vanity I had seen of human life, and when tired and sick of it, I
sought to end my days in solitude, saying, 'It is enough; here let
thy servant depart in peace, and let my children be reared in
obscurity.' Then I returned to the town where my husband had
practised as a physician, where I had been respected and tasted
largely of life's comfort. I saw the house we had lived in, and many
tender scenes passed; to this same town I had returned a widow,
helpless and poor, neglected and forgotten. I saw the house where I
had taught my little school, and earned my porridge, potatoes, and
salt; when I found myself totally neglected by some who once thought
themselves honored by my acquaintance; while others, once shining in
affluence, were now reduced to humble dwellings.

"The Lord has been saying, 'Know and consider all the way by
which I have led thee, to prove thee, and try thee, to show thee what
was in thy heart, that he might do thee good in thy latter end.' He is
now saying, 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;'
'Occupy till I come.' Oh, for a thankful heart, a loving, a zealous
heart, a meek and humble heart. Oh, for diligence and steadiness in
the path of duty, a due sense of our own weakness and inability, of
the Lord's power and all-sufficiency, and firm faith in the same. Give
my love to ----, she is the Lord's: her heavenly Father mingles her
cup; not one unnecessary bitter drop shall be put into it; bid her
trust in the Lord; the time, the set time for deliverance shall come.
I can witness, with many thousands on earth, and an innumerable
company in heaven, that he is the best of masters. I have suffered
much, yet not one word of all that he has said has failed. I expect to
suffer more; but whatever bitter draughts may yet await me, I would
not give one drop of my heavenly Father's mixing for oceans of what
the world styles felicity.