it looks
formidable.

21_st_.--Bristol is like a great mountain looking me in the face, and
weighing heavily upon my heart.

The following short memoranda of the way in which he was engaged at
Bristol are taken from his letters; the Diary, during his later years,
supplies few notes, either of his labors or his experience:--

3 _mo_.--I met at Richard Fry's house a large number of young men and
women teachers of the First-day School; forty-eight were present. An
opportunity was offered for my receiving and also communicating
information respecting schools and education. What makes the subject more
interesting in Bristol, is the attendance of more than one hundred of the
school children at meeting on First-day mornings, which, I think, has been
the practice for about ten years, and their behavior is orderly and good.

31_st_.--I am somewhat busily employed in this busy city in visiting
the young men. I find very ready access to them, and my engagement has the
hearty concurrence of all my friends. I am abundantly convinced that it
would have been a great mistake to have ran away from the place without
making the attempt at the performance of the present service. The usual
meetings for worship have been seasons of divine favor, some of them, I
think, extraordinarily so, which I consider a great mercy in my Heavenly
Father, when I consider the weakness of the poor instrument. It has been
announced for me to give a lecture this evening in the large
meeting-house, on my travels in Europe, a _sound_ which almost
frightens me. Friends really do not know what a poor thing I am.

By the kindness of a friend, we have been supplied with a pleasing
personal reminiscence of John Yeardley's visit to Bristol, which will help
to represent him as he was in later years.

Bristol, 6 mo. 8, 1859.

Since thou informed me of thy intention to compile a memoir of our late
dear friend John Yeardley, I have endeavored to recall the circumstances
of his visit to this city in the spring of the year 1856.

My impression is, that the most striking feature in his character was his
childlike simplicity, both in word and conduct. This very characteristic,
whilst it really increased his influence for good, especially with the
young, rendered it perhaps more difficult to trace, and now to describe,
the precise manner in which it was exercised. I believe that his Christian
labors here were very seasonable and very important, and that he was