The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-07
WESLEY'S DIARY
FOUND IN LONDON
WRITTEN IN SHORTHAND AND
DISCOVERED AMONG OLD MAN
UscRIPTs IN METHODIST BOOK
ROOM. GIVES INSIGHT OF LAST
TEN YEARS OF HIS LIFE.

Wesley's diary Of the last decade of
his life has been discovered among
some old manuscripts in London, ac-
cording to correspondence to The
Sun. New York:
I'm the old strong room in City
road, London, where the Wesleyan
Methodist book room keeps the ar
chives of nearly two centuries Of
Methodism, the Rev. DR.. Nehemiah
Curnock has made a surprising dis
covery of Wesley manuscripts.
1.-The chief OF these is q diary in
shorthand covering The greater part of
the asst ten years of Wesley's life.
This diary has been hidden in the last
Lagos of a little book known as Wes-
ley's LastAccount Book, and until now
no one suspected that the hierogliphics
at the end were priceless notes written
by Wesley himself in his old e
"Mr. Curnock is the ~discoverer Of
the key to the cipher in which John
Wesley wrote his early journals.
Describing this latest Wesley find,
Mr.. CUrnock says:
1.-The most important OF these is
a diary which fills the greater part of
the last decade of Wesley's life. On
Aug. 8, 1741, the diaries found In
what is known as the Colman collec-
ton, ceased, and the story in this par
tlcular form remains untold until it
Ia resumed on a few stray leaves in
the library of Headingley college dat
ed from Feb. Is, 1890, and continued
until within about fourteen days of
Wesley's death. The newly found
diary carries the day by day story
back to the close of the year 1882. thus
covering a period during which the
printed journal is imperfect.
1.-The vellum. bound volume in
which this diary has been found is
a curious illustration of Wesley's hab-
its of economy. He never wasted
even the small things of life. The
earlier diaries which show the doings
of the day hour by hour from 4
o'clock in the morning till 10 at night
frequently note the moments spent in
shaving" as devoted to "~meditations.H
He was a great pedestrian, but al
ways his walks were marked by read
ing, conversing. singing or making
verses. Some Of his finest hymns and
trar stations were made while walking
His notebooks show that he was
scrupulous in utilizing blank leaves
and half sheets. Many of these little
books begin at both ends. His first
Oxford diary is also the account booi
of a common room steward, the class
register of a college tutor and the
commonplace book of a discursive read
er. The manuscript hymn-boof
which he used during fifteen years
of the most enterprising period of his
life is also a sermon register.
zone of the books into which, as
youthful oxford student, he copied
many letters to and from the cele-
hrated Mrs. Delany and her sister
(the ancestress of Baron Runsen) also
contains the earliest known lists Of
the Methodist society in London
This last account book, which, as
closed on July 16, 1890, also contains
the shorthand diary from 1882 to 1890
which has now been discovered. The
book shows in minute detail how the
old man almost to the very last KEEP
his accounts exactly ending the rec.
ord with the oft quoted sentence
written with a tremuIous hand, Z will
not attempt it any longer. being sat.
isfied with the continual conviction
that I save all I can and give all
can, hat is, all I haVe.'"