In such circumstances, the Christian character of Mrs. Graham was strongly marked.  Sensible that her heavenly Father saw it good, at this time, to depress her outward condition, full of filial tenderness, and like a real child of God resigned to whatever should appear to be his will, her conduct conformed to his dispensations.  With a cheerful heart, and in the hope of faith, she set herself to walk down into the valley of humiliation, “leaning upon Jesus,” as the beloved of her soul.  “I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart,” was the spontaneous effusion of her genuine faith.  She received with affection the scriptural admonition, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”

She laid aside her children’s fine frocks, and clothed them in homespun.  At Cartside she sold the butter she made, and her children were fed on the milk.  It was her wish to eat her own bread, however coarse, and to owe no person anything but love.  At Paisley, for a season, her breakfast and supper was porridge, and her dinner potatoes and salt.  Peace with God and a contented mind supplied the lack of earthly prosperity, and she adverted to this her humble fare, to comfort the hearts of suffering sisters, with whom she corresponded at a later period of life, when in comfortable circumstances.

Meantime the Lord was not unmindful of his believing child; but was preparing the minds of her friends for introducing her to a more enlarged sphere of usefulness.

Her pious and attached friend, Mrs. Major Brown, had accompanied her husband to Scotland, and they now resided on their estate in Ayrshire.  Mr. Peter Reid, a kind friend when in Antigua, was now a merchant in London.  This gentleman advised her to invest the little money she had brought home—­and which she had still preserved—­in muslins; which she could work into finer articles of dress, and he would ship them in a vessel of his own/freight free, to be sold in the West Indies.  His object was partly to increase her little capital, and partly to divert her mind from meditating so deeply on the loss of her lamented husband.  The plan so kindly proposed was soon adopted; the muslin dresses were shipped; but she soon afterwards learned that the ship was captured by the French.  This was a severe loss, and more deeply felt as it was received at the time when her father was deprived of his office.

Mrs. Brown, after consulting with the Rev. Mr. Randall of Glasgow, the Rev. Mr. Ellis of Paisley, Lady Glenorchy and Mrs. Walker of Edinburgh, proposed to Mrs. Graham to take charge of a boarding-school in that metropolis.

The friends of religion were of opinion that such an establishment, under the direction of one possessing the qualifications of Mrs. Graham, would be of singular benefit to young ladies destined for important stations in society.  Her liberal education, her acquaintance with life, and her humble yet ardent piety, were considered peculiarly calculated to qualify her for so important a trust.