ance. This last parting with friends so dear to us
in a foreign land, was very touching; our hearts were humbled under a
sense of the Heavenly Father's love.
6th.--Passing the custom-house made us late at our quarters, where they
are not accustomed to receive such guests. Their curiosity to see and know
who we are is very great. To prevent French imposition, my M.Y. was to
bargain beforehand for what we had. On asking what the meal would cost, we
were answered they could not tell, for they did not know how much coffee
we should drink. This simple but appropriate reply so amused us that it
put an end to our bargaining.
I shall not soon forget the sensation I felt on passing the river into
France. I could not forbear drawing the discouraging contrast of quitting
those to whom we had become united in the gospel of peace, in a country
the most beautiful that Nature can present, with a long journey in
prospect through a dreary country whose inhabitants wish only to get what
they can from us. These discouraging fears could only be silenced by
reflecting that the same protecting Providence presides over all and
everywhere.
Travelling with their own single horse, their favorite _Poppet_, the
progress they made was necessarily slow, and they did not reach Paris till
the 19th. After spending a few days in that city, they proceeded to
Cherbourg, and arrived there after six days of hard travelling. At this
place John Yeardley writes:--
3 _mo_. 2.--In looking back on our late travels, a degree of sweet
peace and thankfulness covered my mind in the humble belief that our weak
but sincere desires to do the great Master's will was a sacrifice
well-pleasing in his holy sight. In looking forward to the dangers we had
still to encounter, I was led closely to examine on what our hope of
preservation was fixed. Should it please Him who had hitherto blessed us
with his presence and protecting care, to put our faith again to the test,
how we could bear it, how we should feel at the prospect of going down to
the bottom of the great deep. I felt a particular satisfaction that our
great journey had first been accomplished; if this had not been the case
it would have been a sting in my conscience. But now an awful resignation
was experienced, and it came before me as an imperious duty to be resigned
to life or death; and the joyful hope resounded in my heart, All will be
well to those who love not their lives unto death.
The prese
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