t Himself, who
commanded His followers to abstain from vain repetitions, and who has
left behind Him a petition which is unequalled for sublimity, as if
expressly to rebuke the disposition of man to set up his own loose and
random thoughts as the most acceptable sacrifice. The sect in which
she had been reared has furnished to its followers some of the most
beautiful compositions in the language, as a suitable vehicle for its
devotion and solicitations. Accustomed to this mode of public and even
private prayer, the mind of our heroine had naturally fallen into its
train of lofty thought; her task had become improved by its study, and
her language elevated and enriched by its phrases. When she kneeled at
the bedside of her father, the very reverence of her attitude and manner
prepared the spectators for what was to come; and as her affectionate
heart prompted her tongue, and memory came in aid of both, the petition
and praises that she offered up were of a character which might
have worthily led the spirits of angels. Although the words were not
slavishly borrowed, the expressions partook of the simple dignity of the
liturgy to which she had been accustomed, and was probably as worthy
of the Being to whom they were addressed as they could well be made by
human powers. They produced their full impression on the hearers; for it
is worthy of remark, that, notwithstanding the pernicious effects of
a false taste when long submitted to, real sublimity and beauty are
so closely allied to nature that they generally find an echo in every
heart.

But when our heroine came to touch upon the situation of the dying man,
she became the most truly persuasive; for then she was the most truly
zealous and natural. The beauty of the language was preserved, but it
was sustained by the simple power of love; and her words were warmed by
a holy zeal, that approached to the grandeur of true eloquence. We might
record some of her expressions, but doubt the propriety of subjecting
such sacred themes to a too familiar analysis, and refrain.

The effect of this singular but solemn scene was different on the
different individuals present. Dunham himself was soon lost in the
subject of the prayer; and he felt some such relief as one who finds
himself staggering on the edge of a precipice, under a burthen difficult
to be borne, might be supposed to experience when he unexpectedly feels
the weight removed, in order to be placed on the shoulders of ano