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' she replied； 'and a great one； I think； if spared。' From that time till he was settled at Moulton he regularly preached once a month at Pury with much acceptance。 He was at that time in his twentieth year； and married。 Our parents were always friendly to religion； yet； on some accounts； we should rather have wished him to go from home than come home to preach。 I do not think I ever heard him； though my younger brother and my sister； I think； generally did。 Our father much wished to hear his son； if he could do it unseen by him or any one。 It was not long before an opportunity offered； and he embraced it。 Though he was a man that never discovered any partiality for the abilities of his children； but rather sometimes went too far on the other hand； that often tended a little to discourage them； yet we were convinced that he approved of what he heard； and was highly gratified by it。〃
In Hackleton itself his expositions of Scripture were so valued that the people； he writes； 〃being ignorant； sometimes applauded to my great injury。〃 When in poverty； so deep that he fasted all that day because he had not a penny to buy a dinner； he attended a meeting of the Association of Baptist Churches at Olney； not far off。 There he first met with his lifelong colleague； the future secretary of the mission； Andrew Fuller； the young minister of Soham； who preached on being men in understanding； and there it was arranged that he should preach regularly to a small congregation at Earls Barton； six miles from Hackleton。 His new…born humility made him unable to refuse the duty； which he discharged for more than three years while filling his cobbler's stall at Hackleton all the week； and frequently preaching elsewhere also。 The secret of his power which drew the Northamptonshire peasants and craftsmen to the feet of their fellow was this； that he studied the portion of Scripture； which he read every morning at his private devotions； in Hebrew； Greek； and Latin。
This was Carey's 〃college。〃 On the death of his first master； when he was eighteen； he had transferred his apprenticeship to a Mr。 T。 Old。 Hackleton stands on the high road from Bedford and Olney to Northampton； and Thomas Scott was in the habit of resting at Mr。 Old's on his not infrequent walks from Olney； where he had succeeded John Newton。 There he had no more attentive listener or intelligent talker than the new journeyman； who had been more influenced by his preaching at Ravenstone than by that of any other man。 Forty years after； just before Scott's death； Dr。 Ryland gave him this message from Carey：〃If there be anything of the work of God in my soul； I owe much of it to his preaching when I first set out in the ways of the Lord；〃 to which this reply was sent： 〃I am surprised as well as gratified at your message from Dr。 Carey。 He heard me preach only a few times； and that as far as I know in my rather irregular excursions； though I often conversed and prayed in his presence； and endeavoured to answer his sensible and pertinent inquiries when at Hackleton。 But to have suggested even a single useful hint to such a mind as his must be considered as a high privilege and matter of gratitude。〃 Scott had previously written this more detailed account of his intercourse with the preaching shoemaker； whom he first saw when he called on Mr。 Old to tell him of the welfare of his mother：
〃When I went into the cottage I was soon recognised； and Mr。 Old came in； with a sensible…looking lad in his working…dress。 I at first rather wondered to see him enter； as he seemed young； being； I believe； little of his age。 We； however； entered into very interesting conversation； especially respecting my parishioner； their relative； and the excellent state of her mind； and the wonder of divine grace in the conversion of one who had been so very many years considered as a self…righteous Pharisee。 I believe I endeavoured to show that the term was often improperly applied to conscientious but ignorant inquirers； who are far from self…satisfied； and who； when the Gospel is set before them； find the thing which they had long been groping after。 However that may be； I observed the lad who entered with Mr。 Old riveted in attention with every mark and symptom of intelligence and feeling； saying little； but modestly asking now and then an appropriate question。 I took occasion； before I went forward； to inquire after him； and found that； young as he was； he was a member of the church at Hackleton； and looked upon as a very consistent and promising character。 I lived at Olney till the end of 1785； and in the course of that time I called perhaps two or three times each year at Mr。 Old's； and was each time more and more struck with the youth's conduct； though I said little； but； before I left Olney； Mr。 Carey was out of his engagement with Mr。 Old。 I found also that he was sent out as a probationary preacher； and preached at Moulton； and I said to all to whom I had access； that he would； if I could judge； prove no ordinary man。 Yet； though I often met both old Mr。 Ryland； the present Dr。 Ryland； Mr。 Hall； Mr。 Fuller； and knew almost every step taken in forming your Missionary Society； and though I sometimes preached very near Moulton； it so happened that I do not recollect having met with him any more； till he came to my house in London with Mr。 Thomas； to desire me to use what little influence I had with Charles Grant； Esq。； to procure them licence to go in the Company's ships as missionaries to the British settlements in India； perhaps in 1792。 My little influence was of no avail。 What I said of Mr。 Carey so far satisfied Mr。 Grant that he said； if Mr。 Carey was going alone； or with one equally to be depended on along with him； he would not oppose him； but his strong disapprobation of Mr。 T。； on what ground I knew not； induced his negative。 I believe Mr。 Old died soon after I left Olney； if not just before； and his shop； which was a little building apart from the house； was suffered to go to decay。 While in this state I several times passed it； and said to my sons and others with me； that is Mr。 Carey's college。〃
This cobbler's shed which was Carey's college has been since restored； but two of the original walls still stand； forming the corner in which he sat； opposite the window that looks out into the garden he carefully kept。 Here； when his second master died； Carey succeeded to the business； charging himself with the care of the widow； and marrying the widow's sister； Dorothy or Dolly Placket。 He was only twenty when he took upon himself such burdens； in the neighbouring church of Piddington； a village to which he afterwards moved his shop。 Never had minister； missionary； or scholar a less sympathetic mate； due largely to that latent mental disease which in India carried her off； but for more than twenty years the husband showed her loving reverence。 As we stand in the Hackleton shed； over which Carey placed the rude signboard prepared by his own hands； and now in the library of Regent's Park College； 〃Second Hand Shoes Bought and；〃2 we can realise the low estate to which Carey fell； even below his father's loom and schoolhouse； and from which he was called to become the apostle of North India as Schwartz was of the South。
How was this shed his college？ We have seen that he brought with him from his native village an amount of information； habits of observation； and a knowledge of books unusual in rustics of that day； and even of the present time。 At twelve he made his first acquaintance with a language other than his own； when he mastered the short grammar in Dyche's Latine Vocabulary； and committed nearly the whole book to memory。 When urging him to take the preaching at Barton； Mr。 Sutcliff of Olney gave him Ruddiman's Latin Grammar。 The one alleviation of his lot under the coarse but upright Nichols was found in his master's small library。 There he began to study Greek。 In a New Testament commentary he found Greek words； which he carefully transcribed and kept until he should next visit home； where a youth whom dissipation had reduced from college to weaving explained both the words and their terminations to him。 All that he wanted was such beginnings。 Hebrew he seems to have learned by the aid of the neighbouring ministers； borrowing books from them； and questioning them 〃pertinently；〃 as he did Scott。3 At the end of Hopkins's Three Sermons on the Effects of Sin on the Universe； preached in 1759； he had made this entry on 9th August 1787〃Gulielm。 Careius perlegit。〃 He starved himself to purchase a few books at the sale which attended Dr。 Ryland's removal from Northampton to Bristol。 In an old woman's cottage he found a Dutch quarto； and from that he so taught himself the language that in 1789 he translated for Ryland a discourse on the Gospel Offer sent to him by the evangelical Dr。 Erskine of Edinburgh。 The manuscript is in an extremely small character； unlike what might have been expected from one who had wrought with his hands for eight years。 French he acquired； sufficiently for literary purposes； in three weeks from the French version of Ditton on the Resurrection； which he purchased for a few coppers。 He had the linguistic gift which soon after made the young car