During their abode at Nismes they visited the little congregations of Friends which lie to the westward of that city, and had to record that the presence of their Divine Master went with them, giving them his word to declare, and inclining the hearts of the hearers to receive it.

A letter from John Rowntree, which reached them towards the end of the year, contains some observations on the work they had found to do in their journey, with an interesting notice of what was passing in England.

Scarborough, 11 mo. 14, 1842.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

....  The plan of your meetings for Scripture instruction seems to me particularly good; you will, through them, have numerous opportunities for impressing on the minds of your hearers the inestimable value of the Holy Scriptures, when properly received, and made available by the enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit, and the worthlessness—­nay, the danger—­of resting satisfied with a mere knowledge of their words.  The words of our Lord were “spirit and life” to those who would receive them as such; yet how many who heard them were to be judged by them at the that day, because they believed not.

We still hear sad accounts of distress in the manufacturing districts of the country.  Some of your friends have probably informed you that at our last Quarterly Meeting much sympathy was expressed for the destitute artizans, and a liberal subscription was commenced, and was to be carried forward in all our meetings for their relief:  a few days ago it amounted to L800—­I hope it will exceed L1000:  but what is that, it may be said, among so many? yet I hope much good may be done by it, and Friends in other parts of the nation seem to be considering whether they ought not to make some efforts for similar purposes.  At Liverpool we hear that upwards of L200 has been raised.

You will probably have heard of the very sudden death of Jonathan Backhouse, whilst his wife was laboring under a religious engagement in the north of our county.  His change seemed a translation from that state of strong but imperfect love which a member of the militant Church might feel here below, to that fullness of love which his Saviour had purchased for him above.

In the Third Month, 1843, they quitted Nismes, taking their young friend Jules Paradon as their companion.

The parting, says J.Y., from the dear family at the school was sorrowful.  Before taking leave, we had a religious opportunity with the children, in which all hearts were touched.

They arrived at Montpelier on the 7th.  The pious characters to whom they were introduced in this city were mostly of the upper class—­bankers, doctors, lawyers, and professors.  They found that the principles of the Society of Friends were very little known there, but that many were desirous of being acquainted with them.  Being pressed in their spirit to propose a meeting for worship with such