The Power of Faith | Page 3

her
letters yet extant, to have possessed a mind of the same character as her
daughter afterwards exhibited.
Isabella was trained to an active life, as well as favored with a superior
education. Her grandfather, whose dying-bed she assiduously attended,
bequeathed her a legacy of some hundred pounds. In the use to which
she applied this money, the soundness of her judgment was thus early
manifested. She requested it might 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