her dying bed Mrs. Hamlin recalled and repeated these significant words. This same lamented sister, Mrs. Wood, for a time intimately associated with Mrs. Hamlin on missionary ground, but who was obliged to return to this country on account of her health, has recently joined her, as we trust, in the rest of heaven. A letter to Mrs. Hamlin, from another missionary sister, bears the same pleasing testimony to her unremitted ministering kindness: "MY VERY DEAR SISTER: I wish I could tell you how deeply your sisterly kindness and great generosity, in sending me so many delicacies by my husband, have affected me. As we unpacked them I could hardly help shedding tears. I was before this under great obligations to you for many favors, which I have never had an opportunity of requiting in any form, nor of showing you that I had not forgotten the many ways in which you and your dear husband made my visit to you delightful. And now you have been doing the same things for my husband, and then preparing a load of delicacies for him to bring me. I must be willing, I see, to let you enjoy the greater pleasure of giving, though the receiving, in my feeble state, is not a small one. I do thank you, my dear sister, more than I can express, for everything; nor shall I ever forget your many kindnesses. May the Lord bless you and yours abundantly, for your efforts in adding so much to the comfort and happiness of "Your at present feeble sister, "C. M. L." The intellectual and moral, no less than the physical development of her children, was to Mrs. Hamlin a matter of unspeakable interest, and occupied her most anxious thoughts. Three things she often remarked upon as of primary importance in early training: that children should be made happy; that they should be truthful, cherishing a constant sense of responsibility to God and their parents; and that they should be fed with nothing but truth. She would allow of no implied deception. Careless and indiscriminate reading she felt to be a great and prevalent evil. And, to prevent this, before putting any book into the hands of her children, she first read it herself, carefully guarding them against any false impressions. She often found books, written for children, so destitute of any prominent and leading object, that she laid them aside as unsuited for their perusal. In looking over the journals of the day, she marked whatever could afford her aid. Every example of self-sacrifice was used in a way to impress the heart. Kindness to the poor and needy, and to everything that has life, was taught as a primal virtue. She was delighted with a passage from Silliman's Journal, closing as follows: "The child who is indulged in mutilating or killing an insect, for his own pleasure, has learnt the first lesson of inhumanity to his own species." Never had there been a time when the prospect for Mrs. Hamlin's usefulness and happiness in her work was more promising than at the commencement of the present year. Not only was the temporal condition of the seminary very flourishing, but the students manifested a deep interest in the objects of the mission. In a letter, dated July 25th, says Mr. Hamlin : "Our students, the past year, earned in our workshops between three and four hundred dollars, and they gave at the monthly concert, and to other benevolent objects, one hundred dollars a quarter of their income. Our manual-labor department is quite prosperous. At some other time I will give you an account of our various branches of industry, which are too numerous to mention in a brief space. We have some idea of being represented in the World's Convention of the Arts." In this same letter was made the first announcement of his wife's sickness. But he little knew what cup his Father's hand was mingling for him; he little dreamed that her sun was to go down at noon! SICKNESS, TRIALS AND STRUGGLES. "If now thou wilt her soul require, O! sit as a refiner's fire, And purge it first from sin! Thy love hath quicker wings than death,— And bring thy nature in!" On the 26th of July, 1850, Mrs. Hamlin, with all the children, was attacked by a violent influenza. The dangerous illness of little Caroline awakened deep anxiety on the part of her parents. For twenty hours out of the twenty-four, during three or four successive days, her father drew her in her light carriage around the large hall, as the only way in which she could be soothed. On the 29th their fifth daughter was born to them. The mother's cough was relieved, and hopes were entertained of her speedy restoration to health. But this prospect was of short .continuance. The cough soon returned, accompanied with ominous night-sweats. Various medical prescriptions were tried, but without effect. Hoping that a change of air might prove advantageous, on the 29th of August, Mr. Hamlin took his family to the Princes Islands, in the Sea of Marmora, where they had formerly resided for a time, with great benefit to their health. They remained for a few days at a ho‘el at Prinkipo, and with apparent advantage to the invalid. But, as their expenses at that place were great, they removed to Halki, a neighboring island, taking the same house which they had formerly occupied. It was a lovely morning when they left their hotel and entered a boat for a sail of about twenty minutes. Mrs. Hamlin, borne in a sedan contrived by her husband. was greatly refreshed by the sea-breezes. When about half-way across, a sudden squall struck them, blowing the sedan into the water. After a time they recovered it, but the sea had become so rough that it was with great difficulty they could proceed. The children were alarmed, and the servants called upon the Holy Virgin to come quickly to their deliverance. Chilled and wet with the spray, they at length reached the landing. Notwithstanding this unfavorable passage, Mrs. Hamlin apparently derived great benefit from the seaair, and so far regained her strength as to be able to resume some of her household cares. Then came on a season of stormy winter weather, which increased her cough, and occasioned a return of sickness to the children. Thus, instead of that health which they had hoped to gain in this recruiting season, disease rushed in upon them like a flood. After a week of intense anxiety, in which they despaired of the life of one of their little ones, the children began to recover. But the mother's strength was prostrated. They remained at Halki a month, and then returned, disappointed in their sanguine expectations. But hope did not yet desert them. In the blue Mediterranean, off the coast of Asia Minor, lies the beautiful island of Rhodes, whose salubrious climate makes it a delightful resort for invalids. Here, in her last sickness, came Mrs. Sarah L. Smith, when shipwrecked on her passage to Smyrna. |