I was not a little surprised when I received this money from her,
for I had always known her as a poor girl, and I had never heard
anything about her having come into the possession of this money, and
her dress had never given me the least indication of an alteration in
her circumstances. Before, however, accepting this money from her, I had
a long conversation with her, in which I sought to probe her as to her
motives, and in which I sought to ascertain whether, as I had feared,
she might have given this money in the feeling of the moment, without
having counted the cost. But I had not conversed long with this beloved
sister, before I found that she was, in this particular, a quiet, calm,
considerate follower of the Lord Jesus, and one who desired, in spite of
what human reason might say, to act according to the words of our Lord,
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth." "Sell that ye have,
and give alms." When I remonstrated with her, in order that I might see
whether she had counted the cost, she said to me, "The Lord Jesus has
given his _last_ drop of blood for me, and should I not give him this
hundred pounds?" She would also have me take five pounds for the poor
saints in communion with us. I mention here particularly that this dear
sister kept all these things to herself, and did them as much as
possible in secret; and during her lifetime, I suppose, not six brethren
and sisters among us knew that she had ever possessed four hundred and
eighty pounds, or that she had given one hundred pounds towards the
orphan house.

I relate one instance more. August 4, 1836, seven months and a half
after she had given the hundred pounds, she came one morning to me, and
said: "Last evening I felt myself particularly stirred up to pray about
the funds of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution; but whilst praying, I
thought, _what good is it for me to pray for means, if I do not give
when I have the means_, and I have therefore brought you this five
pounds." As I had reason to believe that, by this time, by far the
greater part of her money was gone, I again had a good deal of
conversation with her, to see whether she really did count the cost, and
whether this donation also was given unto the Lord, or from momentary
excitement, in which case it was better not to give the money. However,
she was at this time also steadfast, grounded upon the word of God; and
evidently constrained by the love of Christ; and all the effect my