Part 4 (1/2)

Steward) They visited the paternal roof once a year When their visit had terminated, and they were about to depart, she would bid them adieu with cheerful words, and an invocation to heaven to bless the thelory of God, and be not dis: ”_Mother is done suffering_” She would say: ”The Good Man” would keep her safely and take her hoood time

The premonition of a sudden death was constantly before her; but this was no evidence that it created fear; for she was on a Rock A few evenings previous to her death, she said, with a tender s, but mother will not be here” She was fully prepared to meet Death, but he came not then A few days after this she was seized with such violent spasms as to destroy consciousness; but, when the spasms had passed, and her consciousness had returned, and observing that her husband and the children, ere at her bedside, were sore distressed, and that her husband had telegraphed to New York for Theophilus, and to Philadelphia for William, the latter a clerk in the A M E Book Rooe St

A M E Church, Brooklyn, N Y, she chided her husband, by saying, that it was not worth while to worry and distress the her husband to hter

Taine, whose illustrations of individual or natural characteristics have been unequalled, has said, with much force, that behind the fossil there was an animal, and that behind the old, faded manuscript there was a man; and we know the man and his peculiarities from the manuscript For such axiomatic expressions as these, Taine has been applauded by the most learned of every land Yet, to a Bible reader, axiohout the sacred pages

A s from thistles?” ”Can an impure fountain send forth sater?” are Bible axioression from the facts related to us; because, behind these facts, we shall show there existed no ordinary woht be claiinal thirteen States, a State as proud of its ancestry as the atives; but, a the humblest, still showed herself to be a Christian wonificance of these words; and, if she claiht of her races of an unsullied Christian life

Here h late, to concede all the distinctive traits of preeminence

Rebecca Steas a woman of extraordinary ability, and possessed some of the y will not appear to be exaggeration, when pronounced in the presence of those who knew her; and they will unanimously declare, that she feared God and loved her race None were her superiors, and feere her equals She was not influenced by the arbitrary rules conceived in prejudice of caste or race; her sympathies were as wide as humanity, and as uncontaes of the hand of God, and not warped by the infections of exclusiveness Gifted with a mind of ceaseless activity, comprehensive observation, and the most placid reflection, she yet possessed a head whose capacious breadth could feel the pulsations of an humble heart In whatever class, or position, or society she was cast, she was equally at home; with the refined and intellectual, she ranked their peer; to the ignorant, poor, and lowly, she was a helping hand, and a guiding voice to a higher life Her conversations were distinguished by freedoe and the appropriate words in which she clothed her thoughts

She shunned the stilted words of the pedant as she conversed to cohts and principles She did not read to treasure ideas and sentiments for her own selfish, personal or ht communicate to others that which she read; and thus, here and there, plant a seed, whose unending product could be estienerous with her thoughts as with her means; and they who needed either, received freely and liberally, as she herself had received most liberally from the bounteous Giver

Charlotte Brunte is often cited as an example of how much can be accomplished by the mind, even when the body is afflicted

Rebecca Steward inherited a delicate constitution; but, notwithstanding, the superiority of her intellect so husbanded the physical strength, as to enable her in her mental achievements to cohts withinfluence that flowed continually through her life Her influence has been left upon all who came in contact with her; and her influences were constantly on the side of her divine Master, from whose inspired Book she drew the web and woof of her most remarkable and impressive conversations; and she seemed to have relied implicitly upon the words: ”_Open thyin all she did; free to give expression to her thoughts; steadfast in faith; with such an abundance of those qualities that adorn humanity, that we cannot enumerate them; she was one of those of whom the world is not worthy; and therefore, God took her from the evil to come

Dear reader, in the life and character of this beloved Christian woman, we have a most happy illustration of Christian faith and practice

In it all the Christian graces are seen to shi+ne races of faith, hope and charity, or the love of God and humanity, had a most happy illustration

Go thou and do likewise, and God shall reward thee as He rewarded her

May the grace of God enable thee so to do, is the prayer of thy friend and brother,

JABEZ P CAMPBELL

PHILADELPHIA, PA,

AUGUST 20TH, 1877

MY RECOLLECTIONS OF Rebecca Steward,

BY PROFESSOR B F LEE,

President of Wilberforce University

A the persons earliest and dearest in my recollections is she, whose name stands at the head of this article

In hest ideas of perfection; in my youth, I looked upon her as one especially interested in ; in my manhood I knew her to be a devoted Christian, as always anxious for all men to know Christ and to keep His coht otherwise than that she was praying for my success This has often stiood works, while it has keptwith andchildren, which made them feel easy in her presence; rendered her instructions ireeable, her manners attractive, and her authority respectable to theeneral appearance and features, which would have given grace and honor to any position ever filled by woman; while she possessed a native intellect, which had reached that state of culture in which huht it, would have adher circles of life