CHAPTER II.

GROWING.

"Celestial King! Oh, let thy presence pass
Before my spirit, and an image fair

Shall meet that look of mercy from on high,
As the reflected image in a glass

Doth meet the look of him who seeks it there
And owes its being to the gazer's eye."

LONGFELLOW.

SURROUNDED by such friends, bound by such ties, as we have named, to the house and the people of God, and engaged so devotedly in active usefulness, it might be expected that Miss Dryland's piety, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, would take deep root in her soul, and show rare force and fruitfulness. The evidences of progress in her Christian life were no less remarkable than beautiful. It was her aim and prayer to grow up into her Lord and Master in all things. Occasional seasons of illness, through the blessing of her heavenly Father, tended also to mellow her spirit, and to give her character holy strength and beauty. The development of

her piety, and the prominent features of her Christian character, will best appear in extracts from her letters.

To MISS G-—.

"Gosport, May, 1848. "It is not often that I write to you on a Sunday. I am happy that in general I have not five minutes that I could conscientiously spare for this purpose from the duties of the day. But to-day it is different. Would that it were not. I have just had a little time alone -the first such to-day-and as it was the hour when many so dear to me were uniting in our teachers' prayer-meeting, I felt thankful that though separated in person, I could join them, in spirit in earnest supplications for those schools so dear to our hearts.

"And now I feel strongly inclined to tell my dear friend that, notwithstanding outward circumstances have been very unpropitious for spiritual enjoyment, yet I have had a somewhat happy day. Not a joyous Sabbath, but one of sorrow for sin, and of thankfulness that Jesus was speaking to me, I even, I am He that healeth your backslidings.' I hope I am not mistaking and confusing feelings of sadness at absence from my class, with holier emotions, but I must remember what I am so often telling

others, viz., not to dwell on feelings. No, I will rather seek to realize that Jesus is an everpresent Guide, leading me back to Himself whenever I sinfully wander."

To MISS G——.

"Ryde, 1848. "You are glad to find that I am so comfortable' at Ryde. What say you to hear that that word is far beneath the character of the enjoyment of my present circumstances? The beauties of the place are sufficient to fill every bodily sense with exquisite enjoyment-the deep blue sea, and all around like a garden. 'Tis true I have no particular friend here, but I am moving in a place which contains many a heart that beats in unison, and I know this and enjoy it, though such know not me.

"If I begin to speak of the minister, or rather of the effect that his sermons are producing on my mind, I shall not know how to stop. I will, therefore, only ask you when you think of your friend Martha at a throne of grace, to send up a fervent, believing prayer that the deep impressions made, and the sacred influences felt, may result in a far more holy life than she has ever yet lived, and far more nearness to Christ and love to Him than she

has ever yet realized. It is as if my heavenly Father had placed His poor weak plant in a soil of richest mould, and was sending down now His soft showers to revive, now His enlivening sun's rays to draw upwards the stalk out of which He fain would cause to bud the flower whose fragrance shall be emitted around.”

To MISS G

"London Fields, 1849.

"I hope, dearest friend, that anxiety is not preventing your reaping benefit from the seaair. It is not quite so dark to me as it was a little ago. I see how you can still help the school by prayer, and I quite see how plain is your path to give up working. Therefore you need not fear; God will choose out some one to supply your place. But there is far more in this trial than even the prosperity of the school. There is the giving it up, the passing loved occupations over to another-yes, and more than that; I mean the difficulty of really feeling that such is best. When thinking over it, and one seems to have arrived at a submissive view, and is about from the heart to say, 'I welcome all thy sovereign will,' a secret rising is felt; a consciousness that the spirit would gladly fling off the restraint which affliction

has enforced.

thing of the

May it be yours to know notrial of restlessness under the

But if

you

hand of God! do know the feelings too sinful to clothe in words, for in words they would cause the colour to mount to the cheeks-if you have this trial in addition to anxiety, and depression, and weakness, oh! how deeply can I sympathize, and how earnestly do I pray that you may at last, though it may be with great struggle, overcome and crush the smallest risings against the procedure of heaven! What will it all be when viewed in the light of eternity? And even now how easy to bear, if it result in your being more holy, and enjoying more of your Saviour's pre

sence.

It

Last Sunday was such a feast-day. has somewhat relieved my mind, for I had feared that the services of the sanctuary had lost somewhat of their power to me. But I found that when Christ was the one subject, my heart soon was warmed."

Martha never had a robust constitution, and occasionally, before her health finally gave way, she had seasons of temporary affliction and separation from her cherished employment. To her indisposition and weakness she sometimes alluded, but not often, and then generally with the view