equivocal, than love to the brethren. The grand question is, Do we love them for Jesus' sake?

And are you then, "hastening to your narrow house?" "The thought of death indulge." To lay to heart the end of all men, may be most salutary to the living. But I cannot help hoping, the Lord has more work for you to do in Beverly, and that he will yet lengthen out your precious life, and add to your days more than fifteen years. I trust, however, death will not surprise you, whether it come sooner or later. How cheering, how delightful, how glorious, how enrapturing the thought of dying in the Lordof dying to live and reign with Christ forever!

The names that you mention, are all precious, as well as many more in B. The sight of every one of them seemed to touch my very heart. Assure them of my continued love, though I fear it is all selfish. May the Lord bless them more and more forever. I did not mention names in my other letter, because I should not have known where to end.

I have much reason for thankfulness for the numerous expressions of kindness that I am continually receiving in this hospitable city. Yet there is no person who is to me all Mr. B. was. I long to hear that he has become an ardent christian. I trust there is a precious store of prayers laid up for his salvation.

I hope none of my friends will be grieved that I write to you and not to them. If I had time and strength, I should delight to write ten times as much to every one of them. I hope they will consider that your writing, and your infirmities, give you some peculiar claim. And I hope you will not be grieved, if you find these to be indeed the "last words" that you ever receive from my pen. But I humbly trust we shall enjoy an eternity of bliss together. I expect to see you again in this world. But if not, I trust our separation will be but momentary-that soon, very soon, I shall follow you to a better world. I bid you a short farewell.

This excellent female soon slept in death.

New-York, April 21, 1824.

MY DEAREST COMPANION,-Agreeably to the last date of my No. 13, I sailed on the 19th inst. The first three

INVITATION TO WETHERSFIELD.

295

days of the passage were remarkably favorable, and I took no cold. We then had to encounter contrary winds from the east, which were extremely chilly, and I trembled for the consequences. But yesterday and to-day, we have had delightful land breezes from the west and south, and I feel much less effect of the cold than I feared. I have suffered considerably, however, from sea-sickness. Since my arrival, I find myself stronger than could be reasonably expected. In a few days I hope to be able to proceed to Wethersfield.

TO MISS Z. P. GRANT, AT LONDONderry.

New-York, April 25, 1824.

Just before I left Charleston, I received a communication, signed by Mr. Tenney and seven others, earnestly requesting me to remove my seminary to Wethersfield. What will be my decision, I cannot foretell. Perhaps you can afford me some light upon the subject; at least, I trust you will pray that the path of duty may be plain.

I am still ignorant of the reasons which induced you to decline my offer. I am confident, however, they were such as satisfied your conscience; and therefore, am perfectly satisfied without knowing them. I most ardently hope your usefulness will be greater than it could have been at Saugus. I expect Mrs. E. and Nancy will assist me the ensuing season.

New-York, April 27, 1824.

MY DEAREST COMPANION,-I expected to leave this city yesterday morning; but yesterday morning I could scarcely walk or stand alone. The night preceding I was attacked with the cholera morbus, and had a most distressing time from twelve o'clock till six. I could not have thought, that any disease, not mortal, could have made me so weak and so haggard in so short a time. My distress, however, gradually subsided, in the use of castoroil and arrow-root. Last night I slept soundly and sweetly. This morning the disease appears to be entirely gone; and it is no less wonderful, than delightful, to find, how rapidly my strength appears to be returning. In a very few days, I hope to be able to take the stage. I have such

an abhorrence of the seas, that I cannot endure the thought of going in the steam-boat. After I am able to start, I shall pursue my journey as rapidly as my infirmities will admit; except that it may be duty to pause a day or two at Wethersfield.

New-York, April 30, 1824.

I am still lingering, very reluctantly, in this city. The rocks of Saugus have now much more charms for me than the splendid edifices of this great mart of the new world. I am sometimes upon the very borders of impatience. But impatience is a most miserable medicine for a sick man; and so I endeavor to quiet myself as much as possible. To tell you the truth, I am more unwell than I expected, at this time, to find myself. I have been seriously threatened with a fever. After using all possible means for my recovery, I wish to submit myself unreservedly to the care of the great Physician, who is able to do for us exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.

How soon after the above date my brother returned to Saugus, I am unable to state; but probably within a few days. It is also probable that he executed his purpose of visiting Wethersfield on his way.

CHAPTER XVI.

FROM HIS RETURN TO SAUGUS, TO HIS REMOVAL TO WETHERSFIELD. 1824.

Resumes his labors in the Seminary-Reasons for leaving Saugus Whelpley's Compend.

AFTER his return to Saugus, my brother resumed his seminary, and continued it through the summer season; but with what comparative degree of success, I am not able

to state.

He was, however, still very feeble; so much so, indeed, that it became, in his view, and that of many of his friends, a question of life and death, whether he should any longer attempt to sustain the two-fold office of preacher and preceptor. It is true, he was not under obligation to preach, when inconsistent with his health; still, a mind like his, could not well rest when his people and his school could not be regularly supplied with so important a means to their present and eternal improvement, as that of the preached gospel. Of course, he was very liable to go beyond his strength, and to endanger his life in attempting to furnish such a supply. The truth is, that whatever arrangements may be made for exonerating a feeble pastor from responsibility in the eye of his people, still, if they are not regularly supplied, a sense of their need will prey upon his spirits, if it do not prompt him to actual exposures,—and often the more so in proportion to his feebleness. Thus the very circumstance of supplying a destitute people, which had been a powerful inducement to bring him to Saugus, now operated, after having made the perilous attempt, to induce him to leave the place. To

continue his school in a place where his scholars and his family could not regularly enjoy preaching, and that of the right kind, was out of the question.

Still, the thought of leaving his people, to whom he had become not a little attached, and especially of leaving them in so destitute a situation, was deeply trying to his feelings, as he frequently expressed, both orally and in his letters.

With this view of the case, in connexion with the advice of many of his friends, he concluded to accept the offers and comply with the solicitations, made to him some months before by the good people of Wethersfield, Ct. In these movements at W., his friend and companion in youth, Rev. C. J. Tenney, bore a conspicuous part.

Accordingly, having completed his arrangements by the purchase of a house, near the commodious public building in which his school was to be accommodated, he removed to W. in the autumn.

While on his journey he wrote the following to Miss Grant, who had now the charge of a school in Londonderry, in which he ever appeared to take nearly the same interest as in his own.

Worcester, Nov. 18, 1824.

I was so much interested with your school and your conversation, that I believe, I did not mention my intention of publishing our system of Artificial Memory in connection with the next edition of Whelpley. Will you be so kind as to send me a copy of all the names which you have chronologized?

May the Lord grant you consolation and strength, in proportion to the greatness of your trials and the importance of your labors.

Whelpley's "Compend of History," of which he here speaks, had been considerably improved by my brother at a previous period, and had now passed through several editions. He afterwards, with much labor, made further improvements in this excellent classic. Its use fulness in schools, was much increased by his printed questions to the work, and by his Imperial and Biographical Chart, which is prefixed to the volume.