THE WOMEN AROUND JOHN WESLEY AT HOME ... - Kristoffersen

CHILDREN DO NOT HEAL BROKEN MARRIAGESHetty believed that she would be able to tie herhusband to hers through their children. She gave birth toother children, but one by one the children died before shecould register their birth. Hetty was convinced that thereason for the infant mortality was due to the environmentthrough poisoned air. She said that this was due to the factthat lead steam came from her husband´ s workshop. Theirliving quarters were in connection to her husbands shop. Ihave in a work about John Wesley pointed out how hewrites about the problems of environment. He points outthe unhealthy working conditions in foundries and in otherplaces of work where the workers are poisoned by lead andmercury. These are problems that we also wrestle withtoday. John and Hetty had, as that times environmentpioneers, noticed these problems already in the 17 thCentury.Hetty´ s third child was born 25 th September 1728.The Child died three days later. She wrote off her sorrow inpoetic form, and John let the one poem be printed in “Arminian Magazine”.The poem opens as follows:“Tender softness! Infant mild!Perfect, sweetest, loveliest child!Transient lustre! Beauteous clay!Smiling wonder of a day!She finishes her tribute to her dying child, as follows:49