Among the friends with whom they had religious intercourse were Pastors L’Huillier, Gallon, and Molinier.  The last was a “father in the church” to them.  After some conversation on the state of religion in Geneva, he proposed their sitting awhile in silence, well knowing the practice of the Society of Friends in this respect.  John and Martha Yeardley had each a gospel message to deliver to him, after which he took them both by the hand, and offered up prayer for their preservation and the prosperity of the Society to which they belonged.  “It was,” says J.Y., “the effusion of the Holy Spirit, accompanied with power, and refreshed our spirits.”

With Pastor Gallon John Yeardley had a long conversation on the principles and operations of the Societe Evangelique.

I find them, he says, more liberal in their views than had been represented, and their extent of usefulness is already considerable.  In their Academy they instruct young men with a view to their becoming ministers, missionaries, school-masters, &c., as the prospect for their future usefulness may open under the direction of Divine Providence.  In a place like Geneva, such an institution may be well:  while we regard it with some caution lest it should run too high on points of doctrine, we cannot but hail with peculiar satisfaction such a favorable opportunity of educating young men in the sound principles of Christianity, that they may happily prove instruments in the Divine Hand to check the spread of infidelity.

From Geneva they went to Lausanne.  Their old friend, Professor Gaudin, took them to see several pastors, and other pious persons, and on First-day, the 17th, he and his family, with some other serious-minded individuals, joined them in their hour of worship at the inn.

It was, says J.Y., a time of a little encouragement to our tried minds, for we had been brought into doubt as to the utility of resting here, although we had seen, as we believed, in the true light, that we ought to seek out a few who could unite with us in our simple way.

On the 18th they went on to Neufchatel, where they were received as before with much affection, and where they proposed to settle down for the winter, after making a tour in some neighboring parts of Switzerland.

On the 20th they went to Berne, and hired a lodging, for the purpose of devoting themselves to religious intercourse with persons of the interior class.  As soon as it was known they had arrived, their acquaintance rapidly increased, and they found it difficult to receive all who came.  One of their first acts was to renew their intercourse with the Combe family at Wabern, where their visit in 1828 had left a sweet remembrance.

They spent a fortnight in Berne and the neighborhood, and some passages from John Yeardley’s account of this interesting visit may properly find a place here.  The continual flow of Christian sympathy which it was now their happiness to experience, formed a strong contrast to the dreary spiritual wastes they had traversed in Italy and Greece.  It was at this time that they contracted or renewed a friendship with Sophie Wuerstemberger, since well known to many other English Friends.