Page:Groves - Memoir of Anthony Norris Groves, 3rd edition.djvu/486

CHAPTER XX.

a.d. 1852.

failure of mr. groves’s health—his return to england with mrs. f. groves determined on—he parts with his family at chittoor—leaves madras with christian friends, by steamer, august 14th—some account of overland route—experience of god’s help in sickness and various trials by the way—he lands at southampton and goes to bristol—some account of his ministry there—happy visits at barnstaple, bristol, and tottenham—variable accounts of his health—he visits sidmouth, exmouth, and torquay—interest excited by him about missions at tottenham and hackney—he visits malvern—rapid decline in his health and happy experience of god’s help in sickness—he returns to bristol—letters and journals of various friends describing the peace and triumph granted him at the last—some account of his death and funeral.

During the whole of January 1852, Mr. Groves had very severe attacks of pain, and from this time his health rapidly declined. At first the most acute pains were in the night; afterwards they varied as to time and severity, and he became very thin. Still his wonderful powers of rallying, when the pain went off, made his friends hope that there was no cause for alarm.

On the 26th of February he quitted Chittoor with his wife for Mysore. He suffered much on the journey, and, soon after this, it being decided that his daughter-in-law, who went first with Mrs. Groves to the Hills, needed a further change and was not well enough to go home alone, his friends urged his accompanying her; a return to England being recommended for him also; and his wife, with all who loved him, desired to see what