rself to God, through faith in her Redeemer, before she had
entered on her tenth year. To this favorite, and to her, sacred spot,
she would repair, when exposed to temptation or perplexed with
childish troubles. From thence she caused her prayers to ascend, and
there she found peace and consolation.
Children cannot at too early a period seek the favor of the God of
heaven. How blessed to be reared and fed by his hand, taught by his
Spirit, and strengthened by his grace.
The late Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, afterwards president of Princeton
college, was at this time one of the ministers of the town of Paisley.
Isabella sat under his ministry, and at the age of seventeen publicly
professed her faith in Christ. In the year 1765 she was married to Dr.
John Graham, then a practising physician in Paisley, a gentleman of
liberal education and of respectable standing.
About a year after their marriage, Dr. Graham, having been
appointed surgeon to the 60th or royal American regiment, was ordered
to Canada, where that corps was stationed. Mrs. Graham accompanied
him, and a plan was digested--with how limited a knowledge of the
future will appear--for their permanent residence in America. Dr.
Graham calculated on disposing of his commission, and purchasing a
tract of land on the Mohawk river, where his father-in-law, Mr.
Marshall, was to follow him. The letter subjoined gives the
interesting incidents of their voyage, and forms a pleasant
introduction to the character of Mrs. Graham at this period of
her life.
"QUEBEC, August 29, 1767.
"MY DEAREST PARENTS--This is the fifth letter I have written to
you, although I know it is the first that can reach you. All the time
I was at sea I kept a letter lying by me, in hope of getting it put on
board some vessel bound for Britain; but I have met with many
disappointments. We spoke several ships, but I never could get a
letter put on board. At one time I was told the wind was too high, at
another that the ship was at too great a distance, and so was put off
till I began to understand a more substantial reason, namely, that it
would cost the captain rather too much trouble.
"We have now, however, got safe here, after a tedious voyage of
nine weeks, and I will give you a short account of what happened
during that time.
"We sailed, as you know, from Greenock, June 10. For the first
five or six days we had fine weath
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