“Do not disturb yourself, Madam,” said the Doctor.  “The Spirit worketh when, where, and how He will; and, undoubtedly, there have been cases where His operations commence exceedingly early.  Mr. Edwards relates a case of a young person who experienced a marked conversion when three years of age; and Jeremiah was called from the womb. (Jeremiah, i. 5.) In all cases we must test the quality of the evidence without relation to the time of its commencement.  I do not generally lay much stress on our impressions, which are often uncertain and delusive; yet I have had an impression that the Lord would be pleased to make some singular manifestations of His grace through this young person.  In the economy of grace there is neither male nor female; and Peter says (Acts, ii. 17) that the Spirit of the Lord shall be poured out and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.  Yet if we consider that the Son of God, as to his human nature, was made of a woman, it leads us to see that in matters of grace God sets a special value on woman’s nature and designs to put special honor upon it.  Accordingly, there have been in the Church, in all ages, holy women who have received the Spirit and been called to a ministration in the things of God,—­such as Deborah, Huldah, and Anna, the prophetess.  In our own days, most uncommon manifestations of divine grace have been given to holy women.  It was my privilege to be in the family of President Edwards at a time when Northampton was specially visited, and his wife seemed and spoke more like a glorified spirit than a mortal woman,—­and multitudes flocked to the house to hear her wonderful words.  She seemed to have such a sense of the Divine love as was almost beyond the powers of nature to endure.  Just to speak the words, ‘Our Father who art in heaven,’ would overcome her with such a manifestation that she would become cold and almost faint; and though she uttered much, yet she told us that the divinest things she saw could not be spoken.  These things could not be fanaticism, for she was a person of a singular evenness of nature, and of great skill and discretion in temporal matters, and of an exceeding humility, sweetness, and quietness of disposition.”

“I have observed of late,” said Mrs. Scudder, “that, in our praying circles, Mary seemed much carried out of herself, and often as if she would speak, and with difficulty holding herself back.  I have not urged her, because I thought it best to wait till she should feel full liberty.”

“Therein you do rightly, Madam,” said the Doctor; “but I am persuaded you will hear from her yet.”