On the Friday before her death, when her grandpapa had seen her and felt her pulse, she enquired directly what he thought of her? He told her he was not afraid to tell her that he thought she was not far from an eternal world. She immediately said-" Do you hear that, mamma? Mind you tell papa. I told you not to deceive yourself." The communication did not appear to affect her; she neither expressed herself disappointed nor sorry. On the day preceding her death, she said "Dear Jesus, receive my spirit." After this she gradually sunk, and relapsed into a state of partial delirium, which continued a great part of the night previous to her dissolution, during which she repeatedly called out "Now come! make haste! In the morning she was calm-put her arms round her mother's neck, and endeavoured as well as she could to embrace her. She departed this life about eleven o'clock in the forenoon. Her mother having requested her to put down some little account of her views and feelings when she found herself able, she wrote the following: "My dearest Mother, "It gives me great pleasure to communicate my mind to you, who I consider as my dearest and nearest earthly friend, but papa; though I trust I have a Friend above, who is able and willing to do more and better for me, and whose love surpasses any human love. "I assure you, my dear mother, that I feel quite resigned to the will of God. I think that if it should please him to take me, I should not wish to remain on earth, and still if he chooses that I should live, I should wish to do as he thinks fit, knowing that he maketh all things work together for good to them who love him. "It is a great blessing indeed, to think we have not to depend on our own righteousness for justification, or else where should every one of us go, when we are called to quit this world. "I often try to picture to myself the day of judgment, and think what I shall say when it comes to my turn to be judged-and then I think that my only plea will be that Christ died to save sinners, of whom I am chief'; and that my only hope is fixed on him, who is an anchor firm and stedfast, and which will never disappoint the weakest sinner who relies on him for pardon.' "I have been very much comforted when I have thought that if we feel the least love to Jesus Christ, it is because he has first loved us; and I desire and pray daily for more and stronger love to him. "I am truly sorry for having grieved you by my impatience about my leg; but I have prayed to God to forgive me, and give me submission and resignation; and I know that He will not lay more upon me than He will enable me to bear. I hope you will forgive me, and I trust shall be more patient for the rest of my short stay here; for I am convinced that it will be very little longer if this sickness continues- but Mr. Wm. Holt, of Tottenham. I hope and trust, my dear mother, that when the time does come, you will not distress and grieve yourself as one that has no hope, as I have a hope which is founded on the Rock of ages, which I know will, if I rely firmly on it, not forsake me in the hour of trial. "As you wished me, I will state a few of my feelings before I returned home and first I would say, that when Mr. Morris had seen me, and said he thought I was very poorly, and that my leg was very bad, I began to think that as I had been so ill from my birth, that I might soon die, and then I thought, where should I go to. That text in Ecclesiastes touched me very much, 'Remember now thy Creator,' &c. and then I had a great many fears of death indeed. I could not bear to think about it. I very often used to go to bed at five o'clock, that is, when the school was over in the afternoon, and then I have often cried and wished I had been at home, or could have had you to talk to, but after I had been ill some weeks I began to be more composed. The Lord was kind enough to shew me, or make me see, my need of a Saviour; and led me to pray to him, and then I became more comforted, and the thoughts of death did not seem so disagreeable to me-but since I have been at home, and had kind friends and you to talk to me, and tell me such encouraging things, I have had but very, very few doubts, and those have been chiefly lest I should be encouraging a false hope. But I do hope and trust that my hope is fixed alone on the blood and righte ousness of Christ, by which alone, I know, that I can be saved. "I think I feel quite resigned to the will of God, whether He should think fit to spare my life or to take me to himself; only I should wish you to pray for me, that if my life is spared, I may not be allowed to retain my affection to it, but be prepared either for life or death. And now my dearest of all mothers, accept this, with my bible, as my last testimony of gratitude and affection for all your parental care and tenderness to me ever since I was born, and believe me,-ANN HOLT." She mentions above having left her bible as a legacy to her motherbefore giving it, she wrote as follows on one of the leaves at the beginning: "Dearest mother, accept this as the dying gift of your affectionate, and, I trust, dutiful child. It has been a great comfort to me-O may it be the same to you. "Remember these texts for my sake- I will make all things work together for good to them that fear [love] God. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will answer thee, and thou shalt glorify me. She died July the 14th, 1828, aged twelve years, and her death was improved in Kingsland Chapel, on the Lord's-day evening, August 7th, from 1 Cor. xv. 55-57, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." APRIL. WELCOME, April, is thy sway, And anon with clouds dost cover Soon ye will be heard to say, ON SPRING. SWEET Spring returns with many a grace, And many a heart beats high, As Winter hides his shivering face, We view the sky serenely bright, Of goodness so divine. W. D. We view the fields with verdure green; The peeping flower with joy is seen, We walk abroad with willing feet To view the scene around; The cattle grazing on the hill, The warbling birds, with tuneful skill, In every beauty Spring displays, MIDNIGHT. I HEAR the wild discordant notes, Hark! how the awful thunder rolls; The waves in billowy torrents rise, In noisy tumult foam; The sea-fowl wing their hasty flight The sailor, with wild "tempest toss'd," Longs for return of day; But Nature now, with vengeful wrath, The weary traveller, whose lone path Now vainly seeks, with brighter hopes, J. T. Who when the world doth frown and friends depart, Death, hell, and judgment- Victory accurs'd! See when the cards and dice their pow'r have lost To gaping expectants who pour around |
