hild in grace!
I claim this privilege, and crave permission, in writing what follows, to
erect a monumental record, sacred to the memory of a dear little child,
who, I trust, will at the last day prove my crown of rejoicing.

Jane S--- was the daughter of poor parents, in the village where it
pleased God first to cast my lot in the ministry. My acquaintance with
her commenced when she was twelve years of age by her weekly attendance
at my house amongst a number of children whom I invited and regularly
instructed every Saturday afternoon.

They used to read, repeat catechisms, psalms, hymns, and portions of
Scripture. I accustomed them also to pass a kind of free conversational
examination, according to their age and ability, in those subjects by
which I hoped to see them made wise unto salvation.

On the summer evenings I frequently used to assemble this little group
out of doors in my garden, sitting under the shade of some trees, which
protected us from the heat of the sun; from hence a scene appeared, which
rendered my occupation the more interesting. For adjoining the spot
where we sat, and only separated from us by a fence, was the churchyard,
surrounded with beautiful prospects in every direction.

There lay the mortal remains of thousands, who, from age to age, in their
different generations, had been successively committed to the
grave,--"earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Here the once
famed ancestors of the rich, and the less known forefathers of the poor
lay mingling their dust together, and alike waiting the resurrection from
the dead.

I had not far to look for subjects of warning and exhortation suitable to
my little flock of lambs that I was feeding. I could point to the
heaving sods that marked the different graves and separated them from
each other, and tell my pupils that, young as they were, none of them
were too young to die; and that probably more than half of the bodies
which were buried there were those of little children. I hence took
occasion to speak of the nature and value of a soul, and to ask them
where they expected their souls to go when they departed hence and were
no more seen on earth.

I told them who was "the resurrection and the life," and who alone could
take away the sting of death. I used to remind them that the hour was
"coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and
shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrecti