t of
herself. Fifty pounds of this money she sent to Mr. Mason in aid of
the funds he was collecting for the establishment of a Theological
Seminary. Her own version of this matter we have in a letter to her
familiar friend Mrs. Walker, of Edinburgh:

"1795.

"MY DEAR MRS. WALKER--My last informed you that we had been
made to taste of the Lord's visitation--the yellow-fever--but in
great mercy had been spared in the midst of much apparent danger. I
have now in my house a girl who lost both father and mother, and
many whole families were cut off; my house was emptied; my school
broken up; we confined to town, and heavy duty laid upon us at the
same time. I trembled again for fear of debt; but 'the Lord brought
meat out of the eater.'

"Three years ago, when tried by having one house taken over my
head, another bought, and obliged to move three times in as many
years, some speculating genius brought me under the influence of the
madness of the times, and persuaded me I might build without money. It
is quite common here to build by contract. I could not purchase
ground, but I leased two lots of church land, got a plan made out, and
worried myself for six months, trying to hatch chickens without eggs.
I had asked the Lord to build me a house, to give success to the
means, still keeping in view covenant provision, 'what is good the
Lord will give.' After many disappointments I said, Well; I have
asked--I am refused--it is not good--the Lord will not give it: he
will provide, but in his own way, not mine.

"Of course I had to pay ground-rent, which in three years
amounted to two hundred and twenty dollars. I think I hear you say, I
never could have believed that Mrs. Graham could be guilty of such
folly--nor I; but seeing and hearing of many such things, I fancied
myself very clever. Last year a basin was formed, and wharves around
it, opposite to the said lots; the epidemic raging on the other side
of the city brought all the vessels that came in round to them, and
great expectations were formed for this new basin; houses and stores
sprung up like mushrooms, and Mr. Bethune sold my lease for one
thousand pounds. Lo, and behold, part of it is already spent. All my
provision through this wilderness has been so strongly marked by
peculiar providences, my mind seems habituated to a sense of
certainty. I feel my portion of earthly good safer and bett