ΤΟ THE REV. W. L. PRATTMAN. MY DEAR SIR, The relation in which a kind Providence has placed you with this town and neighbourhood; and the intimate friendship which subsisted between yourself, and my deeply lamented Parent, for nearly thirty years, point you out as the individual to whom the following pages should naturally be inscribed:-let me intreat you to accept with them, the sincere and highest esteem, and affectionate regard of, My dear Sir, Your's very truly, Farnham, Nov. 1st, 1830. W. NEWNHAM. PREFACE. - THE following pages have been prepared for the press-not on account of the striking details they contain, nor on account of their literary excellence for the retired life of the private Christian, and the simple unadorned expressions of the heart, without a thought of ever appearing before another eye, than that for which they were originally designed, are not likely to abound in either the former or the latter attribute. But it was considered, that the example of what might be accomplished, even in the shade of such retirement as this, might not be lost to the Christian world; and that the contemplation of such a life would be useful in stimulating others to follow her, in so far as she followed Christ; and this sketch would necessarily be imperfect, without looking into the interior of the mind, and seeing the principles which governed its actions; and the feelings and emotions which characterized its manifestations. With this view a selection from the correspondence has been made;—in doing which, some verbal alterations have been occasionally introduced. These are not such, as in any way to affect the sense, but only to give a greater degree of polish to the language. It is cruel to the memory of the deceased, to put forth to the world the productions of their most unguarded hours, without that kind of re-touching which they themselves would certainly have given. The usual details with regard to the birth, parentage, education, connexions, and various other common subjects for dilation, have been all passed over as unnecessary to the completion of the present design, and as interfering with the delineation of the moral and religious character, which is its exclusive object. I have only further to offer my best thanks, to those of my friends, who have so kindly entrusted their correspondence to my use; and to hope that my selection from those papers, may complete their wish, of obtaining a more lasting memorial of departed worth, than could be preserved by the perishable nature of old letters. |