The scene was one of indescribable tenderness and solemnity. The expiring sufferer lay upon her bed, apparently just about to wing her flight to that world where ordinances are to cease. "It seemed as though the light of eternity," says her pastor to me while describing the scene, "poured its radiance over the elements which shadowed forth the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

"At the close of the singing of the hymn, and just before the benediction, with a countenance that shone like that of an angel, she made a short address to her brethren and sisters in the Lord.

"She conjured them, by the Saviour's love for them, and by all their hopes of heaven, to walk together in the most affectionate manner in the household of faith; to cultivate the utmost susceptibility in regard to the claims of a dying Saviour; and exhorted them to labor for God with the utmost diligence while it was called to-day, for the lamp of life would soon go out, and probation scenes close upon them for ever.

"We cannot,' said she, 'love too much, or pray too fervently, or labor too earnestly, for our exalted Redeemer.'

"The scene became overwhelming; every face was bathed in tears, and the impressions of

that day will probably never be forgotten by those who had the happiness of being present in her room, which all felt to be

"Privileged

Above the common walk of virtuous life,
Quite in the verge of heaven."

CHAPTER XX.

"Heaven waits not the last moment, owns her friends On this side death, and points them out to man."

YOUNG.

PERHAPS the force and blessedness of this truth was never illustrated with more signal effect than in the case of Mrs. Bise.

The interest of her declining scenes was not abated by any decline in intellect; all the powers of her mind were unclouded and vigorous to the last moment of her life. Disease neither produced any fitful excitement, and never dampened her intellectual fires. Every faculty of her nature went on, and performed all its operations in a perfectly sound and healthful manner.

While from the elasticity of her mind she could at will mount up on the wings of faith, and sing at the "rosy gates of the morning," she could descend with grace and interest to the commonest details of every-day life. She continued through her whole decline to direct her

domestic arrangements, and attended minutely to all the interests which grew out of the diversified relations of social life.

She took an active concern in the temporal happiness of all who came about her; not the smallest circumstance which related to their welfare eluded her observation or escaped her sympathy.

So full was she of human sympathy, and so steady was the flow of her cheerfulness, that persons who commonly shrink back from scenes which take hold upon eternity, were anxious to crowd into her sick room; and even children who were known to dread such places, felt it a great privilege to go and see Mrs. Bise.

About three weeks before her death, when it was thought she was soon to expire, several of the neighbors were called in to witness her departure and minister their last friendly offices.

In the morning, however, she resuscitated, and was able soon to display the whole system of her charities. A young lady, who was sitting with her, was making a cape for a friend.

Mrs. Bise, who interested herself in every thing that related to human happiness, observed the process, and fitted it to one of her own pat

terns, and made several suggestions from her own good taste to contribute to the perfection of the work.

Biographers have created many false impressions of the nature, and exhibitions of elevated piety in their works, principally by telling us that their subjects had all their thoughts concentrated, for a long time previous to their death, upon eternity, with such exclusive grasp that they could not sympathize with any object of human interest or pursuit.

But we have not so learned Christ. Judging by an elevated standard, derived from his example and the general principles of the Bible, we consider the perfection of human character to consist in the development of all those virtues which belong to all the relations we sustain.

While we dwell in these houses of flesh, and have a local habitation and a name in this world, it is noble and beautiful to exercise all the innocent emotions and susceptibilities which belong to our nature. The grace of God does not destroy these emotions and susceptibilities; but it invigorates them, and gives them an enlightened direction. It wins our hearts to a high admiration of the perfection of human nature when we