Daily American telegraph., 1852-03-23
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
From the Country Year Book, by VIM, Hewitt
The Mission OF Old Thomas Warning TO
-aaN the Town OF Ross


The Mission OF Old Thomas Warning 10
o. the Town OF Ross.
number of gentlemen, about fifty years
ago, were sitting in the travellers room Of the
principal inn Of the old town of Leominster,
and by chance there happened to be among
them almost every variety of religious denomi-
nation. This led to a conversation, in which
an old clergyman Of the Church Of England
made the extraordinary assertion that there
was more true religion in the little finger of
Thomas Waring, the Quaker stay-maker Of
that town, than in all the dean and chapter OF
Hereford, with the Bishop included; though
| say it" continued the clergyman, who am
myself prebend of that cathedral"
My husband, who was one of the company,
expressed his establishment at this assertion
but the old clergyman proceeded, by iaets 70
justify it; and, among other facts brought 1or-
ward to illustrate the simple but profound
piety of his character he related the following:
Old Thomas Waring, the stay-maker, sat
one evening in his shop among his work-people,
when it became strongly impressed upon his
mind that he must set off directly to the town
OF Ross 1t was winter tim0-the days were
short, and the weather none Of the best. The
idea seemed SO strange one, that he did his
best to get rid of it, He argued with himself
for some time; it seemed very absurd and wild
but he could not free his mind of what APP
peared to be his duty. 1t was impressed upon
him like mission; and as he was of those
pure; simple, and obedient spirits, that, once
knowing the will of God implicitly obey it, he
rose up from the seat where he sat at work,
and giving orders that his horse should be i'm
mediately saddled, set out. II was then four
in the afternoon and it was thirty miles to the
town of Ross He stopped at Hereford, which
is about mid distance, to bait his horse; and in
order that he might lose no time, he fed it with
oatmeal wash, and Immediately resumed his
journey.
1t was late in the night when he approached
Ross and still his business there remained un-
known to him. In passing over the Wye, how
ever, as he entered the town. he cast his eyes
upwards, and saw, in the darkness of the night,
and amid the tall, dark houses, a light in an
attic window; and Immediately it was revealed
to him that there lay his mission, and that on
going there all would be made plain.
He lost not a moment; but riding directly
up to the door, knocked violently. No one
came; and while waiting, he gave his horse in
charge to boy in the street, bidding him take
it to brother Quaker's, one George Dews, and
say that the owner of the horse would sleep at
his house that night. Any one but a simple
man, full of faith, as old Thomas Warning was
would have feared lest the boy should ride off
with the horse. But the old man was q dis
cerner of spirits, and the boy conveyed both
tho horse and message faithfully.
After waiting long at the door of the house,
a young woman opened it, and timidly asked
what he pleased to want. He told her in all
simplicity that he did not know but that if
she would listen for few moments to what he
had to say, perhaps she herself might explain
it. She invited him in and he then related to
her the case exactly as we have given it re-
marking, in conclusion
"And, having told thee this, | can only re.
peat that know not for whatI am come"
The young woman was much affected and
wept bitterly.
"Sir," said she, :" ] can tell you for what you
are come; it is to save me. | was gone into
that upper room with the firm intention of put
ting an end to my life which has become very
miserable. Nothing would have prevented me
committing suicide, had you not come God
has sent YOU | am not altogether forsaken or
abandoned by Him"
"Thou art not /" said the good man, himself
deeply affected; and from that he went on to
pour hope and consolation into her afflicted
spirit.
The visit Of Thomas Warning to Ross was in
deed not purposeless.