ellen said, "could afford to maintain her for this, but God Almighty enabled her to do it"

At first, when Ellen had the charge of this afflicted woman, she was much concerned lest she could not go to worship on Sunday, for she thought she could not live if she did not get to church. But as at this time the poor creature lay much in bed, Ellen's plan was to lock the door, and during the time they were singing between the prayers and the sermon, she went out, her cottage being very near the church, to satisfy herself that the sufferer was safe. And in all the nineteen years she never found her up but once. On being asked, if she was never weary of this unhappy being, she said, "she was so ill-conditioned, and so ill-contrived, that she was enough to tire any one; but God Almighty helped her through." During the last year of her life she was so ill and helpless, that Ellen was obliged to feed her. At this time her work when on so slowly, that they thought all was over with her, for she was obliged to eat her meals and spin at the same time; yet she said she never prayed that God would take her helpless inmate, but that he would enable her to do for her, and he did. During the last twenty-five years, Ellen lived by herself, and she said, "it is a fine thing to live by one's self. They tell me," said Ellen, "you should have somebody with you; but unless they were very agreeable, a body had better be by one's self." This poor creature never begged any thing, not even of her neighbours; for she said, "God knows better what I want than I do myself, and he always send what is needful for me." When she had neither bread not potatoes for dinner, she made broth merely of an onion and a little pepper and salt; she then prayed to God that she might think it good, and she did think so. When she wanted a halfpenny, and knew not how to get it, she said God sent it. At one time, all her little stock was four pence. Her wheel wanted mending, which would cost three half pence, and three pence she had to pay the poor woman who brought her turf. How she should get her wheel mended she knew not, and the remaining penny was all she had. She did not make known her wants, nor ask for any thing; but the woman on being paid for bringing her fuel, returned her a halfpenny, which was the only instance in which she had done so, although she had brought if for sixteen years. This Ellen mentions, and an instance of the goodness of Providence in supplying her wants. A murmur or complaint was never heard from her lips; she said "She was always happy while she could go to church, be out of debt, and get any thing to live on." Her best gown had been bought fifty years; it was still whole, neat, and clean, and in this she made a very decent appearance; but it was put on only on sacrament days, and very fine Sundays. Ellen sometimes cheered herself at her wheel, by singing a psalm. "Thirty years since," said she, "I gave four shillings and ten pence to learn to sing psalms, and I never repented it yet."