thanksgiving.  The three gentlemen, Annie (Sinclair), and I joined in prayer then, and at night with all the people of house, stable, and farm; this morning Mr. Dewar’s prayer was very much what I needed.  My blessed Lord Jesus is very present, and I know I cannot come to my Father without Him.  Oh, pray that I may be more and more awakened, and never fall asleep again.  Oh, for the quickening grace of the Holy Spirit to realise continually that blessed presence! 4th Sept.—­My heart is full of thankfulness and wonder as to myself.  I dreaded above all things the bitterness of desolation on my return here; and behold the Lord made His presence so manifest that I am now, as in times past, rejoicing in His unmerited love.”

VI.

WIDOWHOOD AT HUNTLY LODGE.

The arrangements at Huntly Lodge were now, of course, entirely in the hands of the widowed duchess.  Essentially the motto which was the principle of the establishment was, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  It was a matter of some doubt with her whether she should keep up the style natural to her rank, or let the Lodge and retire into a humbler life.  After carefully and prayerfully weighing the matter, her decision was that “position is stewardship,” and that it was her duty not to despise the high estate to which God had been pleased to call her, but to consecrate it to His service.  This determination was a wise one.  Her light was placed so that many could see its steady and bright burning.

The whole house was ruled in strict order, marked quietness and simplicity prevailing.  We are told that everything throughout the day was conducted with the exactness of clockwork.  The duchess rose soon after six o’clock.  The family met at breakfast at nine.  Exactly at half-past nine, as we have seen, both morning and evening, the house assembled for family prayers.  After breakfast one of the first occupations of the duchess was to visit her old bedridden maid, to minister to her in things both temporal and spiritual.  At noon she had a daily reading of the Bible in her room.  The reading was interspersed with conversation, and followed by prayer.  She seemed to be never tired of these spiritual exercises.  The later hours of the day were occupied with reading and other pursuits until five o’clock, when she would again visit her invalid maid.  In dealing with the poor the duchess was not only generous but discriminating.  She spared no trouble in inquiring into the eases of distress before her.  We are told that the list of two hundred persons whose families she regularly relieved had before her death increased to three hundred.  The post was also often used as the means of dispensing her anonymous charity.  One reason why she was so anxious to have a thoroughly capable chaplain was that he might thoroughly examine into the deserts of applicants for help.  It was not pecuniary assistance only that was sought from the duchess.  Her kindly counsel was much valued.  To quote her own words, “Though I do so need advice and wisdom in my own matters, the most extraordinary people think proper to consult me about the most extraordinary things, and I cannot lose the opportunity of giving the only Christian advice they may be in the way of receiving.  May the Lord help me; oh, how constantly do I need help!”