And yet it is hardly possible to realise that this brilliant young life has forever vanished away from earth, for she seemed formed alike by nature and Providence for length of days.  Already her character gave the fairest promise of a perfect woman.  It possessed a strength and maturity beyond her years.  Although not yet twenty-one, her varied mental culture and her knowledge of almost every branch of English literature, history, poetry, fiction, even physical science, were quite remarkable; nor was she ignorant of some of the best French and German, not to speak of Latin, authors.  We have never known one of her age whose intellectual tastes were of a higher order.  She seemed to feel equally at home in reading Shakespeare and Goethe; Prescott, Motley, and Froude; Mrs. Austin, Scott, and Dickens; Taine, Huxley, and Tyndall; or the popular biographies and fictions of the day.  And yet her studious habits and devotion to books did not render her any the less the unaffected, attractive, and whole-hearted girl.  Her friends, both old and young, greatly admired her, but they loved her still more.  As was natural in one of so much character, she was very decided in her ways; but she was also perfectly frank, truthful, and conscientious—­resembling in this respect, as she did in some other excellent traits, her honored grandfather, Mr. Sturges.

Several years before her death she was enrolled among the disciples of Jesus.  How vividly the writer recalls her earnest look and tones of voice when she declared to him her desire publicly to confess her Saviour and to remember Him at His table!  When from beneath the deep sea the news that she was dangerously ill and then soon after that she was dead stole upon her friends here like a thief in the night, almost stunning them with grief; their first feeling was one of tender sympathy for the desolate, sorely-smitten parents, and of prayer that God would be pleased to comfort and uphold them in their affliction.

From many hearts, we are sure, that prayer has been offered up oftentimes since.  If it were not for the relief which comes of faith and prayer, what a cloud of hopeless gloom would enshroud such an event!  Blessed be God for this exceeding great and precious relief.  The dark cloud is not indeed dispersed even by faith and prayer, but with what a silver lining they are able to invest it!  If we really believed that such tragical events are solely the effects of chance or mere natural law—­if we did not believe that the hand of infinite wisdom and love is also in them, surely the grass would turn black beneath our feet. The Lord gave; the Lord hath taken away; and blessed be the name of the Lord.

G. L. P.

* * * * *

H.

Extracts front Dr. Vincent’s Memorial Discourse.