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Show CHAPTER FOURTEEN Lathrop's r e l e a s e was heralded in Puritan c i r c l e s throughout London, but more e s p e c i a l l y by his own congregation. During his imprisonment, differences had arisen among the members of the Independent church and some had l e f t , following the leadership Of John Spilsbury. Those who had remained loyal to Lathrop struggled in the absence of leadership, but managed to remain somewhat i n t a c t. As soon as L a t h r o p ' s e m a c i a t e d body began to mend, he was on h i s f e e t t e n d i n g to the needs of h i s family and f r i e n d s. A f t e r t a k i n g the time to r e o r g a n i z e the m e e t i n gs of h i s c o n g r e g a t i o n and to bond them with William K i f f i n ' s group so t h a t they could f u n c t i o n u n t i l a m i n i s t e r c o u l d be s e l e c t e d to r e p l a c e him, he then f o r m u l a t e d p l a n s for the t r i p across the ocean. He and h i s f a m i l y worked to make t h e i r d e p a r t u r e a r e a l i t y . The f a m i l y had spent the s p r i n g p l a n t i ng t h e i r market g a r d e n in hopes of a s u b s t a n t i a l enough r e t u r n on t h e i r produce to pay t h e i r p a s s a g e to A m e r i c a . Melons, a l t h o u g h not t h e i r e x c l u s i v e c r o p , had a l w a y s been t h e i r best p r o d u c e r s and t h i s year was no d i f f e r e n t . Samuel had p r o v e n h i m s e l f -such a v a l u a b l e worker a t the brewery t h a t he was now e a r n i n g s h i l l i n gs i n s t e a d of c o a l . He worked w i t h the family in the |
