rers," I did expect something and got nothing.

While I was still feeling sore and disappointed, intending not to go out
on such errands any more, I found myself promised to another mission in
a most unexpected manner; but this did not happen to be out of Cornwall,
and therefore prospered better, as we shall see.

CHAPTER 20

A Stranger from London, 1853.

A lady in London, reading in the Cornish newspapers about our revivals,
became much interested, and having a strong desire to witness such a
movement personally, proposed a visit to her uncle in Truro, who had
sent her those papers. Being accepted, she came down a long way in those
days, when railway communication was not so complete as it is now.

This same lady was present at my church on Sunday morning; and
expressing a wish to attend the afternoon service, we gladly welcomed
her to the parsonage. In course of conversation, she spoke of churches
in London where the Gospel was preached in its fullness; and I naturally
asked her whether they had "after-meetings." She said, she did not know
what I meant. "Prayer meetings, for conversion work, I mean."

"What is that?" she inquired. "Is not conversion God's work?"

"Yes," I answered, "indeed it is; but so is the harvest yonder in the
corn-fields: it is all God's work, but men have to plough the ground and
sow the seed."

"Oh, is that what you call revival work? I have read of it; and, to tell
the truth, I have come all the way from London to see it."

She evidently had an idea that revivals were something like
thunder-storms, which come of themselves, no one knows how or why; or
something that is vented, like an occasional eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

I said, "Revivals--that is, the refreshening of believers and the
awakening of sinners--ought to take place wherever the Gospel is
preached in faith and power."

She could not understand it, and said, "It is not so in churches, is
it?"

"Yes," I replied, "in churches as well as in cottages, halls and chapels
too."

"I am sure Mr. ---- in London preaches a full Gospel, but I have never
heard of a revival there; indeed, I feel convinced they would not allow
it."

"Is he converted?" I asked.

She smiled at the question, and said, "I suppose he is."

"I mean, does he preach about the forgiveness of sins? and, more than
this, does he expect people to have forgiveness?"

She said she could not understand my Cornish way of talking--"They do
not speak like