ALABAMA. 145 



innocent darkness. He began to wish to return to England, 

 but put the thought behind him, as evidently a temptation 

 of the devil, because it would please him to return. For 

 the first time in his life, he was in a thoroughly morbid 

 condition of mind. 



Towards the middle of November his apathy and 

 gloom deepened into positive illness. He began to suffer 

 from a very violent and almost unceasing headache. On 

 December i he writes — 



** By medicine and care my headache is at length 

 "relieved, though not yet removed. It has been ac- 

 "companied by great prostration of mind and body, 

 "but though I have not been capable of much 

 " devotional exercise, I have been enabled to fix my 

 "mind with filial confidence on God. ... I have seen 

 " the absurdity of deferring the work of repentance and 

 "conversion to a sick bed, which is very ill adapted 

 " for such work. My school has closed, another gentle- 

 " man having been engaged to succeed me ; in this, too, 

 " I see the hand of God." 



From this last statement it would almost seem as 

 though, in consequence of Philip Gosse's failing health, he 

 had been arbitrarily superseded, but of this I find no other 

 record. For the next fortnight the entries in his journal 

 are tinged with the deepest melancholia. On December 

 16 he says — 



"From the representations of Brother Hearne (the 

 "presiding Elder of this district) and Brother Nose- 

 " worthy, and their persuasions, I have given up the 

 "thought of going to England, believing it to be my 

 "duty to labour here. I am not convinced by their 

 "reasons, but I fear that my will stands opposed to the 

 "will of God." 



But a few days later he was persuaded to go off for a 



L 



