Maid ;" and my object would be to prove that true happiness is to be found even outside the Eldorado of matrimony. No; my life was not a thorny one, or at any rate only in so far as no life can be quite free from troubles. Naturally, there were thorns in my path too, but there were many roses as well; and many a time a fear has come over me, when I have thought of those words, that "through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God."

At this time, however, Amelia had not yet found what she was seeking with all the energies of her thirsting, struggling soul: redemption through Christ, and through Him alone. She wore herself out in fruitless efforts; a mere outward form could not satisfy her, and the inner substance she could not yet grasp; she could not fulfil her duties as she wished; she could not give her life the reality and value she longed for. The following more frequent extracts from her letters and diaries in the years 1815 and 1816 furnish us with a picture of the course of her inner life up to a period which she herself describes as a crisis in its progress. She was seeking for Truth; she had entered into habitual communion with God, and the Lord is nigh unto all such as call upon Him, even unto all those that call upon Him with their hearts.' He was nearer to her than she knew.

IN

Edward had married a very amiable young lady, a native of Hamburg, whom Amelia had long known and valued, and had taken his young wife back to London. When the news arrived of Napoleon's escape from Elba and landing in France, her second brother, Gustavus, the young Leipsic student, went to the field, and marched for France with his Hamburg friends as a volunteer in the cavalry. She saw him in Hamburg on his way, and sent her prayers and blessing with him. The battle of Waterloo, however, soon put an end to the war, and in November Gustavus returned to Hamburg, stronger and browner for his campaign, and ere long went back to Leipsic to begin his theological studies. He was a very gifted young man, of great purity and depth of character, more inclined to

ideal dreams and aspirations than his sister, and hence often exposed to painful disenchantments in every-day life; thus, during the campaign, his enthusiastic patriotism was often wounded by the low and selfish views that were from time to time betrayed by those around him. Amelia writes to him in September: Have faith, do good; this is the only consolation I have for you. None but a noble heart will find it availing, and for this very reason I offer it to you. Let us be indulgent to other people, dear Gustavus; we do not know what their powers may be, but from each other we will demand great things, for much was given to us, and therefore much will be required. We will aim at what is best and highest; only do not let us despise the lowest, and let us do whatever we do with all our might.'

Somewhat later she writes again to him: The want of certain natural capacities has given me sorrow enough in life already: now that I have at last attained a calm and quiet view on this matter, I will hold it fast and not let it go again on any consideration.'

In December he left Hamburg and returned to his studies in Leipsic, and Amelia writes in her diary after this separation: Parted from him for four years! What a length of time! How everything, everything, must change in these four years! How shall we meet again!-alas! and can we tell whether we ever shall?'

Towards the close of this year she says in a letter to her sister-in-law: Could we ever be really called to

MODERATION IN WORK.

45

something, and not at the same time find strength given us from above to obey the call unreservedly?'...

"In Sweden it is still the universal custom for women and girls, not only to spin, but to weave all their clothing; embroidery, therefore, must be quite out of the question there. Here one new kind of fine needlework is invented after another, which is always admired the more, the more troublesome and destructive to the eyes it is. I am once for all stupid at all these things. But when I find I really can no longer retain the respect of my friends here, I know now there is a country in the world where plain spinning and weaving are still in fashion-and I shall go to Sweden!'

In January 1860 she writes to Gustavus: The true, real life of a man lies in working by love, and his life is fuller and more blessed, the more freely, joyfully, and beneficially he can thus work.'

Again in another letter: We ought never voluntarily so to extend our sphere of labour that our activity becomes an unharmonious disorderly struggle, in which we constantly lose that power of calm reflection and clear mastery over our life on which so much of our own best happiness and usefulness to others depends. In the golden rule of moderation lies undoubtedly the essential condition of all stable human happiness.'

Madame Brünnemann's married daughter had no children, and she had adopted a little girl, whom she was most anxious to place under Amelia's tuition. As,

however, the child was much younger than her other pupils, Amelia found herself obliged to open a second set of classes, consisting also of six children. Not without hesitation did she undertake this new responsibility, and we see from her diaries that she sought strength to meet it in earnest prayer.

For

In January 1816 she writes to her brother: some time past my mind has been troubled by a most disquieting doubt whether my present occupation might not be leading me too much away from my proper sphere as a woman. I felt that there was much to be said on both sides, and the conflict of opposing thoughts troubled me greatly, for above all things it is necessary to my peace to have a clear and satisfactory conception of my whole life before my mind's eye. At last I have attained it. I am peaceful and happy again, and I owe this to a solitary hour when I took the courageous resolve to think over my whole position without reserve from which I had always recoiled before—and then to take my stand on whatever I might come to see to be my duty. I laid three principal questions before myself: whether with the present extension of my undertaking I could preserve my womanly character quite uninjured? what were the obligations I owed to my aunt? what to the parents of the children entrusted to me? and then I came to the following conclusions:-The education of children-in which light, and not as mere instruction, I wish my occupation to be regarded - belongs of right,