After three years his brother James wrote again; ’and this time it was to tell him that the parson and all his family were converted, and that there was a great revival at the church.  Now poor Billy was most eager to come and see this for himself, but he obtained no permission, though he asked and looked for it every day for more than three months.

At last, one wintry and frosty night in January, about half-past eleven o’clock, just as he was getting into bed, “Father” told him that he might go to Baldhu.  He was so overjoyed, that he did not wait till the morning, but immediately “put up” his clothes again, “hitched in” the donkey, and set out in his slow-going little cart.  He came along singing all the way, nearly thirty miles and arrived early in the morning.  Having put up his donkey in my stable, he came into the house, and presented himself, as I have already stated, in the hall, praising God.

We were a long time over breakfast that morning, for the happy man went on from one thing to another, “telling of the Lord,” as he called it, assuring us again and again that he was “fine and glad, and very happy”—­indeed, he looked so.  He said there was one thing more he must tell us; it was this—­that he had a “preaching-house” (what we should now call a mission-room), which he had built years ago.  He had often prayed there for “this old mountain,” and now he should dearly love to see me in the pulpit of that place, and said that he would let me have it for my work.  He went on to say that he had built it by prayer and faith, as “Father” sent him help, and that he and another man had built it with their own hands.  One day he was short of money to buy timber to finish the roof; his mate said it would take two pounds’ worth; so he asked the Lord for this sum, and wondered why the money did not come, for he felt sure that he was to have it.  A farmer happened to look in the next morning, and Billy thought he had come with the money, but he merely asked them what they were doing, and then took his departure, without giving them help.  All that day they waited in expectation, and went home in the evening without having done any work.  The next morning the same farmer appeared again, and said, “What do you want two pounds for?” “Oh,” said Billy, “you are come, are you?  We want that money for the roof yonder.”  The farmer then went on to say, “Two days ago it came to my mind to give two pounds for the preaching house, but as I was coming down the hill on yesterday morning, something said to me, ’if you give one pound it will be handsome; then I thought I would give only half-a-sovereign; and then that I would give nothing.  Why should I?  But the Lord laid it on my mind last night that I must give you two pounds.  There it is!”

“Thank the Lord!” said Billy, and proceeded immediately to get the required timber.  In answer to prayer he also obtained “reed” for thatching the roof, and by the same means timber for the forms and seats.