for criticism. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," and I
am afraid you will be disgusted with my work, which will be in the dark,
since I have had no instruction in copying nature.... Perhaps you may
put alongside of the rejection of your picture a lady's telling me about
one of my books into which I had thrown an experience of the last thirty
years of my life, "There was nothing in it." "Il faut souffrir pour etre
belle." As long as memory lasts I shall rejoice that I have seen and
studied your work.

I remember what a splendid fellow your baby was a year ago. It will
depend on your maternal prayers and discipline whether he grows up to be
your comfort.

A few extracts from her letters will give further glimpses of the manner
in which she passed these closing months of her life in New York--
especially of her delight in the weekly Bible-reading. One of the ladies
who attended it, thus refers to that exercise:

You remember that for one or two years she was a member of a small
circle, that met weekly for Bible-study. When the leader of this circle
removed from the city, Mrs. Prentiss was urgently requested to become
its teacher, and she consented to do so. For the last four years of
her life she threw her whole soul into this exercise. Every week the
appointed morning found her surrounded by a little group of from eight
to fifteen, each with an open Bible and all intent less to analyse
the word of God than to feed upon it and "grow thereby." And what a
wonderful teacher she was! Not neglectful of any helps that dictionary
or commentator might give, her chief source of light was none of these,
but was received in answer to the promise, "If any man will do the will
of God he shall know of the doctrine." She wished the service to be
entirely informal, and that each one present should do her part to aid
in the study. This brought out diverse views and different standards of
opinion. Here her keen intellect, her warm heart, the rich stores of her
experience and her "sanctified common sense" all found play, and many
of the words that fell from her lips dwell in the memory as little
less than inspired. The last winter of this service showed some marked
differences from previous years. As eager as ever to have questions
asked and answered by others, yet from the moment she commenced to speak
she scarcely paused till the hour was finished, her eyes sparkling and
her whole manner intensely earnest. Often those words of