inual
indispositions. She pressed me exceedingly, and said, "I should not be
prevented by his sickness from taking some amusement and I was not of
an age to be confined with the sick like a nurse." I told her my
reasons. She then perceived that it was more from a principle of piety,
than the indispositions of my husband. Insisting to know my sentiment
of plays, I told her, I entirely disapproved of them, and especially
for a Christian woman. And as she was far more advanced in years than I
was, what I then said made such an impression on her mind, she never
went again.

Once with her and another lady, who was fond of talking and who had
read "the fathers," they spoke much of God. This lady spoke learnedly
of Him. I said scarcely anything, being inwardly drawn to silence, and
troubled at this conversation about God. My acquaintance came next day
to see me. The Lord had so touched her heart, she could hold out no
longer. I attributed this to something the other lady had said, but she
said to me, "Your silence had something in it which penetrated to the
bottom of my soul. I could not relish what the other said." We spoke to
one another with open hearts.

It was then that God left indelible impressions of His grace on her
soul, and she continued so athirst for Him, that she could scarcely
endure to converse on any other subject. That she might become wholly
His, He deprived her of a most affectionate husband. He visited her
with such severe crosses, and at the same time poured His grace so
abundantly into her heart, that He soon became the sole master thereof.
After the death of her husband, and the loss of most of her fortune,
she went to reside four leagues from our house, on a small estate,
which was left. She obtained my husband's consent to my going to spend
a week with her, to console her. God gave her by my means all she
wanted. She had a great share of understanding, but was surprised at my
expressing things to her so far above my natural capacity. I should
have been surprised at it myself. It was God who gave me the gift for
her sake, diffusing a flood of grace into her soul, without regarding
the unworthiness of the channel of which He was pleased to make use.
Since that time her soul has been the temple of the Holy Ghost, and our
hearts have been indissolubly united.

My husband and I took a little journey together, in which both my
resignation and humility were exercised, yet without difficulty or
constraint