I M Cfte Liftrarg of tyt Onitiet0itp of JBortb Caroltna The Sylvester Hassell Collection FROM THE LIBRARY OF Sylvester Hassell, D. D. CLASS OF "62 GIVEN BY HIS CHILDREN UNIVERSITYOF NORTH C AROLINA School of Libiayy Soles** • Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://archive.org/details/happydeathormemoOOgene THE HAPPY DEATH; MEMOIR OF MARY JANE, VITH ALTERATIONS, ADAPTING IT TO THE SE OF THE GENERAL PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL 1 HJNDAY SCHOOL UNION. N^W-YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE -JEN. PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL S U ]f p A Y SCHOOL \UV\OK. MEMOIR. Mary Jane was endowed with an excellent un- derstanding, as her questions and answers, and her style of speaking, which was far above her years, plainly showed. But this was her lowest recom- mendation. Our faculties are the gift of God, and we are accountable only for the use we make of them. Many an intelligent child is far from being amiable, while many a good child is far from being intelligent. What was most to be admired with regard to her understanding, was, that though she knew her powers, she never made a show of them. It was only accidentally that even her parents became acquainted with the extent of the informa- tion she had acquired. Mary Jane had also a very pleasant countenance ; but neither is this circumstance very important. It is not the face, but the heart, which God regards. Mary Jane, like every other human being, had a heart which by nature was prone to evil. She was naturally inclined to be self-willed ; but by the blessing of God on the pains which were taken with her, and on the pains she took with herself, this temper was almost wholly eradicated, or showed itself only in the desirable form of firmness and decision in well-doing. ( 3 ^ 4 MEMOIR OF She was very careful to speak the truth. When about six years of age, while engaged in serious conversation with her mother on :he nature of par- don, she was asked if she had the recollection of any particular sins. After pausing awhile, she answered, evidently much concerned, " Mamma, I believe I once told a lie." The fault had been for- gotten by every one except herself, and when the circumstances of the case were explained, it was found that what had dwelt so long on her mind, (it is believed for more than a year,) was not an abso- lute falsehood, but an equivocation, which, though decidedly wrong, many persons, adults as well as children, would have deemed hardly worthy of being remembered at all, far less of being so long remembered with sorrow. She was very reluctant to make absolute promises, lest she should not keep them. On her mother's reading to her, from a magazine, an extract on this subject from the memoir of Isabella Maria L , the dear parent was much struck by remembering that Mary Jane had long manifested precisely the same objection against pledging herself to any line of conduct. On this occasion, Mary Jane said, in reference to that extract, "When I say I will try, I mean exactly the same as that little girl did." It was not till after the death of Mary Jane, that the interesting memoir of Isabella Maria came into the hands of Mary Jane's parents. Several points of agreement between the characters of the two children are observable. Mary Jane, like Isabella MARY JANE. 5 Maria, sometimes complained of being disturbed by the younger children, and would read till they were asleep, that she might pray without interrup- tion. She requested her mother to grant her a room to herself. Her mother did not accede to this request, but told her to come whenever she liked to her room, which afterward she often did with great pleasure ; and when six years and a half old, she would frequently go into the shrub- bery for hours, with a book, which she enjoyed in that retirement, as she was then exempt from the bustle of the nursery. Her parents can refer to many seasons when she evinced great spirituality of mind, and extraordi- nary delight in religious conversation. She also, felt considerable interest in missionary exertions, and has sometimes very cheerfully made little sacrifices in order to contribute a trifle to that object. She delighted much in reading ; but the books which she usually selected were different from those which most children prefer, being almost exclusively of a religious character. About a year before her death, she was much con- cerned that she had so long lived in the neglect of the Saviour's command, " Do this in remembrance of me.' 5 On her mother's telling her that it was addressed to the disciples of Jesus, that she must give decided evidence of piety before she could be admitted to the sacramental table, and that she was too young, she replied, " Mamma, when do you D MEMOIR OF think I shall be old enough ? Jesus does not men- tion any particular age. Will you promise that I may as soon as you think I am changed in heart ? I should not like to tell a minister that I was changed in heart; would you tell him about it, Mamma?" After this she was remarkably exemplary in her conduct for about a fortnight; but though she did not always preserve the same tone of mind, serious conversation was invariably sufficient to interest and bring her back to a right frame, except during a short time, perhaps a week or ten days, in July last, when she manifested an indifference to divine things quite unusual. Her general deportment at this time was likewise far from amiable. There is reason to believe she was under the influence of bad example, and the circumstance showed her parents the vast importance of being watchful in this respect. When the cause was discovered, and an appeal was made to her judgment, she saw her folly in its proper light, and from that time she gave no more occasion for censure. Prayer never seemed a task to her: she would at times express herself in very appropriate lan- guage, and with much real feeling. On one occa- sion, when she had no idea of any one being near, her parents were quite astonished to hear her peti- tions, the subjects being of vital importance, and offered up with all the fervor and devotion of an old Christian. Her ideas seemed quite beyond the capacity of a child ; and when, at the request of MARY JANE. 7 Catharine, a younger sister, she began to teach her how to pray, she accommodated her language to her sister's understanding in such a way as evidently showed she viewed the exercise as more than a form of unmeaning words. She made Catharine repeat several petitions after her, and then said, " You must now think for yourself." Catharine said, " What must I think ? " " Think of your sins, of your wants, and pray from your own heart: my praying wont be accepted instead of yours." A few days before she died, she exhorted her sister to be attentive when her parents talked to her, and added with great earnestness, " If you don't repent of your sins, Catharine, you'll never meet me at the right hand of God." On her mo- ther's then asking Mary Jane if she had repented of her sins, she said, "Yes, I hope I have, Mamma." "Have you repented of any particular sins?" " Yes, Mamma." " What are they ? " "I think chiefly, Mamma, that I have sometimes disobeyed you and papa." Once when her pain was very severe, she said, " My pains are great, but it is God's will, and his will be done." She had no fear of death, and no wish to recover ; she often said, she would rather die. Once she remarked, she had not felt quite sure that day that she should go to heaven; she had no desire to get better, but she wished to live till she was quite sure of heaven. A meetness for it, and a full assurance of it, she most frequent- ly prayed for. 8 MEMOIR OF At midsummer, 1833, Mary Jane was placed under the care of the Misses Atkinson, in Stroud ; and it is believed that during her five months' resi- dence in that town, the instruction she received at school and in the church, in connection with her own reading, was the means of increasing both her knowledge of religion and her relish for it. Her deportment at school was gentle, obedient and affectionate, and was evidently the result of Chris- tian principle strongly imbuing her mind. Both as a pupil and a companion in the school-room she was a lovely character, and her death has conse- quently occasioned no small sorrow. Just before the holidays, the clergyman gave, according to custom, a parting address to the girls, of whom Mary Jane was one, and was led to speak at greater length than usual on the brevity of life, and on the possibility that they might never meet again, as well as on the excellence of religion. Two days afterward Mary Jane returned to her beloved parents. The flush of health was on her cheek, and on entering the house, such was the buoyancy of her spirits, that she danced for joy. Little did her parents then imagine that their habitation was so soon to become the house of mourning. On Wednesday, December 18, exactly a week after her return, while playing in the garden, she took cold, and the next day was very unwell. On Saturday, she seemed to have recovered, and went to bed about nine o'clock in excellent spirits; but MARY JANE. 9 very early next morning she awoke in a fit of coughing, and had severe pain in the chest. Medi- cal help was obtained, and occasionally a gleam of hope of her recovery was enjoyed ; but on the whole, the disorder increased upon her, and finally issued in her removal from beloved and weeping friends, to the Saviour who gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them in his bosom. During her illness her irritability was sometimes so great as to make her appear unamiable ; but as this was quite contrary to her natural temper, there can be no doubt that it ought to be ascribed to her disorder. Probably even an adult Christian suffering equal pain and uneasiness, would have found it difficult to avoid the manifestation of simi- lar infirmity. Her thirst for reading seemed to increase with her sufferings. When advised to read less, she would say, " I must have a book, Papa ; it is the only thing to make me forget my pain." In answer to a question put to her by her dear mother, she said, " I think, Mamma, I never felt the burden of sin so much as I did once last half-year while hearing a sermon j" and on being further questioned with regard to the meaning of the ex- pression she had used, she said, " It was a great weight on my mind ; I felt very sad." Conversing with her father respecting a printed sermon which had greatly interested her, on the text, " Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him ; " and observing I* 10 MEMOIR OF her father affected, she said, " Papa, why do you weep? Don't cry, Papa, it hurts me so much." He replied, "My dear child, your father weeps because he sees you suffer so much, and cannot relieve you." She answered, " Christ suffered more." At another time, when her pain was very severe, she said, " My pains are great, but it is God's will, and his will be done." It is observable that from that time, with only one exception, she always, when addressing her parent, called him father; probably from the religious associations which, in consequence of the above-cited conversation, that word awakened in her mind. The first evening after she was taken ill, she desired her nurse to read to her, and said, " Ann, read me that psalm, ' Search me, O God, and try me,' " &c. But when she found that the young woman could not at once turn to it, she said, " Never mind ; read the tenth chapter of John, about the good shepherd." Being asked if she thought herself one of Christ's flock, she replied, " I hope so, Mamma, but am not quite sure; that is what I want to know." On several occasions, when asked what she particularly wished her pa- rents to pray for on her behalf, she would say, " That my sins may be pardoned ; that I may be made fit for heaven; that I may feel truly con- verted." And two or three times she asked her father to pray that she might have a good hope that her sins were pardoned. On the evening of the Lord's day preceding her MARY JANE. 11 death, being much exhausted from the application of leeches, she said, " The easy chair, Mamma." Her mother, supposing that she wished to be placed in it, said, " No, my dear, it will not do." " Well, there's an easier seat than that, Mamma." "Where, my dear?" "In heaven." "Do you think, my dear, that you will be in heaven soon?" "I think I shall, Mamma; I am drawing near to death." Perceiving that her mother was much affected, she lifted up her withered arm, and strok- ing her mother's face with her hand, said, in the most endearing manner, " Mourn not for me, dear- est Mamma ; rather rejoice : Jesus will comfort you when I am gone. We shall meet again at the right hand of God." Her mother asked if she had prayed that day. She answered that she thought she had not. Her mother remarked that it had been a day of bustle and confusion, but as all was then still and quiet, she would do well to take advantage of the oppor- tunity for prayer ; to which she readily assented. Her mother then said, "You have often, my darling, prayed before me, when in health ; I should like to hear you pray now, if you feel quite comfortable to pray aloud." She answered, "If you wish it, I will, Mamma ; " and then in a very feeling manner offered the following petitions: — "Blessed Jesus! do thou take away my sinful heart, and give me a new heart. Jesus, do thou wash me in thy own blood ; and O Jesus ! do thou give me a comfort- able assurance that when I die thou wilt take me 12 MEMOIR OP to heaven. And, Jesus, do thou comfort my pa- rents when I am gone. Make me kind to my bro- thers and sisters. Jesu,s, do thou teach them the way to heaven, that we may all meet at thy right hand. Jesus, do thou make me more patient and kind to those who attend me ; and O, look upon me as cleansed from all my sins by thy precious blood!" Her mother then said, " I have often told you, my dear, of what importance it is to pray from the heart ; but I need not ask you if this is from the heart ; I am sure it is." With much energy she said, " Yes, Mamma, indeed it is." Afterward she requested her mother, as a parti cular favor, to distribute her books among the various members of the family, specifying the par- ticular book or books which she wished each to have. She was at a loss to fix on a suitable book for her sister Ellen, who was only two months old, and of whom she had seen but little. On her mamma saying, " Ellen will never remember you, my dear;" she replied, " No, Mamma, but I wish to remember her." When she had finished the distribution of her books, she said with a smile, " Mamma, this is like making my will." Her mother said, " Have you just thought of it, my darling?" She answered, "No, Mamma; it is some days since I first thought of it." " Why did you not name it before, my dear?" "I did not like, Mamma; I kr v you would feel hurt." MARY JANE. 13 She manifested a most delightful feeling of affection toward her parents; she would some- times say, " What could I do without you? You are my best friends." After having received any little attention from her parents, her eye would affectionately fix upon them, and with a pleasing expression of thoughtfulness on her countenance, she would say, "If I should recover, and you should ever be ill, I would pay you every atten- tion in my power." During her illness she invariably spoke of hea- ven as the home where she expected finally to meet her friends: she liked to speak of heaven. One day, with a sweet smile, she said, " I think I shan't know any body in heaven, Mamma; you had a dear sister, are you quite sure she is in heaven ? " " Yes, my dear, I have no doubt whatever of it." "Do you think I should know her, Mamma?" " Perhaps, my dear, she may be permitted to wel- come you there." This thought gave her pleasure, and she said, " If I may be permitted, I should like to welcome you and papa when you come ; perhaps your dear sister will too." About a year before this she had heard a sermon on "the minis- try of angels;" it was a very pleasing subject to her, and she had often dwelt upon it, but till her illness she never mentioned it to us. One day she requested her mamma to let her youngest sister, Ellen, be brought to her, begging she rr it be placed near her. She looked at her very e aestly, her countenance indicating much 14 MEMOIR OF thoughtfulness. About ten days previous to this she had read " Helen of the Glen," but had made * no remark upon it ; she now said, " Mamma, I have been wishing that your child Ellen may be like Helen of the glen; you know her name is not spelt the same ; but it will be a happy thing if she is washed in the same blood, and made fit for the kingdom of heaven." She made several interesting remarks on Helen's piety, on her being about her own age ; likewise on the advice Helen gave to her brother. This conversation is merely mentioned to show her turn of mind, which was not immediately to speak of what interested her feelings ; and also to show the concern she felt for her infant sister, who was dedicated to God in holy baptism on the very day that Mary Jane was first confined to her room ; and it was a great disappointment to her that she could not be present. The infant had been named Ellen partly at her request, to remind t :e family of a little girl in whom she felt considerable inter- est, though scarcely personally known to ner. At different times Mary Jane's remarks, and her artless and earnest prayers, left a most pleasing impression on the minds of her friends. At one time, when Mary Jane had concluded a ery ear- nest prayer, her mother, much affected, said, "My love, I can have no doubt now that you are one of Christ's lambs." The dear child repli »J, with an emphasis and feeling almost too mu vfor a. parent's heart to bear,^ MARY JANE. 15 " Is he a door 1 I'll enter in ; Behold the pastures large and green, A paradise divinely fair ; None but the sheep have freedom there." " My love," said her mother, weeping, " that is beautiful language, but it is the peculiar adaptation of it that makes it so delightful to me," On which she looked up, and quoted the following verse : — " Is he a sun 1 His beams are grace, His course is joy and righteousness ; Nations rejoice when he appears, To chase their clouds and dry their tears." Observing the joy which the recital of these verses occasioned, she said, " I can tell you, dear Mamma, the texts they are taken from," several of which she then named. Soon after this, mention was made of a little impatience she had at times manifested during her severe affliction, and she was exhorted to bear patiently all that her heavenly Father appointed her to suffer. She then repeated from the same beautiful hymn the lines, " Is he a fire 1 He '11 purge my dross, But the true gold sustains no loss. Like a refiner shall he sit, And tread the refuse with his feet." After a short interval, she proceeded,