1878, December 29, Sunday
Rapid thaw the last day or two. Snow gone. Taught school this afternoon.
This evening about 8 James Coles, Farmer, came and asked me to go baptize his infant just born prematurely. I went with him at once. Anna Young had the child on her lap and said she thought it was dead. I watched it for a moment and seeing it breathe baptized it by name “James” without delay. It breathed afterwards and was living when I left but Dr Routh who was there said it would probably not live more than an hour or two.
The Doctor told me of the death of Mr Pettipher senior this afternoon in a fit. He had been much worse for 8 or 10 days. Mrs Pettipher had asked him whether she should send for me to minister Holy Communion. He replied that he thought it would excite him too much, that he had full trust in God and was prepared to die. I am very sorry that he did not send for me to speak about his constant refusal for the past 5 or 10 years to pay his share of the Church Expenses in spite of the applications of the Churchwardens and my letter and personal application.
Visited John and Anna Young and Eliza Harris in Temple Mill Lane.
