of the work of God in the soul:  “I did not quite agree with that statement, and do not think it is by any means always the case.  In my own case I believe that for two years I was a saved sinner, a believer in Jesus Christ, and yet that during all that time I did not see the exceeding sinfuluess of sin.  I believed in a general way that I was a sinner, who deserved the punishment of a righteous God; I believed that whosoever came to Jesus Christ should he saved; but I had no deep sense of sin, of my sin.  Since then I believe that I have passed through almost every phase of Christian experience that I have ever read or heard of; and now I have such a sight of my own utter vileness and unworthiness, that I feel that the great and holy God might well set His heel on me, so to speak, and crush me into nothing.”  This sense of absolute unworthiness was always a feature of her life.  “A useless log” was the term she applied to herself.

One means of profit which Lady Huntly much enjoyed was her intercourse with a friend of bygone days, Miss Helen Home.  They were now both walking in the same way.  The Bible readings at the house of Miss Home were felt to be of great service.

Lady Huntly soon introduced family prayer in her home.  She felt that if God was to be heartily served, His altar must be set up in the house.  At first she gathered together her servants and any lady visitors in the house.  But later, as we shall see, the whole establishment took part.

III.

DUCHESS OF GORDON.

The old Duke of Gordon, Lord Huntly’s father, died in the summer of 1827.  The subject of this biography became Duchess of Gordon, a title which involved increased responsibilities and increased anxieties.  Happily she realised her position, and determined, by the help of God, to show more clearly that, in whatever rank of life she was, she was striving to be a faithful servant of her Heavenly Master.  She felt that she must confess Christ more boldly, that she must be more decided for Him, however much this profession might appear singular in her recently-acquired rank.

A short time before leaving Huntly for Gordon Castle, she explored the old Huntly Castle with a party of friends.  The duchess was at the time greatly bowed down by a sense of the responsibility of her changed life.  There were certain inscriptions round the ceiling of a great hall in the old castle.  No one could make them out.  But whilst the duchess was standing alone in deep thought, her companions having gone off to examine other curiosities, the sun burst out from a cloud through one of the broken window mullions and shone brightly on the opposite wall, and in the light of his rays she read:—­

     TO.  THAES.  THAT.  LOVE.  GOD.  AL.  THINGIS.  VIRKIS.  TO THE.  BEST.