The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-04-06
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JOHN WESLEY'S
LOVE STORY.
Here is Strange Romance Indeed of
the Early Days of Georgia.

mere is Strange Romance Indeed or
the Early Days of Georgia.
In an old library of the South, where
letters and papers have been slowed away
for two centuries, has been unearthed a
strange story-nothing more nor less than
the love life of John Wesley in Georgia. 1t
is a strange history of passion, of self
searchings, of the tyranny of the early
religious conscience, of sorrow and resolve
Wesley, the preacher, the missionary. the
founder of the church, is the last man from
whose breast one would have expected to
wrench such a secret and yet, when all's
told. it presents his character in no light
new or unfamiliar
This is the tale When John Oglethorpe
sailed westward to become governor of a
colony peopled with convicts and the lot-
sam and ietsam of the London warehouses,
he took John Wesley with him as a civiliz-
ing influence. Wesley was then young
man of brilliant parts, fellow of Lincol''
College Oxford, on three hundred pounds
year; handsome, pure and Quixotic His
brother Charles Wesley, was the COVER
nor's secretary.
The ship was delayed by storms and the
passengers were thrown upon their own
resources for entertainment.
The most interesting person on board, so
far as John Wesley was concerned, was
Miss Sophia Canston, niece of one of the
hnI
induced to follow him to the New World.
This was not only because young women
were few on board the colonial vessel, but
because this young woman was extremely
attractive. She was beautiful. She was
highly educated. She rang with a voice
that fascinated him. And, most potent of
all, she listened with ilattering interest to
his preaching. The two became friends.
She sang Charles Wesley's psalms with
him, and listened to all he had to say about
experimental religion. Governor Ogle-
thorpe was well pleased with the turn
affairs were taking, and used every means
to throw the young people together.
LOVE WAS BORN.
One day terrific storm arose The maSts
were broken. Everybody began to pray
The Germans on board sang solemnly on
while the waves were beating at the ship
as If to tear it to pieces. Then it was that
John Wesley cried out in an agony of
doubt, cam | ready to meet my God ~
And Sophia Canston, standing near, looked
up at this noble, sou-stirring evangelist
and thought, 'If not he, then who of all on
board this fated craft ~ In these seasons
of doubt, while Wesley was experiencing
what his biographers term his new birth,
the touching bravery of the young girl who
too short, was not without its soothing
influence.
Needless to say that by the time Georgia
was reached the boat had shipped an extra
passenger with wings and bow and arrow.
When the settlers landed the usual occupa-
tions of newly arrived colonists seemed to
have put an end to Wesley's lovemaking.
Oglethorpe went on to the site of Fredrica
accompanied by Charles Wesley and Del
amotte, his inseparable companion. The
rest of the English set about raising tents
or dark covered huts along the square and
streets of Savannah. John Wesley went
with some of the Germans, because he had
begun the study of their language on board
the ship, and desired to pursue that study.
Amid the noise of the rice birds the fort at
Savannah was raised, and Wesley built his
parsonage andFehool house
Mr.. Canston Sophia's uncle, was made
chief magistrate I'd storekeeper, and his
niece made hersel charming as Wesley's
pupil in French ana n earnest seeker after
the exquisite pleasm 5 of experimental
holiness.
At this time John Wesley wrote to a
friend: 81 find myself-as neither desired
nor eXpected-indulgin in honors and in
ease and abundance. Strange school for
one who hath but one business, to exercise
himself unto holiness, nudi nudum Chris
tum sequ.n
Sophia was the official belle of the place
She and John Wesley were the most con-
spicuous figures in society, and were con-
sequently thrown together very frequently
Governor Oglethorpe looked upon the affair
as settled and so did the people of the
colony. Oglethorpe wished to cit settled,
because he wished to keep Wesley at Say
annah, instead of letting the young mis-
sonary wander off, as had been his original
intention to preach to the Indians. Wes-
ley and Delamotte taught school, preached
and held love feasts and in the evening
sang psalms. Mr.. Delamotte taught about
forty children to Tread, write and cast
accounts" Before school in the morning
and after school in the evening Mr.. Wes-
ley catechised the Clover class" of chill
dren, and endeavored to fix something of
his own spirit into their minds as well as
their memories.
AT night, when the candles burned, and
their work was done, and the still woods