leave the house, by sending Maria, or the widow under whose roof she resided, to converse with the villagers on the concerns of their never-dying souls. While thus caring for others, she herself was drinking deeply of the cup of suffering. The pain arising from her disease was often acute and excruciating; and though she strove to divert her mind by engaging in study, it was difficult to endure, without murmuring, the bodily anguish to which she was subjected. At this period, also, her heart was severely wounded by the melancholy intelligence that her beloved parents had sustained severe losses in their pecuniary affairs. She was deeply grieved on hearing the tidings, and she instantly wrote them a letter full of consolation, urging them to entertain not the slightest anxiety on her account, as she hoped to be soon sufficiently recovered to earn a livelihood for herself, and perhaps to assist them, by employing herself in teaching. The wish, the design, was

generous and kind. But the Almighty had otherwise

ordained. Her brother, Dr. Reed, who had been meditating some improvement in Martha's circumstances, availed himself of the opportunity which now presented itself for accomplishing his purpose. Having procured a small cottage in her neighbourhood, he solicited her to enter upon it, and to undertake its management. She and Maria accordingly acceded to the request, and in the month of August 1819 she was joined by her parents, and indeed the whole family, with one exception. The meeting was a happy one, but not uncombined with painful reflections on the blight which had come over their worldly prospects. Martha, however, still solaced herself with the hope of no longer being a

burden to her parents, but of attaining, by her own exertions, a state at once of independence and of usefulness. The hope was vain. Towards winter her health became evidently worse, and the feeling of disappointment which the sense of increasing weakness occasioned, only rendered her the more unable to bear up under her bodily sufferings. The symptoms now became more aggravated. The acute pain often caused delirium, which was succeeded by a state of almost complete apathy and numbness over the whole system. Martha's feelings, on this occasion will be best understood on perusing the following lines from her

own pen:

"The sun is set upon another day

Of weariness and pain. How oft that sun
Has seen me sporting in its joyous beams,
Lavish of youth, and counting on long days
Of undisturbed delight! But, ah, how changed!
These faculties that once with eager joy
Perused the page of science, now lie wrapt
In melancholy sleep. This heart no more,
With rapture kindling, feeds, with living joy
And growing hope, on all things beautiful.
Chained to one narrow spot, this feeble frame
Lies like a statue, scarcely breathing life,
Save when aroused by pain to sense of woe.
My summer's day, my gleam of light is past—
The short remains how winterly and drear!
All now is darkness, darkness to be felt.
Ah! whither shall I turn in this sad hour?

To whom shall I betake me? O my God,

Thou art my hope! and though thine hand should slay,
Yet will I trust Thee! Well thy servant knows

Thy Word divine is faithfulness and truth.
Thou wilt not leave me in the vale of death,

But gently lead me, by thy gracious hand,

To that blest world where suffering is no more!"

Early in the opening of the year 1820, as the spring advanced and the weather improved, Martha found some partial relief. This, however, was very temporary. Her medical attendants began to apprehend, from the symptoms which appeared, that the spine was injured, and the use of a horizontal posture was recommended. To the thought of being confined to one position she was very averse, but at length she reluctantly yielded. The abatement of the disease which followed was quite evident. Her mind also was calm and serene. Her brother and his family frequently resided with her in the cottage, and Maria, her beloved friend, was her constant attendant. On Sabbath afternoon she statedly met with an interesting class of female children, whom she instructed in religious knowledge, while her former week-day class was taught with unwearied zeal by Maria. To her brother's children Martha paid peculiar attention. uniting with their mother in superintending their early education.

Martha's labours were not confined to the religious instruction of the young; she set herself to devise some means of diffusing a knowledge of divine truth in some of the most destitute places of her neighbourhood. In this she was completely successful. There being an Independent College in Cheshunt, she took advantage of her brother's residence with her to urge upon the students the necessity of doing something for the ignorant poor. Worship was established on the Sabbath evening in one of the most destitute districts, a Sabbath school was formed, and the students employed themselves in frequently visiting the poor at their

own houses, ministering to their temporal wants and to their spiritual improvement. But although Martha was herself the source and centre of all the activity which was thus manifested around her, such was the high standard to which she brought herself, that she was often affected with a sense of utter helplessness and inutility. She looked not at what was done, but at what was left undone, and it grieved her heart that she had done so little for her Saviour.

Month after month passed away, and the patient sufferer, stretched on her bed, continued to exhibit that cheerfulness and calm resignation which the consolations and hopes of the Gospel could alone originate. At length, in March 1820, the symptoms of her disease were so violent that an operation was deemed necessary. It was accordingly performed, and she bore it with a fortitude which surprised the bystanders. The pain which she had so long endured was now somewhat mitigated. She partially recovered, and the hope was fondly cherished of her being able to leave her bed. The attempt was made at length, one fine day in May; but the exertion brought on a fainting fit, and she was obliged to resign herself to the horizontal posture. The disappointment was great, more especially as the weather of that summer was remarkably fine. It was accordingly determined that a change should be made in the situation of the couch, which would give her a new and enlarged view of the adjoining scenery; and as the sight of her garden was deemed of importance to her, a mirror was attached to the side of her bed,. that it might reflect, at her touch, the different parts of it. She now spent much of her time in devotion