“Last week a considerable number of ministers and lay Christians met for the third time, and established a society for sending missionaries among the Indians, and also among the poor scattered settlers on the frontiers.  A sermon was preached in the evening in one of the Dutch churches, ‘The liberal deviseth liberal things,’ etc., after which an address was read by the Secretary—­our dear Mr. Mason—­which, when printed, I will send you.

“The society is to keep up a correspondence with your and the other societies.  If they can effect anything themselves, apart here in America, well; if not, they will throw their subscriptions into the common funds and get help from you.  This view is very pleasant to us.  There is great need of itinerant preachers in our back settlements; they are scattered, and no churches of any kind; even in some thick settled counties they will not pay a minister.  These are ’the highways and hedges;’ O that the Lord may compel them to come in.

“I.  GRAHAM.”

We next find Mrs. Graham administering consolation and imparting instruction to a lady residing near Boston, Mrs. C——.  With this lady Mrs. Graham formed an acquaintance in New York, shortly after her arrival in America.  She was then a gay young widow; but having a strong and cultivated mind, was delighted with Mrs. Graham and family; and a friendship was formed between them, which ceased only with their lives.

As a proof of her friendship, Mrs. C——­ wished to introduce her young female friends into gay fashionable society.  This Mrs. Graham opposed; and while she stated her reasons she endeavored to persuade her young friend to come out from the world and cast in her lot with the people of God.

“A word spoken in due season, how good it is.”  This was verified in the case of Mrs. C——­, who, like her friend, was destined to enter the heavenly kingdom “through much tribulation.”  She afterwards entered the marriage state, and became a second time a widow while her children were still young; and though not destitute, her income was considerably reduced; which circumstances may throw light on parts of Mrs. Graham’s letters.  Unhappily there was no evangelical minister near her place of residence, which, with the want of early religious training, may account for so much darkness as to her spiritual state.  Mrs. Graham often visited her, and it pleased God in due time to scatter the darkness.  Mrs. C——­ for many years fully enjoyed the consolations of religion.  She trained up her children according to the maxims of her friend, and had the happiness of seeing them following in her steps.  One, Mrs. J.W., she saw depart in peace; and her own dying-bed was soothed by the prayers and attentions of her son, an esteemed and highly useful clergyman in one of our populous cities.  As Mrs. C——­ adopted the signature of Pilgrim, the letters to her inserted in the former editions of this memoir, are noticed as addressed to P——.