The Power of Faith | Page 3

be appropriated to the purpose of procuring a thorough education. When ten years of age, she was sent to a boarding-school taught by a lady of distinguished talents and piety. Often has Mrs. Graham repeated to her children the maxims of Mrs. Betty Morehead. With ardent and unwearied endeavors to attain mental endowments, and especially moral and religious knowledge, she attended the instructions of Mrs. Morehead for seven successive winters. How valuable is early instruction. With the blessing of God, it is probable that this instructress laid the foundation of the exertions and usefulness of her pupil in after-life. How wise and how gracious are the ways of the Lord. Knowing the path in which he was afterwards to lead Isabella Marshall, her God was pleased to provide her an education of a much higher kind than was usual in those days. Who would not trust that God, who alone can be _the guide of our youth_?
Her father, John Marshall, farmed a paternal estate, called the Heads, near Hamilton. This estate he sold, and rented the estate of Elderslie, once the habitation of Sir William Wallace. There Isabella passed her childhood and her youth.
She had no definite recollection of the period at which her heart first tasted that the Lord is gracious. As far back as she could remember, she took delight in pouring out her soul to God. In the woods of Elderslie she selected a bush, to which she resorted in seasons of devotion. Under this bush she believed she was enabled to devote herself to God, through faith in her Redeemer, before she had entered on her tenth year. To this favorite, and to her, sacred spot, she would repair, when exposed to temptation or perplexed with childish troubles. From thence she caused her prayers to ascend, and there she found peace and consolation.
Children cannot at too early a period seek the favor of the God of heaven. How blessed to be reared and fed by his hand, taught by his Spirit, and strengthened by his grace.
The late Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, afterwards president of Princeton college, was at this time one of the ministers of the town of Paisley. Isabella sat under his ministry, and at the age of seventeen publicly professed her faith in Christ. In the year 1765 she was married to Dr. John Graham, then a practising physician in Paisley, a gentleman of liberal education and of respectable standing.
About a year after their marriage, Dr. Graham, having been appointed surgeon to the 60th or royal American regiment, was ordered to Canada, where that corps was stationed. Mrs. Graham accompanied him, and a plan was digested--with how limited a knowledge of the future will appear--for their permanent residence in America. Dr. Graham calculated on disposing of his commission, and purchasing a tract of land on the Mohawk river, where his father-in-law, Mr. Marshall, was to follow him. The letter subjoined gives the interesting incidents of their voyage, and forms a pleasant introduction to the character of Mrs. Graham at this period of her life.
"QUEBEC, August 29, 1767.
"MY DEAREST PARENTS--This is the fifth letter I have written to you, although I know it is the first that can reach you. All the time I was at sea I kept a letter lying by me, in hope of getting it put on board some vessel bound for Britain; but I have met with many disappointments. We spoke several ships, but I never could get a letter put on board. At one time I was told the wind was too high, at another that the ship was at too great a distance, and so was put off till I began to understand a more substantial reason, namely, that it would cost the captain rather too much trouble.
"We have now, however, got safe here, after a tedious voyage of nine weeks, and I will give you a short account of what happened during that time.
"We sailed, as you know, from Greenock, June 10. For the first five or six days we had fine weather and fair winds, and got quite clear of land; after this, we had nearly six weeks of most tempestuous weather, and the wind, except for about two days, directly against us. The gentlemen after some time began to be very impatient; for my part I should not have cared although it had lasted twelve months. I had left all that was dear to me behind, except one dear friend, that one was constantly with me, and although the rest of the company in the ship was very agreeable, yet I was the great object of his attention, and his invention was ever on the stretch to find amusement for me. It is not possible for me to say with what indulgent tenderness I was treated;