Krishnu-pal, the first convert, who had for twenty years been a consistent Christian, was one of the first to be taken away.

Dr.Carey himself, though exceedingly ill, recovered his former state of health, and continued his arduous labours, he being by this time the ablest philologist in India; but the little band had come to the time of life when "the clouds return after the rain," and in 1823 Mr.Ward died of cholera.

For twenty-three years had the threefold cord between Carey, Marshman, and Ward, been unbroken.

They had lived together like brothers, alike in aim and purposes, each supplying what the other lacked; and the distress of the parting was terrible, especially to Dr.Marshman, who at the time of his friend's illness was suffering from an attack of deafness, temporary indeed, but for some days total, so that he could only watch the final struggle without hearing a single word.
He wrote as if he longed to be with those whose toils and sorrows were at an end, but he still had much more to do.

In 1826, he visited England, partly for the sake of pleading with the Society at home, first begun on so small a scale by Carey, but which now numbered many members and disposed of large sums.