Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-02-21
1" Stepping Heayenward.v

NWlnH tAlIdClS l1uIu lJ'lt anu iltlltIr
Of Elizabeth Prentiss," author of " Stepriue
Heavenward," published by A. d. f. Ran.
dolph and Company.
1T was the first Sunday in September,
is6e. A quiet, perfect day among the green
hills of Vermont; sscramental Sabbath,
and we had come seven miles over the noun
tain to go up TO the house of the Lord.
had brought my little two months old baby
in my arms, intending to leave her during
the service at our brothers home, which
was near the church. / knew that Mr..
Prentiss was summer boarder in this
home, that she was the wife of distin-
guished clergyman, and literary woman Of
decided ability, but it was before the Step
ping Heavenward epoch of her life, and
had no very deem interest in the prospect Of
meeting her. We went in at the Hospitality
open door, and meeting no one sat down in
the pleasant family livirg-room. 1t was
about noon, and we could hear cheerful
voices talking over the lunch table in the
dining-room. Presently the door opened
and slight, deicate-featured woman, with
beautiful large dark eyes, came with rapid
step into the room, going across to the hall
door; but her quick eye caught glimpse
of my little bundle of ,nnel,' and not
pausing for an introduction or word of
preparatory speech, she came towards me
with beaming face and outstretched hands.
"Oh, have you baby there How DE-
lightful / haven't seen one for such an
age-plesse may | take it the darling
tiny creature la girl How lovelyw
"She took the baby tenderly in her arms
and went on in her eager, quick, informal
way, but with bright little blush and
smile Pm not very polite-pray let me in
troduce mvself I'm Mrs. Prentiss, and you
are Mrs. F. / know"
"After a little more sweet, motherly com.
ment and question over the baby-a' touch
of nature which made us at once akin ,
she asked, Have you brought the baby to
be christened ?
al said no. | thought it would be better
to wait till she was a little older.
"'Oh, no. she pleaded, do let us take
her over to the church now. The younger
the better, think; it is so uncertain about
our keeping such treasures.
al still objected that | had not dressed
the little one for so public an occasion.
"Oh, never mind about that she said.
'She is really lovelier in this simple fashion
than to be loaded with lace and embroid.
ery. Then, her sweet face growing more
earnest, There will be more of us here to-
day than at the next communion-more of
us to pray for her.
"The little lamb was taken into the fold
that day, and l was Mrs. Prentiss' warm
friend forevermore. Her whole beautiful
character had revealed itself to me in that
little interview-the quick perception, the
wholly frank, unconventional manner, the
sweet motherlness, the cordial interest in
even stranger, the fervent piety which
could not bear delay in duty, and even the
quaint, original forcible thought and way Of
expressing it, 'Therel be more of us here
to pray for her to-day"
There could be no better introduction to
Mrs. Prentiss than this extract from the rec
objections of her friend, Mrs. Frederick
Field. 1t shows her at her best, because il
shows her as she was woman of warm
quick, tender, human sympathies, and OF
inartificial piety, to whom prayer was a
breath and love life, and every form OF
false pretense an abomination. She had
another side to her character. She possessed
sensitive, nervous organization, deeply
emotional nature, a physical constitution
prone to disease, and she was educated nm
der a New England system of religious
teaching which inculcated as an ideal the
impossible life of continuous spiritual exal
tation and the pernicious practice of habit
ual determination. She emerged from
this into life of trusting love, which takes
God at his word, and believes his grace and
goodness alike when it is felt and when it i:
not but between these two phases of Chris
| tian life her own was perpetual struggle
If one could sit in cool criticism upon hel
character and analyze her spiritual expert
ences he might point out its defects, but he
would thus only prove himself most lament
ably deficient in that element of devout
sympathy with hearts struggling GodwarC
and heavenward which was her supreme ex
celence, and which counterbalances all hel
defects. She was too warm a friend, MOI
only of those who knew her personally, bu
of those who knew her only through hel
pen, to make this possible-at least for US
who can coldly anatomize the heart of
friend ? Her autobiography-for such il
this life, made largely of her journals ant
letters-brings the reader into spiritual tel
lowship with the woman whose picture Mrs
Field has so charmingly given in the para
graph quoted above. To sit down in tn
quiet of spiritual converse with such
woman is a rare privilege; and withou
further introduction we ask her to speal
to our readers in this number, in som
extracts from her diaries and letters HOP
ing that even 80 brief a converse may aft )r'
to them something of that spiritual inspirs
which the book has afforded to us. Tn
extracts which follow are given simply a
illustrative experiences of one who all he
life long was herself stepping heavenward'