W.A.—­Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is; God is in heaven and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is.

Wife.—­No makee de earth; no you God makee all earth; no makee my country.

[Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making her country.]

Wife.—­No laugh; why laugh me?  This no ting to laugh.

[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than he at first.]

W.A.—­That’s true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear.

Wife.—­Why you say you God makee all?

W.A.—­Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you, and me, and all things; for He is the only true God, and there is no God but Him.  He lives for ever in heaven.

Wife.—­Why you no tell me long ago?

W.A.—­That’s true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and have not only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but have lived without God in the world myself.

Wife.—­What, have you a great God in your country, you no know Him?  No say O to Him?  No do good ting for Him?  That no possible.

W.A.—­It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no God in heaven, or that He had no power on earth.

Wife.—­But why God let you do so?  Why He no makee you good live?

W.A.—­It is all our own fault.

Wife.—­But you say me He is great, much great, have much great power; can makee kill when He will:  why He no makee kill when you no serve Him? no say O to Him? no be good mans?

W.A.—­That is true, He might strike me dead; and I ought to expect it, for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is merciful, and does not deal with us as we deserve.

Wife.—­But then do you not tell God thankee for that too?

W. A.—­No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His mercy, any more than I have feared God from His power.

Wife.—­Then you God no God; me no think, believe He be such one, great much power, strong:  no makee kill you, though you make Him much angry.

W.A.—­What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God?  What a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad truth is it, that the horrid lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens!

Wife.—­How me tink you have great much God up there [she points up to heaven], and yet no do well, no do good ting?  Can He tell?  Sure He no tell what you do?

W.A.—­Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He hears us speak, sees what we do, knows what we think though we do not speak.

Wife.—­What!  He no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn?

W.A.—­Yes, yes, He hears it all.

Wife.—­Where be then the much great power strong?

W.A.—­He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and this proves Him to be the true God; He is God, and not man, and therefore we are not consumed.