Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-01
WESLEY AND HIS WIFE.
Curious Letter Hitherto rnpub-
Iished Showing His Domestic TrOu-
bles.

bles.
From the New York Critic
John Wesley was married In February, 1851,
to Mrs. Mary Vazeille, ga merchants widow in
Ibreadneedle street. who possessed fortune
OF about $50, 900, secured to herself and her four
children. He was forty-eight. she forty-one. His
biograPher, the Rev. l.. Tyerman, says of their
marriage that it was, in a high degree, an act
OF Jolly; and, properly enough. to the end of lfe
both of them were made to suffer a serious pen
atty" Mary's life ended ten years before her
husbands She died in 1871, after having
made him miserable for thirty years. Wesley
survived her, living to the ripe age of eighty
eight In worldly way he had gained nothing
by his marriage. 1t lost him his fellowship at
oxford and at least temporarily alienated his
brother Charles and his wife, His domestic in
feleities are set forth in detail in the following
curious letter hitherto unpublished:
"COLEFoRD, Oct. %, 1859.
'DEAR MOLLY: I will tell you simply and
plainly the things web. / dislike II you remove
them, well. II not am but where was. I
dislike your showing any one my letters and
private papers without my leave. This never
did any Good yet, either to you or me, or any
one. IL only sharpens and emoitters Your own
upon Others. The same it would have upon
me, but that (by the Grace of Cod 1 do not
think of it. 1t can do no good: 1t can never
bring me nearer, tho it may drive me further
Off. And should YOU do as you often threaten
me, then the matter is over. l know what
have to do. In all this you are fighting against
yourself. You are frustrating you own purpose,
II you want me to love you. You take just the
other. 1t cannot be: Love can only be won by
softness. Foul Means avail nothing. But you
say, Il have tried Fair Means and they did not
succeed IT they do not none will. Then you
have only to say, This EVIL is of the Lord: am
Clay in his Hand
ii dislike, 2, Not having the Command of
my OWN House; not being ut liberty to invite
even my nearest relations, so much as to drink
q Dish of Tea without dfsobliging you. l dis
3. being Il Prisoner
House; the having my Chamber door watched
continually so that no Person can go in or out.
but such as have your Good Leave. dislike,
4, The being but a prisoner at large, even when
/ go abroad, inasnuch you are highly dis
gnsted, IL Go not give yoq an Account OF every
converse. / dislike D. The not being safe In my
own House. My House is not my Castle. can
not call even my study, even my Bureau, my
own. They are liable to be plundered every
day. You say, Il plumber you of nothing but
Papers am not sure OF that. How is it pos
will steal Pin will steal 4 Pound. But were
1t SOFA Scholars Papers are his treasure; NJ
Papers as relate to Sarah Ryan and Sarah
Crosby That is not trne: What are Mr.. Lam
deyS Letters to Them? Besides, You have
taken Parts of my Journal which relate to
neither One nor the Other i dislike, q. Your
Treatment of my Servants ttho' indeed they
are not properly Nine. You do all that in you
lies to make their Lives Burden to them. i on
. brow-beat, harraS, rate them like Dogs, make
them afraid TO speak to me. You treat them
with such HautinesS, Sternness, Sourness. Sur
illness. Immature as never were known in any
House OF mine for near a dozen years. You
forget even Good breeding, and use such
coarse Language as BELTS none but Fishwife.
i dislike, your talking against me behind
my back and that every day and almost every
hour OF the day; making my faults real or sup
posed the standing topic of your conversation.
dislike. 3. YOUR slandering me, laying to my
charge things which you know are false. Such
are ITO 60 but few days back that beat YOU
Which you told James Burgess. That rode to
kingswood with Sarah Ryan, which you told
Rigby- rpOnirp1
were first married, never to sit in my presence
without my leave. Which you told Mrs: Lee
Mrs. Fry and several Others; and stood to it be-
fore my face. dislike, ., your common custom
of saying things not true. To instance only in
N.Y. Valae 1earned snanish i in fortnight
You told Mr.. Fry Mrs. Ellison was the author
as to my intrigue in Georgia You told
Mrs. Ellison You never said any such thing;
you never charged her with it, You also told
her, that had laid a plot to serve you as SUI
sannah was served by the two elders j dis
ness TO all who endeavOr to defend my charac-
ter (aS my brother, Joseph Jones, CLAYTON Car
language, such as ought not to defie gentle
woman $ lips if she did not believe one word of
"And now; Molly, what would any one adj
wise you to, that has real Concern for your
To S
them to their proper owner: 2, TO allow me the
command of my own House, with free Leave to
my Liberty there that any who will may come
to me, without Let or Hindrance: A, To let me
go where please, and to whom please, with
out giving an Account to any: 5. To assure
me, you will take no more of my Papers, nor
anything of mine, without my Consent: q, To
treat all the servants where you are whether
you like them or MOI with Courtesy and Human
ity, and to speak Off You speak at alb to them,
as we'll as Others, with Good nature. and Good
manners: To speak no evil of me behind my
back: =, Never to accuse me falsely: 9, To be
extremely cautious of saying anything that is
not strictly true, both as to the Matter and
Manner, and, 10, To avoid all Bitterness of Ex-
preston, till you can avoid all Bitterness of
Spirit.
These are the Advices which now give you
in the Fear of God, and in tender Love to Your
Soul. Nor can give you Stronger Proof that
] ann, your ahectionate husband.
JOHN WESLEY"