disease and herself passed to the bourne from which no traveller returns. Thus within a period of thirteen months these children were of father, mother, and grandparents all bereft. And there was left in the wide world absolutely no one whose chief concern it could be to see that they received no detriment.

A thing almost as beautiful as Jonathan Edwards's youthful rhapsody concerning his child-wife, was his death-bed message to her, the one woman of his life. It was noticed by those attending him that he said but little. There were none of the raptures peculiar to the "saint of God," no allusions to his books, to the labours of his life, or to the fortunes of the Church. But he spoke to his daughter words thus recorded: "Give my kindest love to my dear wife, and tell her that

the uncommon union which has so long subsisted between us has been of such a nature as I trust is spiritual, and therefore will continue forever."

A COLONIAL FRIAR LAURENCE

A

NY one who should expect to find the life of a mission minister in colonial days altogether prosaic and barren of romance would be greatly astonished upon dipping into the history of the Reverend Arthur Browne, first rector of St. John's Church, Portsmouth, N. H. This parish, alive and prosperous to-day, has been in existence ever since 1732, when right on the present site the English Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts" started its first mission in Portsmouth. In Mr. Browne, "a man of real culture, unpretentious goodness, and eminent worth," was soon found

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a leader well fitted for his task. Moreover, Mr. Browne was theologically able as well as quite unusually democratic in his views for one of his time and station. Being born an Irishman and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, was a good beginning in those days for colonial life in an aristocratic American centre.

This Reverend Arthur Browne students and lovers of romance will remember it was who performed the marriage ceremony between Governor Benning Wentworth and Martha Hilton, the aged magistrate's pretty housemaid. This union was solemnized much against the good rector's will, but he disliked the match because of the disparity between the ages of the contracting parties rather than because of the difference in their rank. In the old recordbook, which visitors to the church may still examine, the entry of the marriage

in Mr. Browne's own hand is distinguished by no flourish, but has a cramped square inch of room, just like that given to every other couple in a day when paper was scarce and high.

Longfellow has immortalized in his charming poem the tale of this interesting alliance. Young Martha Hilton, idling along the street, ragged and barefoot, was one day rebuked by her mistress of the Stavers' Inn, only to elicit from the maid a toss of the head and the reply that she would yet ride in her own chariot, surrounded by pomp and splendour.

Not very long after it began to look as if Martha's idle prophecy would indeed come true. For upon the death of Governor Wentworth's first wife the girl had gone as housekeeper to the beautiful mansion still standing at Little Harbour1 and

1 See "Romance of Old New England Rooftrees."