ter, partly
with a downpour from a thunder-shower, and partly from the wash over
the boat. Yet I thank God I was able to preach here in the
afternoon. I wish the rain had not reached us on this side Lincoln,
but we have it so continual that we have scarce one bank left, and I
can't possibly have one quarter of oats in all the levels; but thanks
be to God the field-barley and rye are good. We can neither go afoot
nor horseback to Epworth, but only by boat as far as Scawsit Bridge
and then walk over the common, though I hope it will soon be better."

That week the floods subsided, and on July 4th he wrote again:
"My hide is tough, and I think no carrion can kill me. I walked
sixteen miles yesterday; and this morning, I thank God, I was not a
penny worse. The occasion of this booted walk was to hire a room for
myself at Epworth, which I think I have done. You will find your
mother much altered. I believe what would kill a cat has almost
killed her. I have observed of late little convulsions in her very
frequently, which I don't like."

This report frightened John, who wrote back urgently for further
particulars. Mrs. Wesley had indeed fallen into a low state of
health, occasioned partly (as Kezzy declared in a letter) by "want of
clothes or convenient meat," partly by the miasma from the floods.
Ague was the commonest of maladies in the Isle of Axholme, and even
the labourers fortified themselves against it with opium.

"Dear son John," replied the Rector sardonically, "we received last
post your compliments of condolence and congratulation to your mother
on the supposition of her near approaching demise, to which your
sister Patty will by no means subscribe; for she says she is not so
good a philosopher as you are, and that she can't spare her mother
yet, if it please God, without great inconveniency. And indeed,
though she has now and then some very sick fits, yet I hope the sight
of you would revive her. However, when you come you will see a new
face of things, my family being now pretty well colonised, and all
perfect harmony--much happier, in no small straits, than perhaps we
ever were in our greatest affluence."

Molly, while she helped to cook the miserable meals which could not
tempt her mother's appetite, or looked abroad upon the desolate
floods, saw with absolute clearness that this apparent peace was but
the peace of exhaustion. Yet it was true that--thanks to her--the
pinch of poverty had rela