gaiety. The opposition she met with was trying, but it served to
strengthen her for the career which was to open to her in later life.

It was natural that Mary's friends should wish her to marry, but at
the time when this was first put before her she heard Mrs. Crosby (one
of Wesley's helpers) speak upon the necessity of holiness and the joy
of a life fully devoted to God. With the gentleman who was striving to
win her affections life would never have been the sacred thing Mary
desired for herself, she therefore gave up all thought of marriage,
began to dress plainly, and waited for God to show her _His_ way.




CHAPTER V.

A NEW LIFE.



Checked in his military ardour, John Fletcher turned his thoughts
again to study. His linguistic powers were great; it was to him a
cheerful distraction to join a party of students who were proceeding
to England to become familiar with the language.

At the first English inn at which they stayed Fletcher showed that
simple confidence in his brother-man which so distinguished his later
life by trusting a strange Jew with all his money for the purpose of
changing it into English coin. His fellow-students exclaimed, "You
will never see another crown of it!" but whether or not that quality