The coast of Devonshire and Cornwall was passing before me. The
memory of beloved friends, then, was very strong and
affecting.... I was rather flurried at the singularity of this
providence of God, in thus leading me once more to the bosom of
all my friends.... I have thought with exceeding tenderness of
Lydia to-day; how I long to see her; but if it be the Lord's
will, He will open a way. I shall not take any steps to produce
a meeting.
So he wrote on July 20. On the same day, the Rev. T.M. Hitchins wrote
to him, thus: 'Lydia, from whom we heard about ten days ago, is quite
well. She is much interested in your welfare.' Mrs. Hitchins wrote:
'Lydia, whom I heard lately from, is well, and never omits mentioning
you in her letters--and, I may venture to say, what you will value
still more, in her prayers also.' Martyn wrote to Mr. Hitchins on the
23rd: 'A great work lies before me, and I must submit to many
privations if I would see it accomplished. I should say, however, that
poverty is not one of the evils I shall have to encounter; the salary
of a chaplain, even at the lowest, is 600 rupees a month. Give my kind
love to mama--as also to Miss L. Grenfell.' A postscript to the letter
stated that the writer had taken his place in the coach for Marazion:
'Trust to pass some part of the morning at Miss Grenfell's.' He thus
records in his _Journal_ the interviews which resulted in what
amounted to a brief engagement:
I arrived at Marazion in time for breakfast, and met my beloved
Lydia. In the course of the morning I walked with her, though
not uninterruptedly; with much confusion I declared my affection
for her, with the intention of learning whether, if ever I saw
it right in India to be married, she would come out; but she
would not declare her sentiments, she said that the shortness of
arrangement was an obstacle, even if all others were removed. In
great tumult I walked up to St. Hilary, whence, after dining, I
returned to Mr. Grenfell's, but, on account of the number of
persons there, I had not an opportunity of being alone with
Lydia. Went back to Falmouth with G. I was more disposed to talk
of Lydia all the way, but roused myself to a sense of my duty,
and addressed him on the subject of religion. The next day I was
exceedingly melancholy at what had taken place between Lydia and
myself, and at the thought of being separated from her. I could
not bring myself to believe that God had settled the whole
matter, because I was not willing to believe it.
TO MISS LYDIA GRENFELL, MARAZION
Union, Falmouth Harbour: July 27, 1805.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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