274

FRIENDS’ REVIEW.

 

but my feeble health will not admit my attempt-
ing it. I sometimes feel pretty bravely, and in
a few hours as much the reverse. If oppor-
tunity admit, please give my dear love to them
both, and express my hope and belief that, as
they keep faithful to duty, the mighty Jehovah
will be their shield, their buckler and their ex-
ceeding great reward, and they will have, with
thankful hearts, to acknowledge, as did the dis-
ciples of old, we have lacked nothing.

Thou mentions trials and bitter cups. Such
is the portion of human life; in mercy, to wean
us from the bustle and transient enjoyments of
this world, that so we may fix our love and hope
on those which are eternal in the heavens.
Happy for those who, being so wise as to make
this use of them, are prepared for the concluding
scene, waiting with patience our appointed time.
But oh, this is easily said, yet in the perform-
ance how liable to fall short! Well, dear niece,
when we look back, and consider how we have
been cared for, is it not sufficient to strengthen
our faith in Him who hath promised never to
leave nor forsake them who love Him?

In dear love to thy mother and self, I am thy

affectionate uncle, a}

In a letter to his daughter, M. A., dated First
month 8th, 1793, he says:

“The flow of love I now feel for thee and thy
dear children, constrains me to say that the
sense I had when last at thy house of the Son
ef Peace being with you, hath greatly endeared
both thee and them to me. May you so con-
duct as to experience an increase of that peace
which this world can neither give nor deprive
us of. In my own situation there is no very
sensible change, except that my mind is more
and more enfeebled. I have mostly attended
meetings since my return, but am at times so
overcome with sitting as to be ready to conclude
I must give out: yet when meeting day comes,
I am not easy to stay when able to go. . . .
May Gracious Goodness preserve our minds
from sinking below hope, is my earnest breath-
ing of soul.”

After a visit from his daughter M. he writes
to her, Third month 8th:

“The time thou spent with me passed the
most pleasant of any for a long time, which
caused the day of thy departure to be heavier
than I can describe. Oh, dear child, how sweet
under affliction is the company of those whom
we love. But hard things and bitter cups are

 

ful friend to the slave, Thomas Harrison, a record
of whose life would show that courage and bravery
of a high order may accompany “the fruits of
righteousness sown in peace of them that make
peace,” with human love, not vengeance or hate, for
their stimulus. Job Scott sailed for England the
same year. He died in Ireland, Eleventh month,
1793.

 

necessary, or they would not be permitted:
therefore patience and resignation ought to be
labored for. Sometimes it looks as though I
was sinking beneath the billows: then: tie
light and strength are afforded, just to keep my
head above the waters. May my gracious, life-time
Helper, mercifully continue to be with me to
the end, so that my grey hairs may descend to
the grave in peace, ‘toed
‘“Caty Haines went home on Seventh-day.
A very affectionate letter from her accompanied
thine. I also received one from Daniel Ofiley,
since his return. Such tokens of friendship,
which used to be precious, are much more so
now.” he
Hannah Whitall to David Cooper. —
. Grove, Fourth month 8th, 1793,
Shall I once more take my pen and endeayor
to address thee, my dearly beloved uncle? Af-
fection prompts, but a secret sense of inability
would restrain the impulse. Yet when I con-
sider thy weak state of health, preventing exer-
cise, and confining thee to thy room, where
some moments may seem tedious, when, per-
haps, thy most sure Comforter may see meet
in measure to veil his presence, I am emboldened
to intrude on thy time, as thy kindness has in-
formed me that heretofore my scrawls (however
unworthy) have not been esteemed burthen-
some. 1 trust they have a tendency to make
thee sensible that, however poor and unprofita-
ble she may be, thou hast yet a truly affection-
ate niece. I am thankful that through the
various stripping seasons which are dis d
to me, in which I have often to wear in the
secret of my heart the garment of mourning,
feeling myself destitute and forsaken of Him
whom I most love, and sensible that I am notin
a fit situation to labor for his return, yet when
in his great condescension he is pleased to favor
with a small ray of hope that he will not en-
tirely forsake the worm who loves him, a fresh
flow of affection to thee, my beloved uncle, is the
companion of my heart, which sympathizes in
thy afflictions; and how can I do less than
obey its impulse, and, though in a broken man-
ner, inform thee of it? And oh that thy love
to thy poor niece may remain undiminished, and
that thy petitions may ascend for her establish-
ment on the unchangeable Rock. She has truly
much need. ~ fy
I feel myself much indebted to my dear uncle
for his kind present. It is doubly valuable, as
thy name is written in it with thy own hand;
and it would be much more so, could I see thee
at our little but quiet habitation, where I hope
thy hand, though trembling with the infirmi-
ties of age, would not refuse to add: “'To his
affectionate niece H. W.” TI have remembered
thy advice to dear sister Ann and myself when
we were last together to see thee; that the ab-
sence of our dear friends should be as a stimu-