Fletcher of Madeley | Page 5

guardian angel accompanied Jean De La Fléchère
in all his earthly wanderings!
Although a good rider and practised swimmer, the life of this young
fellow was not by any means wasted in athletics and sport; he studied
hard to prepare himself for the University of Geneva, succeeding most
brilliantly. His extraordinary diligence, no less than his striking ability,
distinguished him among the other students, and he bore off first prizes
with ease, studying early and late that he might acquire the knowledge
he loved. After leaving the University he gave himself to the
acquirement of the German language, and studied Hebrew and higher
mathematics.
All this he did with the idea of becoming a minister of the Gospel, but
the more he thought about the burden which he would assume by so
doing, the less he felt able for his suggested task.
"Go into the army, Fletcher," pleaded some of his friends, and it was
not long before he turned the power of his clear brain to work upon
military engineering. He became very keen on his chosen profession,
and at the time when Portugal was despatching troops to Brazil,
Fletcher hied himself to Lisbon, gathered together a company of young
Englishmen, accepted a Captain's commission, and agreed to sail upon
a certain day in the Portuguese Service.
His father, Colonel De La Fléchère, refused to sanction the step, or
to supply him with the money he requested for the enterprise.

"I will go without it," he resolved, and counted the hours to the sailing
of the man-o'-war.
A day or two before the appointed date a maid, who was serving him
with breakfast, clumsily dropped the tea-kettle upon his leg, scalding
him so severely that he had to take to his bed. While there the ship
sailed, and in view of Fletcher's later life, it is a striking fact that she
was never heard of again.
Though desperately disappointed, Fletcher was as keen as ever on
becoming a soldier. He returned to Nyon, and, to his unbounded delight,
learned that his uncle had procured him a commission in the Dutch
Service, of which he was a Colonel.
Eagerly he made his way to Flanders, grudging the days of travel which
kept him out of his ambition. Bent though he was in rough-hewing his
way according to his desire, Providence was surely shaping for him an
end other than he planned. On his arrival Fletcher found that peace was
concluded; his soldiering capabilities were no longer required. Almost
immediately his uncle died, and the door into the military profession
seemed closed to him for ever.
CHAPTER IV.
A SWEET GIRLHOOD

Mary Bosanquet grew into sweet and graceful girlhood. "It is time she
saw the world," decided her mother, and forthwith preparations were
made for her to accompany the family, who were to spend three gay
months in Bath. She dressed and danced as did the rest, but in the very
ball-room found herself thinking, "If I only knew where to find the
Methodists, or any who would show me how to please God, I would
tear off all my fine things and run through the fire to them. If ever I am
my own mistress I will spend half the day in working for the poor, and
the other half in prayer."

Not long after this Mary's sister visited a friend who declared herself
recently converted, and in her house Mary found her longed-for help
and counsel--"the greatest comfort of my life," as she expressed it.
Association with this Mrs. Lefevre, who died when Mary was
seventeen, led the girl to declare to her father that she desired to lead a
better life than one of mere amusement, begging him to allow her to be
left at home when the family visited the theatre and other scenes of
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.