street, in this city. They died within eight days of each other, the
elder, _De Witt_, in his twentieth year, on the 19th of January, and the
younger, _Joseph Scudder_, in his sixteenth year, on the 11th January,
both of pulmonary disease. Their father, the Rev. Mr. Hunt, was a
faithful and successful minister of Christ, much beloved by the people
of his pastoral charge. The writer of this well remembers a sermon
preached by him at the close of a series of services in the visitation
of the Reformed Dutch churches of this city, which was solemn and
impressive, from the text, "There is but a step between me and death."
This was in January, 1839. At this time the seeds of disease (perhaps
unconsciously to himself) were springing up within him, and after a few
more services in his church, he was confined to his house, and lingered
until the following May. His soul was firm in faith and full of peace,
on his sick and dying bed. He committed them, again and again, to the
care and faithfulness of their covenant God, and felt that therein he
left them the best of legacies, whatever they might want of what the
world could give. At the time of his decease, they had four children,
the youngest of whom was three weeks old. The two oldest were the sons
to whose deaths we are now adverting. The two youngest (daughters) are
surviving. The elder son was seven years old at his father's death. The
responsible trust of rearing these children for Christ and heaven was
thus cast upon the widowed mother. Mrs. Hunt is the daughter of the late
Joseph Scudder, of Monmouth, N.J., and sister of the venerable,
long-tried, and devoted missionary, Rev. Dr. John Scudder, now in India.
Brought up under the influences and associations of piety, she was early
brought to a saving acquaintance with Christ, and a profession of faith
in Him within the church. The consistency and ripeness of her piety has
been evinced in the different spheres and relations of life where
Providence placed her. With the infant children cast upon her care, at
the death of her husband, she plied herself with toilful industry to
provide for them, while her soul was ever intent upon their early
conversion to Christ. She aimed to give these sons such a course of
education as would, under God's sanctifying blessing, prepare them to
engage in the work of the ministry, perhaps the missionary service. She
had the gratification of seeing them as they grew up evincing
thoughtfulness of min