Her hand was ready at every turn,
and knew nothing of that silly squeamishness which leads a woman to
suppose that she demeans herself by meddling with household affairs.
Fond of singing, and possessed of a good voice, she lightened her
daily toil with the voice of song, and discharged the humblest duties
as a sacrifice well-pleasing to God. Her conscientiousness in little
things was remarkable. She was a determined enemy of all trifling and
tittle-tattle, as not only unbecoming the Christian character, but
destructive of religious feeling; and the consciousness of having
uttered a useless word, or engaged in unprofitable conversation,
always occasioned her pain. Among other peculiarities she displayed
a singular aversion to debt, and if by any means such an obligation,
however small, was incurred, she never rested until it was discharged.
The writer remembers on one occasion walking a couple of miles to pay
the trifling sum of sixpence to a party, who was at the time indebted
to his father as many pounds. Notwithstanding the severity with
which she judged her own actions, her piety was entirely free from
asceticism;--it was always cheerful, recollected, and heroic; and
in her intercourse with others, characterised by great humility and
christian courtesy. In prayer she was simple and earnest, zealous
without passion, and often particularized in the devotions of the
family the special cases of its individual members. Her's was the cry
of a child to its father, the appeal for help, that felt confident of
success.
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