If Mrs. T. M. would not object to become one of the sponsors for our little girl, and would permit us to employ some one as her proxy, we should feel ourselves much obliged by her compliance. My dear Honduras friend has kindly consented to take upon him this charge for one, and we purpose applying to Mr. John Eyton, as the third. Perhaps you will be so good as drop me an early line, and thus set me an example I so much need.
WITH regard to myself I have nothing to write to you but a continued series of failure and disappointment; and, if I might speak of the future from the present, I should say, that the Lord is calling me to remain at home rather than to go anywhere abroad. The state of the case is simply this:—When first I proposed myself as the servant of the Missionary Society, I did not apprehend anything like difficulty with regard to a supply for Madeley—the vicar, who is not resident, had always consulted the wishes of the people, and had given them the choice of their minister. No sooner, however, was it known by him that I had some thoughts of leaving, than he declared, in the most positive terms, that he would not admit to a curacy a person of my recommending, and he quite wondered that I should ever think he would, or, in other words, he did not intend to have a person of my stamp. It soon, however, occurred to me, that if an application were made in behalf of my young but very dear friend, — —, the vicar would, for the sake of his father, permit him to succeed me: this he in fact promised, but when he found out that the son was of a different stamp from the father, and that the wrong kind of person was thus most unintentionally selected, he drew back and would not take another step; and Mr. —, hurt at the whole procedure, declares that he will not, upon any consideration whatever, make another application, and thus matters are completely in _statu quo_. I dare not leave my people to an ungodly successor, and therefore the present intimation seems to be, “stand still.” I feel it a time of suspense, but I am quite persuaded that all is in the very best hands, and of course that all will be sweetly ordered for good. I need not request you to pray for us; I am assured of your love, and love will necessarily lead you to a throne of grace on our behalf.