And I swear to you,
Martha, that I will keep my word, and if I may speak for my sons and my
sons' sons, they also shall never fail in rendering unto God the thing I
have promised. Remind me of it. Say to me, "Stephen, the Lord God is thy
partner. Don't thee defraud Him of one farthing."' And, my dears, when I
promised he kissed me, and my cheeks were wet, and his cheeks were wet,
but we were both of us very sure and happy.
"Well, my dear lads, after that your father walked straight forward to
his place among the biggest cotton-spinners in England. People all said,
Stephen Hatton was a very philanthropic man. He was something better. He
was a just and honest man who never lied, who never defrauded the poor
because they were poor, and who kept his contract with the Lord his God
to the last farthing. I hope to see his sons and his sons' sons keep the
covenant their father made for them. I do that. It would break my heart
if they did not!"
Then John rose to his feet, precisely as he would have done if his
father had entered the room, and he answered, "Mother, I joined hands
with father six years ago on this subject.
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