But when the hungerings of her soul found their appropriate aliment in the ministrations of the venerable Hosea Ballou, then the sole pastor of the church to which she turned for peace, the change was in the highest degree salutary.  Her satisfaction was very great.  She also found great pleasure in accompanying her eldest sister to the Rev. Mr. Streeter’s Friday evening meetings; and so highly did she prize these religious privileges, that she could scarcely submit to be deprived of them for a single evening or Sabbath without shedding tears.

Her natural amiability and generosity of disposition—­a generosity especially marked in her demeanor towards her eldest sister, who had become a mother to her—­made the Universalist interpretation of Christianity to be to her indeed the “bread of life.”  Not only did she seek for this spiritual nutriment in the regular ministrations of the sanctuary and in the conference meeting, but she turned also to the Sabbath school with the same fond devotion to Christian truth.

During the connection of the Rev. Mr. Soule with the School street Society, he established a Bible class, of which Miss Shedd became one of the earliest members.  She has often spoken to the writer of this of the great profit she was conscious of having derived therefrom.  She was also one of the earliest members of the class formed by the present junior pastor of the Society, Rev. Mr. Miner, and in the discharge of her duties in that capacity she showed uncommon clearness of perception, and not a little vigor of thought.

At the age of fourteen she left school and took up the needle that she might aid her sisters in gaining for the family an honorable maintenance.  She has been known to ply the needle with all diligence till ten o’clock at night, and then turn to her Sunday school book to make preparation for the Sabbath.  If this is an example of too severe application to toil, it shows at the same time a devotion to spiritual culture in the highest degree commendable.

Strict integrity and a strong sense of justice characterized her even in her childhood.  A little circumstance bearing upon this point I will relate.  She had been to an apothecary’s shop for some medicines, and on reaching home found that she had received back more change than was due.  Of her own accord she proposed to return it, nor would she willingly delay for a moment the performance of so manifest an act of justice.  She received from the apothecary the highest encomium, and a reward for her integrity.  In all her transactions she showed the same scrupulousness in matters of right, and thus became a bright example for all children to imitate.

She was not less remarkable for her obedience to the wishes of her sister, than for her regard for justice.  She not only obeyed, but obeyed readily and cheerfully.  And so sensible is that sister of her great excellence in this respect, now that she has passed away, that she cannot speak of her but with the deepest emotion.