ows and
orphans in the bitterness of their bereavement, mothers with their tears
dropping over empty cradles--to thousands of such she was a messenger
from heaven.

Of all her seventeen or eighteen published volumes, "Stepping
Heavenward" is the one which best represents her and her life-work--not
that she produced nothing else of value, nor that many of her other
books were not widely read, greatly enjoyed, and truly useful; but
"Stepping Heavenward" seemed to meet so many real, deep, inarticulate
cravings in such a multitude of hearts, that the response to it was
instant and general....

She wrote for readers of all ages. Not the least fruitful work of her
pen was bestowed upon the little ones; and in the number of copies
circulated, the Susy Books stand next to Stepping Heavenward. Through
those little half allegories she initiated the children into the
rudiments of self-control, discipline and consecration, and taught eyes
and hands and tongue and feet the noble uses of the kingdom of God. Even
from these children's stories the thought of the discipline of suffering
was not absent, and _Mr. Pain_, as many mothers will remember, figures
among Little Susy's Six Teachers. With the same pure and wholesome
lessons, and with the same easy vivacity she appealed to youth through
"The Flower of the Family," "The Percys," and "Nidworth," and it would
be hard to say by readers of what age was monopolised the interest
in "Aunt Jane's Hero," "Fred and Maria and Me," and those two little
gems--"The Story Lizzie Told," and "Gentleman Jim."

While all her writings were _religious_ in the best sense, they were in
nothing more so than in their _cheerfulness_. They were not only happy
and hopeful in their general tone, but sparkled with her delicate and
sprightly humor. The children of her books were not religious puppets,
moving in time to the measured wisdom of their elders, but real children
of flesh and blood, acting and talking out their impish conceits, and in
nowise conspicuous by their precocious goodness.

I think that those who knew her best in her literary relations, will
agree with me that no better type of a consecrated literary talent can
be found in the lists of authors. She received enough evidences of
popular appreciation to have turned the heads of many writers. Over
200,000 bound volumes of her books have been sold in this country alone,
to say nothing of the circulation in England, France, and Germany. She
was