Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-14

crew, she awaits with silent heroism the final
separation from all earthly ties. Marga-
ret's life was perfected by the love of hus-
band and child in them the tempest tossed
mortal found the only happiness she had
ever known, and it was through this affec
ton that the shabby plant Of coarse tissue"
changed TO a pleasing vine Of surprising
exuberance, yielding food and shelter TO
many starved hearts
Where the soil is so fertile, il is difficult
TO turn aside from its wealth Of budding
foliage, varegated with deep lines Of poesy
and thought lying within such easy reach
that the cleaner has only to stretch forth
hand and pluck the richest, fairest tendrls
to Irvine in our coronal Of love. But the
call of natures poet, 81 stand here to say,
Let us worship the mighty and transcen-
dent soul ! draw from nature the lesson
of an intimate divinity summons us to
calmer perspective in the peaceful quietude
of New England Sabbath gives us a Wv
i'd sense Of the Great Architects handi-
work, penetrating every fibre Of our being
and lifting the troubled self out Of doubt
/ and restlessness into realms of restful Joy.
| The air we breathe, enriched by divine
essence, spreads over us softened feelings
of repose, and we draw near the beloved
/ presence with reverential awe Descended
| from long line Of Friends aud thoroughly
imbued with the holy Quaker spirit Lucre.
tia Motifs life and teachings shine forth in
her golden notices Truth for authority
/ MT authpritv for truth Lat ug ,-a p,,I,a
lief, but let it be a reverent unbelef." "a
woman Of an intellect as sound and com
| prehensive as her heart is noble" writes
her coadjutor, Harriet Martineau. A most
exemplary helpmate, mother and friend,
who found time amidst her manifold duties
and perplexitics to espouse the grand cause
of freedom, fellowship, and character in
religion untirngly, unAinchingly, never
once swervng from the narrow path Of rec
titude marked out by herself, guided in all
things by the pure light Of truth. "How
inviting is religion when stripped from the
appendages Of bigoted sectarianism and
| gloomy superstition" writes this great
true hearted woman, resolutely setting her
face against all contentious dogmatisms and
benighted professions. Denounced as an
atheistical leader, stigmatzed as a violent
fanatic subjected to unparalleled acts Of
rudeness from those who should have sus-
tanned the tender heart in its earnest en-
deavor to gain enlightenment aud equality
for race dearer to her than life itself she
adhered unfalteriugly to her convictions Of
right, an fearlessly proclaimed at all times
and in all places the golly doctrine Of the
brotherhood of man
Mrs Mott preferred talking to writing
and has left no po,thumous works save Iii
vers thoughtful letters and few sermons,
delivered. As was the custom in this society,
e&temporaneously, and published without
her knowedg or revision In these few
literary remains, however, We see not only
the gifted preacher but the practical house
wife, who believed it was better to make a
good corn pudding in silence than 10 make
"A tart reply one who did not consider the
irksome drudsery Of homework incompati-
bic with intellectual! growth and aspiration
woman Of guilr-s, spirit and manly head,
of whom It may be truly said. The heart
of her husband did safely trust in her"
Lucretla Motifs insprational preaching
exercised great persuasive influence over
irrational minds. Many who attended her
meetings for the purpose Of ridiculing the
speaker were awed by her dignity and sweet
solemnity Of manner into feelings of re-
spectful admiration, and remained attentive
listeners to the Word "a revealed in all its
] Lts 10, ,.l,
hear Harriet Martineau's echoing sentiment
in the pure voice of the seer: IL never
look back to the past the Golden Age.
but always forward to its coming and
believe it to be nigh, even at the door
Religion and freedom must 20 together il
the truth were obeyed, then should We be
free indeed And these are diamond
pointed words to be engraved ON every hu
man heart The way of salvation doe.
not lie through mystery and miracle, but
through character and life.
Many of us have experienced the pleas.
ure derived from an early spring following
a six-months' winter, when, released from
an icy bondage, We sought once more our
loved hooks and TRUSTING places in sunny
glens and shady hpows how our footsteps
brushing aside light coverlets of snow still
remaining here and there in frosty patches
disclosed branches of tiny pink blossoms
bright and fragrant despite biting winds
and freezing weather, awaiting only our
coming to greet us with their sweet vel
coming joys. So in the struggle If thi.
most womanly of women" we see develop
ed patience and heroism in the midst of adj
} versity, ringing through the petals of the
May-bells victory over trbulaton, sin and
death, saying in the sacred sunset of life
Il do not dread death Indeed, | dread
nothing, am ready TO 90 or to stay Re
member that my life has been simple one
Let simplicity mark the last done for me.
charge thee do not forget this am will
ing to acknowledge all ignorance of the fu.
ture, and there leave it, 1t does not trou
BILE me. We know only that our poor re
mains
softly lie and sweetly sleep
Low in the ground"
So passed away this meek and lowly spirit
her life Of vicissitude a sanctifed psalm.
And here the criticism of a wellknowu
English essayist seems singularly appropri
ate, if we substitute the names of these
three eminent Christian women for those
of three heather philosophers The sen
fences of Harriet Martineau are stimulating
to the intellect the sentences of Margaret
Fuller are terrifying to the character the
sentences of Lucretia Mott find their way
to the soul" A strong Iriumvirate of ma
ture, whose natural buds have become the
flowers of fruition, containing far-reaching
shoots of talent, genius and righteousness
with the spirit of true religion running
through every fibre. From Italy's bleed