Another little incident I must notice here.  While I was still working in this place, I received a letter from home, telling me that they were all well, and very happy in the country, but that they wanted me back again, and thought I had been away quite long enough.  Besides this, it was time to be getting summer things, for which they would want at least ten pounds.  I had no money to send; and though I might have asked many kind friends, I felt a difficulty about it.  I do not think it was pride.  I had put myself and all my affairs into God’s hands; and though I was not ashamed to tell our circumstances to any one who asked me, I made it a rule not to mention my troubles or wants to any but the Lord.  I read the cheerful parts of my letter at breakfast, and kept the other till I went upstairs.  There I spread the letter on the bed at which I knelt, and read to the Lord the part that troubled me.  I was praying about it, when there came a knock at the door, and before I had time to say “Come in,” my friend F—–­ entered.  Seeing me on my knees, he apologized for intruding, and in his shy way put a ten-pound note into my hand, saying, “I am ashamed it is not more; but will you accept that?” With this, he made for the door; but I detained him, in order to show him the part of my letter I had not read in the morning.  I said, “I was just reading it to the Lord; and look, while I was still on my knees, He has sent you with the answer.  It is the exact sum I want, so do not apologize for it.  I thank God and thank you.  I will send this off at once.”

CHAPTER 29

Tregoney, 1855.

It was time now to be returning southward and homeward; which I did by several stages, stopping to preach in various places on the way.  At length I reached the village in Cornwall, where my family were lodging in the farmhouse I have already mentioned.

Here, the two clergymen were rather afraid of me, and avoided asking me to preach in the church.  They had both been converted (or, at least, so they said) more than a year; but instead of working for God, they were bent on Romanizing.  One of them said that there was no salvation in the Church of England; and the other showed me a sealed letter he had in his desk, which, he said, he “dared not open.”  It was from a brother of his, who went to Rome, and contained his reasons for so doing.  “Ah,” he said, “if I open that letter, I feel sure that I shall have to go too.”  This fascinating dread was upon him till he really did go, six months afterwards.  I tried to deter these men from the erroneous step they were contemplating, by getting them into active work for the Lord.  Sometimes I preached in this church, but more often in the open air.  I am sorry to say my friends were but half-hearted in their cooperation, so that after a few weeks I left, and went to the west.

On my way thither, a clergyman, who happened to be inside the coach, gave me his card, and then came outside for the purpose of talking with me.  He asked me if I would take charge of his church and parish for six weeks.  I said I would, but could not go for a week or two.  We agreed as to time, and on the promised Saturday I arrived at the place.