But it appears from the letters, that it must
have been, so to speak, constitutional; or, perhaps, the deep pang of
losing her two elder sisters combined with a permanent state of bodily
weakness in producing her hopelessness. If her trust in God had been
less strong, she would have given way to unbounded anxiety, at many a
period of her life. As it was, we shall see, she made a great and
successful effort to leave "her times in His hands."
After her return home, she employed herself in teaching her sisters, over
whom she had had superior advantages. She writes thus, July 21st, 1832,
of her course of life at the parsonage:--
"An account of one day is an account of all. In the morning, from nine
o'clock till half-past twelve, I instruct my sisters, and draw; then we
walk till dinner-time. After dinner I sew till tea-time, and after tea I
either write, read, or do a little fancy-work, or draw, as I please.
Thus, in one delightful, though somewhat monotonous course, my life is
passed. I have been only out twice to tea since I came home. We are
expecting company this afternoon, and on Tuesday next we shall have all
the female teachers of the Sunday-school to tea."
I may here introduce a quotation from a letter which I have received from
"Mary" since the publication of the previous editions of this memoir.
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