under the necessity of long concealing their
faith, never ceased to be Vaudois in spirit.[106] Then, up the valley
of the Guil, and in the lateral valleys which join it, there are, in
some places close to the mountain barrier which divides France from
Italy, other villages and hamlets, such as Arvieux, San Veran,
Fongilarde, &c., the inhabitants of which, though they concealed their
faith subsequent to the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, never
conformed to Roman Catholicism, but took the earliest opportunity of
declaring themselves openly so soon as the dark period of persecution
had passed by.

[Footnote 106: The well-known Alpine missionary, J. L.
Rostan, of whom an interesting biography has recently been
published by the Rev. A. J. French, for the Wesleyan
Conference, was a native of Vars. He was one of the favourite
pupils of Felix Neff, with whom he resided at Dormilhouse in
1825-7; Neff saying of him: "Among the best of my pupils, as
regards spiritual things and secular too, is Jean Rostan, of
Vars: he is probably destined for the ministry; such at least
is my hope." Neff bequeathed to him the charge of his parish
during his temporary absence, but he never returned; and
shortly after, Rostan left, to pursue his studies at
Montauban. He joined the Methodist Church, settled and
ministered for a time in La Vaunage and the Cevennes,
afterwards labouring as a missionary in the High Alps, and
eventually settled as minister of the church at Lisieux,
Jersey, in charge of which he died, July, 1859.]

The people of these scattered and distant hamlets were, however, too
poor to supply themselves with religious instructors, and they long
remained in a state of spiritual destitution. Felix Neff's labours
were too short, and scattered over too extensive a field, to produce
much permanent effect. Besides, they were principally confined to the
village of Dormilhouse, which, as being the most destitute, had, he
thought, the greatest claim upon his help; and at his death
comparatively little had been done or attempted in the Guillestre
district. But he left behind him what was worth more than any
endowment of money, a noble example, which still lives, and inspires
the labourers who have come after him.

It was not until within the last twenty years that a few Vaudois
families of Gui