Lives of the Three Mrs. Judsons

ory, to ascertain what indications were given in childhood of qualities destined to shine with such resplendent lustre, and to discover

onicle their little sayings and doings; and of infant prodigies-though there is a

Gods love,

hopes of partial friends, who watched th

, and an ardent, and sometimes enthusiastic temperament. These qualities were possessed in no common degree by Ann Hasseltine, the subject of this memoir. She was born in Bradford, Massachusetts, on the 22d of December, 1789. In

ers and schoolfellows. Though little of her writing at this period is preserved, and the generation that knew her personally is mostly pas

and with a keenness of relish which led her to think herself, as she says, "the happiest creature on earth." She adds, "I so far surpassed my friends in gayety and mirth

lt herself to be a lost and perishing sinner." Her distress increased as she became more and more sensible of the depravity of her heart, and the holiness and sovereignty of God. Her mind rose in rebellion against a Being, who after all her prayers and tears and self-denial, still withheld from her the blessing of pardon and peace. She says, "In this state I longed for annihilation, and if I could have destroyed the existence of my soul with as much ease as that of my body, I should quickly have done it. But that glorious Being who is kinder to his creatu

d to she remarks, "I attended my studies in school with far different feelings and different motives from what I had ever done before. I felt my obligation to improve all I had to the glory of God; and since he in his providence had favored me with advantages for improving my mind, I felt that I should be like the slothful servant if I neglected them. I therefore diligently employed all my hours in school in acquiring useful knowledge, and spent my evenings and part of the night in spiritual enjoyments." "Such was my thirst for religious knowledge, that I frequently spent a great part of the night in reading religious books." A friend says of her

as preparing for her. Had she known that she was to spend her days in instructing bigoted and captious idolaters

Spirit was also sanctifying and purifying her heart. She loathed sin both in herself and others, a

live a religious life, have trials with sin and temptation, and sometimes enjoy the light of God's reconciled countenance, I

rofession of religion, and united with the Congregatio

ly taught in several neighboring villages. Her example in this respect is surely worthy of imitation. Perhaps no person is more admirable than a young lady fitted like Miss Hasseltine by a cultivated mind and engaging manners to shine in society, who having the choice between a life of ease and one of personal exertion, choo

e have said of her conscientiousness and purity

d accomplished, from selfish motives, with a view merely to gratify my taste and relish for improvement, or my pride in being qualified to shine. I therefore resolved last winter to attend the academy from no other motive than to improve the talents bestowed by God, so as to be more extensively devoted to his glory, and the benefit of my fellow-creatures. On being lately requested to take a small school for a few months, I felt very unqualified to have the

t her efforts to be useful were blessed not only by the temporal, but the spiritual advancement of her pupils,

TNO

arly the exercises of her mind, in a

city, then the famine is in the city and we shall die there, and if we sit still here we die also,'-I felt that if I returned to the world, I should surely perish; if I sta