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

The Wesley biographer L. Tyeman tells thatWesley married Mrs. Vazeille after 15-16 days of courtship. Just after the marriage John Wesley writes in hisJournals an advice to young men. Here he says that theyshould to continue to be unmarried for the sake of Heaven,if there were not reasons for exceptions. The advice andencouragement to the young men has confused theresearchers. The problem is why Wesley wrote these wordsas he himself got married.Wesley and his wife were not much company foreach other. Wesley had felt an attraction to Mrs. Vazeille,when he was ill, and she nursed him during his illness. Hehad only known her during a short period of time beforethis near contact as nurse and patient. Bishop Francis J.McConnell says in his biography: “John Wesley”, that amarriage that is performed because of a relation betweenthe nurse and the sick person she is nursing, has always adoubtful value. Let this statement be what it is worth.Experience show that some such marriages can be asuccess while others do not.Charles Wesley tried to interfere in this marriagetoo. He found to his consternation that Mrs. Wesley hadalso been a maid. It is a fact that a mother to four childrenhas not had time to much more than to work in thehousehold and to care for the home.In the beginning the relationship between Johnand Molly was good. She followed him on his preachingtours through England for two years. Travelling was not ascomfortable then as it is today. The traveller experiencedoften hardships. Disputes seem to have arisen between thecouple concerning the life of the travelling preacher. She84