The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-06-27

J. When not busy with her untiring pen an
: needle, she would resort to some choice book
4 and managed to read all the best literatur
! of the day.
SECRET OF POWER.
If one asks for the secret of the matches
success of her life, it is found in her persona
! conservation.
Born to afflaence and high social posi
tion, and possessed of remarkable beauty
/ she had every inducement to become Votsry
of fashion. But in the morning of her day
she chose "the better part, and at the sam,
time caught the spirit of her favorite text
"Whstsoever thy hand findeth to do, do il
with thy might"
Much of what she accomplished is due tc
the very rare combination of her endowments
She had power to lay great plans and organ.
ize grand movements, and withal marvel
GUS memory of details Nothing was too
trivial to be overlooked if it would add per-
fection to the organization, To her latest
day her memory was true to it's trust for
dates and incidents, every one of which was
accurate and thorogghly at her command,
and all used for 4hd benefit and comfort Of
others. From the very beginning of her
Christian life her many beautiful gifts, her
rare intelligence, her dauntIess will, were all
consecrated to the service Of her Redeemer,
and thenceforth transfused by his Spirit,
were quickened into ever frightening emana-
tioDs of loving activities.
To her, to live was Christ; and this life,
| fed by constant communion with him By the
wayside, in the crowded car, as we'll as in the
seclusion of her home, drew 10 it all that was
noblest and best in every character that ap-
preached her, and awakened latent Capabili'
ties of usefulness in minds before unconscious
of them. With her, religion was a warm,
beautiful inspiration, making everything she
touched sharer in the radiance of her own
spirit. Cheerfulness," she always said,
"was Christian duty" aid her unfailing
playfuness and wit continued bright fea-
ture of her closing days, even amid all her
agony. Her consideration Tor others never
deserted her to the latest hour of her life.
On the Sabbath previous to her death she
church, the Woman's Hospital service, and a
missionary meeting held in Calvary church,
for DR.. Riley, of Mexico, and Dr.. SCheres
chewsky, of China.
On the Saturday before she passed away,
she had long interview with DR.. Wells Will
liams in reference to the China Mission,
and only an hour before she went to her
glorious reward her mind vas planning for
her dear missions.
One friend, whose personal memory of her
extends over third of century, says: "It
was one of her peculiaritieS never to be with
out task of goodness on hand. Early and
late, in sunshine and storm, she was every
where; now in a dismal cellar, now in the
attic of tenement house, now in the cell of
prison, and now in an editors sanctum to
influence, through the press, variety Of hu
name actions. Early in the morning, and
even while it was yet dark, she was at her
work for the Lord. While others we're sleep
ing, she went to the market and carefully
purchased tho food foE Que, two, aad three
ssylums of which she had this great care, in
addition to that of her own house. Then the
rounds of them all must be made, as if she
were the physician in charge Of each of them.
Individual cases of special need were eau
tiously watched. The spiritual wants of these
institutions she supplied by bringing pastors
and others with the gospel for the sick and
the poor. And thus in all these refugees of
the distressed she was an angel of mercy,
whose very shadow was a blessing and her
presence light and comfort unspeakable." ."
Another says: "Wherever you met her
you might be sure she was on some mission
of beuevolence While others slept she was
already at her favorte work; and often far
into the night she sat at the bedside of the
suffering and dying. A medical man Of our
acquaintance has described in our hearing
how, on entering street car at two o'clock in
the morning, he found her as the only pas
senger, and discovered that often thus she
stole out to cheer some lonely patient in the
ward of the hospital by whispering in her
ear words of sympathy and prayer.
"Her beautiful face, with it's glory-halo
of silver hair, her thin form, bent latterly by
weakness and disease, and her quick, firm
step, were well known on all our city streets,
and wherever she went she was not only safe
from insult, but was greeted with benedic.
tions. The toughest men were subdued by
her calm, courageous, yet loving demeanor,
and even the strongest yielded to the ire
sistible might of her womanly gentleness =
Every sufferer had in her friend, and
thoug gh she was conscientiouSly attached to
the church of which she was member, she
loved all who called the Saviour Lord, and
rejoiCed in the prosperity and success Of
every branch of evangelical Christianity"
After dwelling on her large hearted labora
in behalf of missions and missionaries, ne
continues: "Nor were these labors of love
prosecuted by her at the expense Of her home
life. The heart of her husband did safely
trust in her, and her household was man
aged by her as admirably as if, instead Of
having so many public cares upon her, she
had been simply only hOusekeeper. She
recognized that the centre of her influence
was in the family, and in the training of her
children and her intercourse with her grand
children she was simply admirable. The
marvel to all her friends was how she con-
trived to get through SO much work each
day, especially as her frame was always fra
gile and her strength seemed just about to
give way. But he who kept always little
oil in the cruise of Zarephath blessed her to
the last with little strength; and as she
put that into the hands Of the Master, He
multiplied it to the accomplishing of all her
labors
"The central principle Of her life was love
to Jesus. She did everything for Him, and
wherever she went she took Him with her
A friend met her one evening in the crowd
at the door of the Hippodrome, during Mr..
Moody's meetings, and said to her, What