homes under all kinds of circumstances and at all hours. Some
pretended that they could not awake in time to get ready for his early
services; he responded by going out himself with a bell and sounding
such clashing peals in various parts of the parish that there remained
no shadow of excuse for their sleeping after 5 a.m.!

He adopted the practice of dealing with criticisms and objections from
the pulpit, a course sufficiently unusual to attract much attention to
what he had to say.

Work as he might, however, Fletcher received so little encouragement
that he was frequently burdened with the fear lest he had mistaken the
Divine appointment.

One day, when he was much oppressed in this way, he was summoned to
bury a parishioner. At once he lost sight of his own trouble in the
opportunity of dealing out red-hot truths to a crowd of people. One
man was so convicted that he broke out into a storm of bad language,
fighting as best he knew how the strange influences of the Spirit.
These were too strong for him, however, and he melted into tears of
penitence. How gladly the Vicar gave him the pardon he asked for his
behaviour, and led him further still into the joy of sins forgiven,
can never be told. From that time he became an active helper in the
parish, and one of Fletcher's greatest encouragements.

The conversion of this man, however, seemed only the signal for
greater opposition on the part of some of the colliers. A number of
them were baiting a bull near Madeley Wood Meeting-house one night
when he was expected there to preach. "We'll wait here and _bait the
parson!_" they cried, settling at once who should pull him off his