still continues; I don't feel those refreshing seasons which I have often
experienced in times past; the pure life is often low in meeting, and I am
not so watchful and diligent to improve my time and talent as I ought to
be. I often feel as one already laid by useless, and the language of my
heart is, "O that I were as in days past!"

Soon after their arrival at Congenies, Martha Savory met with a serious
accident. Thinking a ride would be beneficial to her health, when the rest
of the party drove one afternoon to Sommieres, she accompanied them on
horseback. She had not a proper saddle, and her horse being eager to keep
up with the carriage set off downhill at so rapid a rate as to throw her
to the ground. The cap of one knee was displaced by the fall, and,
although she soon recovered so as to be able to walk, the limb continued
to be subject to weakness for some years.

As soon as M. S. was sufficiently recovered, she and her companions
visited the Friends at Congenies and the neighboring villages from house
to house, and also assembled on one occasion the heads of families, and on
another the young people of the Society. In reviewing a part of this
service John Yeardley says:--

3 _mo_. 6.--It has been a deeply exercising time, but has tended much
more to the relief of our minds, at least as regards myself, than I had
anticipated. From the discouraged state of mind I passed through for the
first few weeks at this place, I expected to leave it burdened and
distressed, but am thankful to acknowledge that holy help has been near to
afford relief to my poor tossed spirit, and I have cause to believe it is
in divine wisdom that I am here.

On the 13th of the Third Month they took leave of their friends at
Congenies to return to England, being accompanied by Edward Brady, and
during part of the journey by Louis Majolier. By the way they had some
religious intercourse with Protestant dissenters at a few places; but at
St. Etienne, where they had expected to remain a fortnight, they found the
door nearly closed to their entrance; a company of pious persons in this
town were at that time so nearly united with Friends as to bear their
name.

These, says John Yeardley, in a letter, are now reduced to about twenty in
number. They have suffered and still suffer much persecution from the
Roman Catholics. They are forbidden by heavy fines to meet together,
except in very small companies. We met them several times in