certainty that they would participate in God's favour were reached she exclaimed, "Cela m'appartient; cela est dict pour moy!" (This belongs to me; this is said for me!) She often asked for short silences, in order that she might lift up her soul to God and meditate upon the glory which awaited her. On one occasion she told her husband that he was the object of pity, "for all the happiness is to-day upon my side" (Toute le bien est aujourd'hur de mon costé). She prayed that she might not have violent pain, and that she might glorify God while she lived. This prayer was granted; she was calm and thoughtful of the welfare of others up to the very last. Remembering that an aged lady was in great fear of death, she invited her to her room, hoping she might be cheered by her example. As her end approached her husband begged her to pray for him. This she did with much fervour. When her Roman Catholic doctor, M. Milon, exhorted her to have courage, raising her finger, she said, "Mon couriage est là haut" (My courage is on high). On the day previous she had told him of the confidence which the professors of the Reformed faith had at the hour of their death. "They feel an assurance," she said, "that they are going to God through Jesus Christ His Son, whereas members of the Church of Rome are left in dreadful dismay on account of their sins, and in doubt about their way and their salvation." As her last hour drew on she asked the pastor to remind her of the Saviour's prayer upon the cross, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit," in order that the same words might be upon her lips. She, however, remembered them herself, and continued the quotation, "Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth" (Car tu m'as rachepté, O Éternel Dieu de vérité.--Psa. xxxi. 5). The pastor then offered up the Lord's Prayer at her request. She continued to speak holy words, and in the middle of uttering forth the words "O Jesus," her soul quietly passed away into the presence of Him on whom she called. This was the 15th of May, 1606. age was fifty-six. Her Her body was buried in Saumur, by the side of her son Philip. M. de Mornay lived until the 6th of November, 1623, and his last hours were as happy as those of his wife. X. CONCLUSION. THIS sketch has revealed no prominent actions taken by Madame de Mornay in public affairs. Hers was a quiet, unobtrusive work for 1 Memories de Madame Du-Plessis Mornay, p. 496. Paris, 1824. God. It was something, however, nay, it was a great deal, that the Lord of Plessis-so prominent a leader in the Protestant cause— should have at his side such a faithful and wise counsellor. It was a great deal that when he was neglected and defeated he knew there was in his home one who would hearten him with words of good cheer, good sense, and good courage. It was a great deal for the Protestant cause to have a mother of her position training up her children in the simple Protestant faith, and to have her showing her own faith by her works of kindness to the sick and needy. And it is not improbable that quietly she did much to help that great cause, which was the cause of her God, of her country, and of her husband. A letter from Madame de Rohan, dated the 30th of July, 1594, states that Madame de Mornay took a very active part in the management of the affairs of the Protestants. M. Guizot, in comparing Madame de Mornay with Mistress Hutchinson, thus describes her literary style and her character: "Madame de Mornay has greater good sense and a simpler heart; not the least tinge of romance in her sentiments and in her desires ; not the least vain complacency when she speaks, whether of herself or of that which concerns her. So far from exaggerating or making a display, she always exhibits less than she might. She says less than she feels; events the most important, when she relates them, feelings the most powerful, when she expresses them, are presented in a restrained form, exempt from all exaggeration, from all ornamentation, factitious or premeditated. It is the simple truth reduced to its simplest expression, and narrated by the way as a matter of strict necessity for the information or edification of the son to whom she addresses her record, without the admixture of any other design, without any personal impulse or aim. She was a woman of strong yet subdued feelings, who followed her husband in all his perils, took part in all his labours, lived for him alone, received from him alone all her joys, and died of grief at the death of their son." 1 She was, as we have seen, staunch to Protestant principles when to profess such principles was to imperil her life. She was a woman of much firmness of character, and her boldness in rebuking vice made her feared by the bad and admired by the good. And when her body was laid to rest, it was amidst the tears of the whole of Saumur, for they felt that in losing her they had lost a mother in Israel. 1 Etudes Biographiques sur la Révolution d'Angleterre. Paris, 1851. Mistress Hutchinson, 1620-69, pp. 251, 252. JOHN P. HOBSON, M.A. MARY JANE GRAHAM.' HE subject of this sketch is an example of unobtrusive consistent usefulness which found expression in the retired home circle. Her abilities were very great, but she was content to exercise them in a secluded life. She died young, and was of a somewhat morbid temperament, but in this age the contemplation of her quiet character is likely to do much good. Young women in these days are not much disposed to be "keepers at home," while it is true that had the subject of this memoir led a more active life, and taken more exercise she would not have been so introspective, and her health might have been much better. I. EARLY YEARS. Her MARY JANE GRAHAM was born in London, April 11, 1803. father was engaged there in business, from which he retired a few years before his daughter's death (and chiefly from regard to her delicate state of health) to the village of Stoke Fleming, near Dartmouth, Devon. From her childhood she was the subject of religious convictions. At the age of seven she had acquired that sustained habit of secret prayer which may be regarded as a proof that the soul is seeking after God. But we cannot do better than give the history of this period of her life in her own simple words. She is writing to a friend who had expressed some doubts as to the genuineness or permanency of early religious impressions; and in showing how erroneous is such an opinion, she refers, after a few observations on the subject, to her own experience. "As facts are the strongest of all proofs, bear with me a little longer, while I tell you briefly the history of a child, for the truth of which I can vouch. I knew a little girl about sixteen years and a half ago. She was much like other children, as full of sin and vanity as ever she could hold; and her parents had not as yet taken much pains to talk to her about religion. So she went on in the way of her own evil heart, and thought herself a very good little girl because she said her prayers every night and morning, and was not more passionate, wilful, and perverse than most of her young com 1 The particulars of this life are taken from A Memoir of Miss Mary Jane Graham, by the Rev. C. Bridges, M.A. Seeley (1833). panions. The God of love did not think this sinful child too young to learn of Jesus. He so ordered it about the time I am speaking of, when she was just seven years old, that she was led by a pious servant into some almshouses belonging to Rowland Hill, who had just been preaching in them. The servant and an aged woman entered into a long conversation together, to which the little girl listened, and wondered what could make them like to talk about such things. But, at the close of it, the old woman took the child affectionately by the hand, and said to her, 'My dear child, make the Lord Jesus your friend now that you are so young, and when you come to be as old as I am, He'll never leave you nor forsake you.' God the Spirit sent these simple words to the poor child's sinful heart. She walked home in silence by her servant's side, thinking how she could get Jesus to be her friend. Then she remembered how often she had slighted this dear Saviour; how she had read of Him in the Bible, and had been wearied of the subject; how she had heard the minister preach about Jesus, and wished the long, dry sermon over; how she had said prayers to Him without meaning what she said; how she had passed days, weeks, and months without thinking of' Him; how she had loved her play, her books, and her toys, and her playfellows, all better than Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit convinced her of sin. She saw that no one good thing dwelt in her, and that she deserved to be cast away from God for ever. Would Jesus love her now? Would He ever forgive her? She feared not, but she would try. She would make herself very good, and then perhaps Jesus would be her friend. But the more this little girl tried to be good, the more her naughty heart got the better of her, for she was trying in her own strength. She was led to give up trying in that way; and many long nights did she spend in praying with strong crying and tears to Jesus that He would teach her how to get her sins pardoned, and make her fit to have Him for her friend. Let me mention it for the encouragement of those who seek Jesus that He did not disdain to listen to the prayers of this little child. He put into her heart to read the Bible, of which though she understood not all, yet she gathered enough to give her some comfort. One day her attention was fixed on these words: 'The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.' Now, something that would take away sin was just what this little girl wanted. And she asked her father to tell her who this Lamb of God was. He explained to her this precious verse. But who can describe the raptures which filled the bosom of this little child when made to comprehend that 'the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin?' Now she fled to Jesus indeed. Now she knew that He had loved her and given Himself for her; now the Spirit of God, who often chooseth the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise and mighty, shed abroad the love of God in the heart of a weak and foolish child, and filled her with peace and joy in believing. She had no one to whom she could talk of these things. But she held sweet converse with her reconciled God and Father, and gladly would she have quitted this life to go and dwell with Jesus. Since then she has spent nearly seventeen years of mingled happiness and pain. But she has had Jesus for her friend, and He never has, and never will, forsake her. She has forsaken Him more than once for a season, and turned to follow the vain things of the world. But her Shepherd's eye had been on her in her wanderings, and He has never suffered her quite to depart from Him. To this day her vain and treacherous heart is continually leading her to provoke her heavenly Friend. He visits her transgressions with the rod, and her iniquity with stripes, but He has sworn never to take His loving-kindness from her, nor to suffer His faithfulness to fail. She is constrained to acknowledge that during all this time she has never done one thing that would merit God's favour. Free grace, free mercy, are all her song it is of the Lord's mercy she has not long ago been consumed. She is quite sure she could never have changed her own heart. No! God has begun the good work in her, and He must carry it on, and from first to last let glory be ascribed to Him, and let her take the shame and confusion to herself. At this moment she desires to live, if she may be made the means of converting one sinner to Jesus; but if not, she would rather depart and be with Christ, which is far better.' She is far from despising earthly blessings. Every morsel she puts into her mouth, the very air she breathes, is made sweet and refreshing by the loving hand that sends it. Once there was a curse over all her earthly blessings. But now 'Christ hath redeemed' her 'from the curse of the law, being made a curse for her. She would give it as her living experience, and leave it when she goes hence as her dying testimony, that there is nothing worth living for except to know Him and see others come to Him, and wash their guilty souls in the blood of the Lamb. God has given her the blessing of seeing a happy change take place in some of the dear companions of her childhood and youth. She waits upon Him for the salvation of the rest; and there is no one she longs after more ardently in the Lord than that dear and valued friend of her earliest days to whom this letter is addressed, and to whom she wishes every spiritual blessing that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost can bestow, now and for evermore. Amen and Amen." This is a beautiful and very touching letter, and describes in a |