Chapter VII: Death of Sister.--Letters

On the 19th of August, 1815, Mr. Lawrence, in the following letter to his brother, announced the sudden death of a sister, who to youth and beauty united many valuable qualities of mind and character:

"To you, who are at such a distance from home, and employed in
the busy pursuits of life, the description of domestic woe will
not come with such force as on us who were eye-witnesses to an
event which we and all our friends shall not cease to deplore. We
have attended this morning to the last sad office of affection to
our loved sister S. Although for ourselves we mourn the loss of
so much excellence, yet for her we rejoice that her race is so
soon run. We are permitted to hope that she is now a saint in
heaven, celebrating before the throne of her Father the praises
of the redeemed. She met death in the enjoyment of that hope
which is the peculiar consolation of the believer. This event, I
know, my dear brother, is calculated to awaken all the tender
recollections of home, and to call forth all your sympathy for
the anguish of friends; but it is also calculated to soften the
heart, and to guide you in your own preparation for that great
day of account. The admonition, I hope, may not be lost on any of
us, and happy will it be for us if we use it aright."

(TO THE SAME.)

"BOSTON, October 19, 1815.

"DEAR ABBOTT: By this vessel I have written to you, but am always
desirous of communicating the last intelligence from home,
therefore I write again. The situation of our town, our country,
our friends, and all the objects of endearment, continues the
same as heretofore. We are, to be sure, getting into a religious
controversy which does not promise to increase the stock of
charity among us, but good will undoubtedly arise from it. The
passions of some of our brethren are too much engaged, and it
would seem from present appearances that consequences unfavorable
to the cause of our Master may ensue; but the wrath of man is
frequently made subservient to the best purposes, and the good of
mankind may in this case be greatly promoted by what at present
seems a great evil. Men's passions are but poor guides to the
discovery of truth, but they may sometimes elicit light by which
others may get at the truth.

"It does seem to me that a man need only use his common sense,
and feel a willingness to be instructed in the reading of the
Scriptures, and there is enough made plain to his understanding
to direct him in the way he should go.

"Others, however, think differently; but that should not be a
reason with me for calling them hard names, especially if by
their lives they show that they are followers of the same
Master."

On December 2d, he writes again:

"I heard from you verbally on the 1st of October, in company with
a platoon of New England Guards; and hope the head of the corps
allowed Lord Wellington the honor of an introduction, and of
inspecting this choice corps, which once had the honor of
protecting the constitution and independence of the United
States, when menaced by the 'proud sons of Britain.' This is a
theme on which _you_ may be allowed to dwell with some delight,
although there are no recitals of hair-breadth escapes and
hard-fought actions, when numbers bit the dust. Yet to you, who
were active in performing duty, this should be a source of
comfortable feeling, as the amount of human misery has not been
increased by your means. Shakspeare's knight of sack thought 'the
better part of valor was discretion,' but I do not believe the
Guards would have confirmed this sentiment, had the opportunity
offered for a trial. I am really glad to hear of you in Paris,
and hope you will improve every moment of your time in acquiring
information that will be agreeable and interesting; and, more
particularly, I hope you will have gone over the ground where the
great events have happened that now allow Europe to repose in
peace. How much should I delight in a few hours' intercourse with
you; but that must be deferred to another period, perhaps to a
very distant period.

"I feel very healthy and very happy; my wife and children all
enjoying health, and a good share of the bounties of Providence
in various ways. Well you may be contented, you will say. What
more is wanting? Such is not always the lot of man possessing
those blessings. There is often a voracious appetite for other
and greater blessings. The desire for more splendor, the
possession of more wealth, is coveted, without the disposition to
use it as an accountable creature; and too late the poor man
finds that all his toil for these earthly objects of his worship
fails in satisfying or giving a good degree of content. I,
therefore, have reason for thankfulness that I am blessed with a
disposition to appreciate tolerably the temporal blessings I
enjoy. To the Father of all mercies I am indebted for this and
every other good thing; even for the increased affection with
which I think of you. That he may bless and keep you, dear
Abbott, is the prayer of your brother,

A. L."

On June 6th, 1817, a few days after the birth of a daughter, he writes to a friend:

"I am the richest man, I suppose, that there is on this side of
the water, and the richest because I am the happiest. On the 23d
ult. I was blessed by the birth of a fine little daughter; this,
as you may well suppose, has filled our hearts with joy. S. is
very comfortable, and is not less gratified than I am. I wish you
were a married man, and then (if you had a good wife) you would
know how to appreciate the pleasures of a parent. I have lately
thought more than ever of the propriety of your settling soon. It
is extremely dangerous to defer making a connection until a late
period; for a man is in more and more danger of not forming one
the longer he puts it off; and any man who does not form this
connection grossly miscalculates in the use of the means which
God has given him to supply himself with pleasures in the
downhill journey of life.

"He is also foolish to allow himself to be cheated in this
connection by the prospect of a few present advantages, to the
exclusion of the more permanent ones. Every man's best pleasures
should be at home; for there is the sphere for the exercise of
his best virtues; and he should be particularly careful, in the
selection of a partner, to get one who will jeopardize neither.
On this subject, you know, I am always eloquent. But, at this
time, there is reason for my being so, as it is the anniversary
of my wedding day.

"S. has put her eye on a _rib_ for you. The said person, you
must know, is of a comely appearance (not beautiful), is rather
taller than ----, has a good constitution, is perfectly
acquainted with domestic economy, and has all the most desirable
of the fashionable accomplishments, such as music, painting &c.;
and my only objection to her is, as far as I have observed her,
that she has a few thousand dollars in cash. This, however, might
be remedied; for, after furnishing a house, the balance might be
given to her near connections, or to some public institution. I
will give no further description, but will only say that her
connections are such as you would find pleasure in. No more on
this subject. The subject of principal interest among us now is
the new tariff of duties." * * * *