Daughters of the Cross: or Womans Mission | Page 3

"The sufficiency is of God," came up from many hearts.
This movement on the part of Messrs. Judson, Newell, Nott, and their
associates, originated the American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions--an organization which has its mission stations in

almost every part of the world, and which is expending, annually, the
sum of two hundred thousand dollars for the conversion of the heathen.
The first missionaries sent out were those above named, who, with two
others, were ordained to the work in the Tabernacle Church, in Salem,
on the 6th of February, 1812. The ordination scene is said to have been
one of peculiar solemnity. The spectacle was an unusual one, and a vast
crowd collected together. The spacious church, though filled to
overflowing with excited and interested people, was as silent as the
chamber of death as instructions were given to the young men who
were to bid adieu to home and country. On the 19th of February, a cold,
severe day, the brig Caravan moved down the harbor of Salem on an
outward-bound voyage, bearing on her decks Messrs. Judson and
Newell, with their wives, the others having sailed from Philadelphia for
Calcutta the day previous. They went, not as the conqueror goes, with
fire and sword, flowing banners and waving plumes, but as the heralds
of salvation, having the gospel of life and peace to proclaim in the ears
of men who were strangers to its glory. To portray the character of one
of these devoted female missionaries, the wife of Samuel Newell, this
sketch will be devoted.
Harriet Atwood was born in the town of Haverhill, on the sloping
banks of the winding Merrimack, on the 10th of October, 1793. She
was the daughter of Moses Atwood, a merchant of that village, who
was universally respected and beloved. Though not rich, he was
generous and benevolent; he was pious without affectation, and in his
heart cherished a longing desire to do good. Her mother, who yet lives,
was a woman of strong religious principle, and well calculated to give
right direction to the opening mind of her child. Her piety, it is said,
was of that kind which makes its impression upon the heart and
conscience, and leads the beholder to admire and love. She was a fit
mother to train such a daughter for her holy mission to a world in ruins,
and, by her judicious advice and counsel, lead on her child to that high
point of mental and moral advancement from whence she could look
abroad upon a fallen race and pity human woe.
Throughout life Harriet Newell bore the marks, and carried the
impressions, of childhood and youth, and her short but brilliant career
was moulded and fashioned by her missionary-hearted mother.
In 1805 she entered upon a course of study at the Bradford Academy,

and soon distinguished herself as a quick and ready scholar. One of her
fellow pupils remarks that "she seldom entered the recitation room
unprepared. She seemed to take peculiar pains in doing things _well_;
and though much of her time was spent in reading, her standing in her
class was always more than respectable." Though but a child at this
time, she kept a diary which would have done no discredit to a person
of mature years, in which she recorded the exercises of her own mind
and the progress which she made in mental discipline. The entries made
in that diary give us an idea of the superiority of her mind and the
excellency of her heart.
While at Bradford, her heart was renewed by the grace of God. During
a revival which performed its holy work among the members of the
school, she was led to view herself as a sinner against the Almighty.
The awful fact that she must be born again uttered its solemn
admonition. Though not so deeply convicted as are some persons, she
felt the terrible necessity of regeneration. Reason, conscience, and
Scripture proclaimed the same truth; and after struggling against her
better feelings for a while, she yielded herself in sweet submission to
the will of God. The account which she gives of her own exercises of
mind, while in this condition, furnishes us with a view of her real
character. Her religious experience was full of feelings and acts
characteristic of herself; and we may form our opinion of her
disposition and cast of mind from the peculiarity of her religious
emotions. In extreme youth she was fond of gayety and mirth, and
spent much time in dancing. According to her own account, she had but
little remorse of conscience for her thoughtless course. The fact that
such amusements were sinful, as well as dangerous, had never been
impressed upon her mind. She deemed them consistent with the highest
state of