From C[atherine] Sleep in Stroud to Mary Tooth in Madeley. It has often been on her mind and that of [William] to write to Tooth in response to her last kind letter.
They were sorry to read that Tooth had been very ill and pleased that she has been restored once again through the prayers of the people.
The Sleeps are more comfortably situated now with regards to their friends and the location of their house etc. They spent a great portion of last winter in lodgings consisting of just three rooms – their sleeping chamber was a garret and there was no kitchen. The summer proved intensely hot and sleeping so close to the top of the house had an effect on their health. But it would have been in vain to complain as the only reply would have been that they could have remained in Chalford. The Quarterly meeting had agreed to their moving from that place and [William] was told to look out for a house in Stroud. Because the third circuit preacher agreed to take the house in Chalford, they felt obliged to let him have the furniture and go into lodgings for the time being.
‘I will just mention a recent instance or two of those Methodists we left behind us in that place among whom my soul could find no comfortable resting place. Last Thursday night there was a love feast held at C[halford] when three men [unreadable squiggle] who took the most active part in the society, there rose up and left the chapel. One of them before he left said that for his part he did not approve of love feasts. One of the others said a short time before to Mr S[leep] when making the collection he should give nothing to the Kingswood School collection, for it was a shame the preachers did not pay for the children themselves, seeing they had so much allowed there…’ Such things were never heard in Cornwall. [William Sleep had spent much of his career to this point stationed in Cornish circuits.]At the same love feast one person was set at liberty.
Before the last Conference, William had agreed to stay in this circuit provided they procured another house for them, and at that time someone offered to let them have half of his house furnished at a low rent and consequently they were reliant on this offer. Two months later the offer was withdrawn and they thought there was no alternative but to remain in their lodgings. One of their friends offered to lend them all the wooden furniture that they might need, and William, with the consent of the Quarterly meeting, took on the house where they now live. They have had to buy everything else themselves with the exception of £5 and a set of curtains for the bed.
They were very pleased to hear of the revival of God’s work in Wellington and when Tooth writes next, they would be pleased to hear of how things are in the Madeley circuit. In one of the villages near here, there is quite a revival and 24 have been added to the society.
She would also be pleased to find out of [John] Sumner’s niece still lives under her uncle’s roof. Mr Sumner often wanted Catherine to take one of his nieces with them as a servant, but her mind was never easy about having a preacher’s relation in such a capacity.
William joins her in sending his love to Tooth and her sister [Rosamund]
[Annotated by Tooth – ‘answered June 10th 1823’]