LIFE AT MADELEY.
When a post-chaise drove up to Cross Hall on January and, the crack of
the whip made sweet music in the ears of Mrs. Fletcher, for behind
those horses she was to make her bridal journey to Madeley, where they
were to take up their work together in the name of the Lord.
Cries the praiseful diary:--
"How shall I find language to express the goodness of the Lord! I know
no want but that of more grace. I have a husband in everything suited
to me. He bears with all my faults and failings in a manner that
continually reminds me of the text, 'Love your wives as Christ loved
the church.' His constant endeavour is to make me happy; his strongest
desire is for my spiritual growth. He is, in every sense of the word,
the man my highest reason chooses to obey."
Fletcher himself had greatly changed his opinion since the indictment
of his "Reasons for and against Matrimony." To a friend he wrote his
new sentiments thus:--
"God declared it was not good that man, a social being, should live
alone, and therefore He gave him a helpmeet for him. For the same
reason our Lord sent forth His disciples, two and two. Had I searched
the three kingdoms I could not have found one brother willing to share
gratis my weal, woe, and labours, and complaisant enough to unite his
fortunes to mine; but God has found me a partner, _a sister_, _a
wife_, to use St. Paul's language, who is not afraid to face with
me the colliers and bargemen of my parish, until death part us.
"Buried together in our country village, we shall help one another to
trim our lamps, and wait for the coming of the Heavenly Bridegroom."
Mrs. Fletcher's introduction to her husband's parishioners was
sufficiently homely and simple. The Madeley kitchen was full of those
who had come from a distance, and who were accustomed to take
refreshments there between the two services. He led her forward into
their midst, adding to his introduction the words, "I have not married
this wife for myself only, but for your sakes also."
Only a few weeks later they were honoured by a visit from John Wesley
himself, who, friend of method as he was, felt anxious that they
should lay down an exactly regular way of ordering their time, even as
Mary Bosanquet had done for her larger household in the past.
Whether they complied with the suggestion or not is unrecorded, but
Mrs. Fletcher makes beautiful mention of interruptions to her ordinary
routine, caused by unexpected visitors:--
"I have this day been engaged in company, and sweetly met the order of
God therein."
Blessed secret of peace!
God had so united this saintly man and woman in love and grace that
they had abundant cause to write of each other as we find them doing.
Once more to the diary:--
"May 30th, 1782.... I have the kindest and tenderest of husbands; of
so spiritual a man, and so spiritual a union, I had no adequate
conception."
To Charles Wesley Fletcher writes in his turn :-
"I thank you for your hint about exemplifying the love of Christ and
His Church. I hope we do.... My wife is far better to me than the
Church to Christ, so that if the parallel fails, it will be on my
side."
Between November, 1782, and January, 1783, peace was made by Great
Britain with America, France, and Spain. Fletcher made this the
occasion of another poem, written in French, entitled, "An Essay upon
the Peace of 1783. Dedicated to the Archbishop of Paris."
Five months after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher were invited to
visit the Methodists of Dublin. The Vicar had been absent so long from
his people that he found further absence just then impossible. Sixteen
months later, however, Dr. Coke came from Dublin and renewed the
invitation, which they accepted.
They set forth upon their five-day journey, attended by the faithful
Sally Lawrence, Mr. Fletcher preaching unannounced at Shrewsbury and
Llangollen by the way. They spent seven weeks in Dublin, and from
accounts written by others, the preaching of the Vicar and the
faithful class-leading and personal dealing of his wife were blessed
in a remarkable manner. A great revival of pure religion followed; as
an evidence of which the membership of the Methodist Society in that
city was permanently raised from five hundred to one thousand, and a
great hunger to know God and to like Him was awakened in the hearts of
the people.
One church, indeed, opened its doors to him, but when it was known
that he was preaching also in Methodist meeting-houses he was given to
understand how unwelcome he would be in any of the pulpits of his
clerical brethren. The French Church alone said, "Come!" and many
flocked there who could understand no word of what he said. When asked
why they went when this was the case, they replied, "We went to look
at him, for heaven seemed to beam from his countenance."
The grateful Methodists thought it only fair to refund the travelling
expenses of the Vicar and his wife, handing him a purse of twenty-five
guineas for that purpose. At first he refused it, but being greatly
pressed, he thanked them very heartily, and gracefully handed it over
to the Society fund for the sick poor, which he had heard was in a
very needy condition.
Life at Madeley was very full. Fletcher regularly visited the eighteen
public-houses of his parish, some of them every Sunday, in addition to
his other work, and, as a result of his labours and observations, he
wrote a pamphlet entitled "Three National Grievances," in which he
dealt largely with drunkenness and smuggling. Taxation was the third
"grievance," wholly influenced in Fletcher's mind by the other two.
The pamphlet was sent to every Member of Parliament, being intended to
show them the necessity for Social Reform.
In the wonderful way of quietly busy men, Fletcher made time to teach
in his Madeley School every day, visiting another as often as occasion
permitted, which he had established in Madeley Wood. He also founded
Sunday Schools, and quickly gathered into them three hundred children,
whom he further dealt with in special children's meetings, which were
to him a great delight. He had a unique fashion of teaching; quick to
avail himself of every passing incident as illustration; he never
failed to keep their attention or to engage their affection--the
latter being accomplished without any effort upon his part. Until the
Thursday before his death, Fletcher kept up these meetings, and he
left behind him an unfinished catechism designed for the use of the
little ones he so much loved.
Much of the Vicar's time was occupied in visiting the sick. He would
show himself intensely grieved if he were not at once apprised of any
illness, and as he preached so much on the far outskirts of his
parish--ten, twelve, and sixteen miles distant--the calls were many.
Whenever they came he was ready. On the bitterest winter's night he
would give his unfailing answer through the window to any messenger,
"_I will be with you immediately_"; and through storm or frost he
set off at once to give the comfort of his presence and the power of
his prayers.
With supreme disregard of personal need, Fletcher was never happier
than when he had given away every penny in the house. He religiously
avoided debt, paying ready money for all he had, but when due claims
were met he loved to pillage the household resources for the benefit
of his sick poor. Whether _he_ had any dinner mattered little,
but delight seized hold upon him when his helpmate was discovered in
the preparation of delicacies for his parish invalids.
Mrs. Fletcher would often take some article to his wardrobe and find
the drawers almost swept clear of linen. Others, he thought, had
needed the garments more than he.
A poor widow called one day to pour out a story of difficulties with
which she found herself burdened. Money there was none at the moment,
but the Vicar was not to be cheated out of this new chance of helping
another. Striding into the kitchen, he laid hands upon the pewter
dishes, of whose polish Sally Lawrence was so proud, and handed them
to the widow with the remark that "a wooden trencher served better."
Day by day, indeed, John Fletcher lost himself in the needs and spirit
of his Master, finding in his increasingly clear view of God, his ever
more intimate fellowship with Christ, abiding treasure and keen
delight which were beyond even his power of felicitous expression. It
was in keeping with his hourly experience that he exclaimed in a
letter to Lady Mary Fitzgerald :--
"Who are we, my lady, that we should not be swallowed up by the holy,
loving, living Spirit, who fills Heaven and earth? Whether we consider
it or not, there He is, a true, holy, loving, merciful God. Assent to
it, my lady, believe it, rejoice in it. Let Him be God, _all in
all;_ your God in Christ Jesus. What an ocean of love to swim in--
to dive into!"