29_th._—­To-day I have for the first time expressed a few sentences in broken German in our little meeting.  I do not know whether they might be very clearly understood, but I hope the attempt to do what I conceived to be the Lord’s will, will be accepted by him.  O, that he may he pleased to give me the power of speech!

In the Ninth Month he went to Hanover with Thomas Shillitoe, who had a concern to see the authorities regarding the observance of the First-day.  They did not meet with much success in their object; but they made the acquaintance of Pastors Gundel and Hagemann, the latter “nearly blind and very grey, but truly green in the feeling sense of religion,” and who rejoiced in his heart to find a brother concerned to reform those things which had long laid heavy on his mind.

The two friends travelled together to Minden, where they parted, and John Yeardley returned to Pyrmont by Bielefeld.

The neighborhood of this town, he says, is remarkably fine.  There is a very high hill, partly formed by nature, and partly by art, from which we can see quite round, without any interruption, even into Holland.  Here, from the appearance of the bleach-grounds, I could fancy myself in Barnsley.  But, as Sarah Grubb says, I can have no pleasure in fine prospects; my mind in these journeys is always too much exercised with matters of a more serious nature.

In the latter part of the month John Yeardley went again to Minden, to unite with Thomas Shillitoe in a visit to the families of Friends.  They commenced their visit at Bueckeburg, where they had a remarkable interview with the family of the Kammer-rath Wind, which is related at length in T. S.’s journal (vol. i., p. 388).

The place which seems in these visits to have engaged J.Y.’s sympathies the most strongly was the village of Eidinghausen.

We had, he says, a very favored meeting in the room where their meeting is usually held.  In the sitting in the evening, with the family where we lodged, many of the neighbors came in, who seemed to have no wish to leave us.  I thought of the words of the dear Saviour, when seeing the multitudes he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep having no shepherd.  Truly these have no outward shepherd who cares much for their spiritual interests.  I felt my heart much warmed in gospel love towards them, and we invited them to give us their company again next day, which most of them did.  In this meeting there was something expressed so remarkably suited to the states of some present, that after it was over a woman confessed it had been as was declared, that she herself was one to whom it belonged; and she gave us a short relation how it had been with her in former days.

The love which these simple, honest-hearted creatures manifest towards us does away with all distinctions and the difference of language.  O, that He who teaches as never man taught may be pleased to guide them and bring them to himself that there may be one shepherd and one sheep-fold.  All our toils in this weary land will not be too much if we can he made the instruments of helping only one poor soul on its way Zionwards.