The Two Shoemakers by Hannah More (PDF)
The lives of two apprentice shoemakers are contrasted. Jack Brown came from a nonreligious family and he was dishonest. James Stock was a religious, honest, and hardworking man. As they worked together in the same shop, the two men faced many decisions. The story illuminates the consequences of both men's lives and extols Christian virtues.
PDF Download, 116 pages, 4 illustrations.
HANNAH MORE (1745-1833) was born in Stapleton, Bristol, England. Early in her life she was interested in the theater and wrote plays. For six years her fashionable social life grew to include many important people, but when it lost its appeal she turned to religion. Dr. James Stonhouse is credited with Hannah More’s spiritual awakening, but it was John Newton’s influence that gave energy and devotion to her spiritual walk, and she became a strong Evangelical Christian. Education was a strong theme in her life and William Wilberforce encouraged her to start schools for the education and moral advancement of poor village children. To counteract immoral forces in society, Hannah More, her sister Sarah, and others wrote a series of successful chapbooks called the “Cheap Repository Tracts.” She was also active with a group called the “Clapham Sect” that met at Henry Thornton’s house in Clapham. She had a vast social circle and wrote a multitude of letters. Her talent for writing also produced many books of drama, poetry, hymns, fiction and religious instruction.
