death of her mother, left her an orphan at the
age of eight years. She was the second of three surviving children by
their father's second marriage, all of whom were left in charge of a
half sister, who was the eldest of five children by a former marriage,
and who was all to them that a mother even could be.

One of the parents was an Episcopalian in sentiment, the other a
Universalist. The elder children were attendants upon Universalist
worship in the School street Church, while the younger attended one of
the Baptist churches of the city. Hannah, the subject of our sketch,
continued under the influence of Baptist doctrines and worship until
about fifteen years of age, when at her own earnest solicitation she was
permitted to attend the Universalist church, and become a member of the
School street Universalist Sunday school.

The influence upon her feelings of the change in regard to a place of
worship, was very marked. She was naturally inclined to religious
meditation and reflection, but was never satisfied with what she had
been accustomed to hear. Nor can she be regarded as singular, in this
respect. However true it may be that Christianity is adapted in its
simplicity to the susceptibilities of the young--and I believe this is
eminently true--it is equally true, that the ordinary partialist
interpretations of it are not thus adapted to their susceptibilities.
The young are not satisfied with these. The clearer their perceptions,
and the more comprehensive their thought, the greater is their
dissatisfaction. It was so with Hannah, even when but a child.

But when the hungerings of her soul found their appropriate aliment in
the ministrations of the venerable Hosea Ballou, then the sole pastor of
the church to which she turned for peace, the change was in the highest
degree salutary. Her satisfaction was very great. She also found great
pleasure in accompanying her eldest sister to the Rev. Mr. Streeter's
Friday evening meetings; and so highly did she prize these religious
privileges, that she could scarcely submit to be deprived of them for a
single evening or Sabbath without shedding tears.

Her natural amiability and generosity of disposition--a generosity
especially marked in her demeanor towards her eldest sister, who had
become a mother to her--made the Universalist interpretation of
Christianity to be to her indeed the "bread of life." Not only did she
seek for this spiritual nutriment in the regular mini