In addition to J. Yeardley’s labors at the Lancasterian School, some of the older girls and a few others who belonged to the school assembled at his house one evening in the week, whom he instructed in reading and Scriptural knowledge.  Some of these still speak with gratitude of the benefit they then received.

In the Ninth Month of 1835, John and Martha Yeardley visited Settle Monthly Meeting, and Knaresborough, under appointment of the Quarterly Meeting.  On their way thither they took up at York their aged and valued friend Elizabeth Rowntree of Scarborough, who was on the appointment.

Her company, says J.Y., was a strength and comfort to us; she exercised her gift as an elder in a very acceptable manner, in many of the families we visited, as well as in the meetings for discipline.

This notice is succeeded almost immediately by the record of Elizabeth Rowntree’s sudden decease:—­

On the 25th of the Eleventh Month, we were introduced into deep affliction by the sudden removal of our precious elder, E. Rowntree.  Her dependence for salvation was fixed on her Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, through the help of whose Spirit she had been enabled to lead a life of godliness and of usefulness to her fellow-mortals, and was always concerned to give the praise to Him to whom it was due,—­the Lord of Lords.

This event, with the removal of another pilgrim to become an inhabitant of the world of beatified spirits, and the pressing subject of the divisions in the Society, form the topics of the following letter from Martha Yeardley to Elizabeth Dudley:—­

Scarborough, 12 mo. 5, 1835.

During our long sojourn last spring, in and about my native city, my spirit was deeply oppressed, nor did the conflicts endured appear to produce much benefit either to myself or others.  Here the way is more open, and, although we also deeply feel the effects of the storm which has been permitted to assail our little Society, we are more able to endure it; and desire to abide in our tents, except when called upon to defend that immediate teaching of the blessed Saviour, upon which we depend for our little portion of daily bread.  I can truly sympathise with thee, my beloved Betsy, an having to bear more of the burden and heat of the day, and I do fervently believe with thee, that the more, as individuals, we commit and confide the cause to the Great Master, in humble prayer, the sooner it will be extricated from the perplexities which now harass and distress those who are truly devoted to it.

We have deeply to mourn for our endeared and highly valued E. Rowntree, suddenly taken from us about ten days since.  She and her sister R.S., from Whitby, had spent the preceding evening with us; she was in usual health, and sweetly cheerful, rejoicing that she had been enabled to assist dear Sarah Squire in a family visit to Friends of this meeting, though she did not sit with her in the families.  I heard of her illness and hastened to her; she appeared sensible but for a very few moments after having been got to bed; yet was heard begging for patience under extreme agony; then added, We had need live the life of the righteous, for it is an awful thing to die.  Then she suddenly sank into a slumber, and lay till a little after nine at night, when her purified spirit was peacefully liberated.