when she walked in our streets, it was customary with us to come to the door and bless her as she passed."

Until January 1803,, she lived alternately with her children, Mrs. Bethune, and Mrs. Smith; at this period Mr. Smith having removed from New-York, Mrs. Graham resided with Mr. and Mrs. Bethune, until her departure to a better world. They loved her, not only from natural affection, but for her superior worth; they valued her, for they believed that many blessings were vouchsafed to them and their family in answer to her prayers.

The Society for the relief of poor widows with small children having received a charter of incorporation, and some pecuniary aid from the Legislature of the state, the ladies who constituted the Board of Direction, were engaged in plans for extending their usefulness: Mrs. Graham took an active part in executing these plans. The society purchased a small house, where they received work of various kinds, for the employment of their widows. They opened a school for the instruction of their orphans, and many of Mrs. Graham's former pupils volunteered their services, taking upon themselves by rotation, the part of instructers. Besides establishing this School, Mrs. Graham selected some of the widows, best qualified for the task, and engaged them for a small compensation, to open day schools for the instruction of the children of widows, in distant parts of the city: she also established two Sabbath Schools, one of which she superintended herself, and the other she placed under the care of her daughter. Wherever she met with Christians sick and in poverty, she visited and comforted them; and in some instances opened small subscription lists to provide for their support.

She attended occasionally for some years at the Alms House for the instruction of the children there, in religious knowledge in this work she was much assisted by a humble and pious female friend, who was seldom absent from it on the Lord's day. In short, her whole time was occupied in searching out the distresses of the poor, and devising measures to comfort and establish them to the extent of her influence and means. At the same time, far from arrogating any merit to herself, she seemed

always to feel how much she was deficient in following fully the precepts, and the footsteps of her beloved Lord and Saviour, who went about doing good.'

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It was often her custom to leave home after breakfast, to take with her a few rolls of bread, and return in the evening about eight o'clock. Her only dinner on such days was her bread, and perhaps some soup at the Soup House established by the Humane Society for the poor, over which one of her widows had been, at her recommendation, appointed. She and her venerable companion, Mrs. Sarah Hoffman, second Directress of the Widows' Society, travelled many a day and many a step together in the walks of charity. Mrs. Graham was a Presbyterian, Mrs. Hoffman an Episcopalian. Those barriers, of which such a thundering use has been made by sectarians to separate the children of God, fell down between these two friends at the cry of affliction, and were consumed on the altar of Christian love. Arm in arm, and heart to heart, they visited the abodes of distress, dispensing temporal aid from the purse of charity, and spiritual comfort from the word of life. One has already entered into rest; the other must shortly follow Amidst many comforts, and many afflictions, the life of Mrs. Hoffman has been a life of faith and resignation; her end will be peace; and then she will join her be loved and attached friend, in singing the praises of that Divine Redeemer, whose footsteps on earth they humbly endeavoured in his strength to follow. 'Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; yea saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them.'

At each annual Meeting, Mrs. Graham usually made an address to the Society, with a report of the proceedings of the managers, through the preceding year. In April 1800, she stated that "again the pestilence had evacuated the city; again every source of industry was dried up; even the streams of benevolence from the country failed. Those storehouses from which relief was issued to thousands in former calamities, now disappointed their hopes, and those spared by the pestilence, were ready to perish by the famine. Such widows as had no friends in the country under whose roof they

might for a time seek shelter, were shut up to the only relief within their power, even to that Society which had formerly saved them in many a strait. They came, were received with tenderness, assisted with food, advice, and medicine. Four of the society's board, at the risk of their lives, remained in the city, steady in the exercise of their office. One hundred and forty-two widows, with four hundred and six children, under twelve years of age, by far the greater part under six, have, from time to time, during the winter, been visited and relieved. Widow is a word of sorrow in the best of circumstances; but a widow left poor, destitute, friendless, surrounded with a number of small children, shivering with cold, pale with want, looking in her face with eyes pleading for bread which she has not to give, nor any probable prospect of procuring her situation is neither to be described, nor conceived. Many such scenes were witnessed during the last winter; and though none could restore the father, and the husband, the hearts of the mourners were soothed by the managers: whilst they dispensed the relief provided for them by their Father, and their Husband, GOD."

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In her address for the year 1804, she says, "In April last, it was reported that there were on the managers' books two hundred and one widows with numerous families of small children. Of this number, five had been ill all winter, several had had severe fits of illness, and forty-six were women of broken constitutions; who, could it be afforded, would require assistance all summer. the last anniversary, we reported that Mrs. Hoffman and myself had visited twenty-seven new-made widows ; previous to the meeting, young, healthy, nice women. Of these women, few had been accustomed to do more than make, mend, wash, and cook for their husbands and families. Oh, how changed the scene! Ye blessed agents of their Father, God; ye managers, who have supplied their wants, and soothed their spirits, ye can tell-and their pale visages and dejected countenances witness to the truth of your report. That such evils exist, is painful to humanity; but since they do exist, can there be a more delicate pleasure than to be instrumental

in alleviating them? Seven years has this Society been the darling of Providence. From a feeble plant, it is become a large tree with spreading branches, under which many find shelter and sustenance."

The winter of 1804-5, was unusually severe the river Hudson was shut by frost as early as November ; fuel was consequently scarce and dear; and the poor suffered greatly. Mrs. Graham visited those parts of the city where the poorer class of sufferers dwelt ; *The following notice of these scenes appeared in one of the periodical publications of the day.

WHEN sorrow shrunk before the piercing wind,
And famine, shelterless, in suffering pin'd;
When sickness droop'd in solitary pain,
Mid varying misery's relentless reign;
Oh then, tumultuous rose the plaints of grief,
And loud and strong the clamours for relief!
Then active charity with bounteous care,
From gloomy faces chas'd the fiend, Despair;
Dispelled the horrors of the wintry day,
And none that ask'd went unreliev'd away.

Yet there are some, who sorrow's vigils keep,
Unknown that languish-undistinguish'd weep!
Behold yon ruin'd building's shattered walls,"
Where drifting snow through many a crevice falls;
Whose smokeless vent no blazing fuel knows-
But drear, and cold, the widow's mansion shows.
Her fragile form, by sickness deeply riven,
Too weak to face the driving blasts of heaven,
Her voice too faint to reach some pitying ear,
Her shivering babes command her anguish'd tear:
Their feeble cries, in vain, assistance crave,
And expectation points but to the grave.'
But lo, with hasty step, a female form

Glides through the wind, and braves the chilling storm,
With eager hand now shakes the tottering door,
Now rushes breathless o'er the snow-clad floor.
Her tongue soft comfort to the mourner speaks,
Her silver voice with soft emotion breaks;
Round the drear hovel roves her moistened eye,
Her graceful bosom heaves the lengthened sigh.

I know thee now-I know that angel frame-
O that the muse might dare to breathe thy name!
Nor thine alone, but all that sister-band,
Who scatter gladness o'er a weeping land:
Who comfort to the infant sufferer bring,
And teach with joy the widow's heart to sing.'
For this no noisy honours fame shall give-
In your own breasts your gentle virtues live;
No sounding numbers shall your names reveal,
But your own hearts the rich reward shall feel.

ALBERT.

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in upwards of two hundred families, she either found a bible their property, or gave them one; praying with them in their affliction. She requested a friend to write, first one Religious Tract, and then another, suited to the peculiar situation of those afflicted people. One was called " A Donation to Poor Widows with Small Children," the other, "A Second Visit to Poor Widows with Small Children." And lest it might be said, it was cheap to give advice, she usually gave a small sum of money along with the tracts she distributed. There was at this time neither a Bible nor Tract Society in New-York. Mrs. Hoffman accompanied her in many of her excursions. In the course of their visits, they discovered a French family from St. Domingo in such extremity of distress, as made them judge it necessary to report their case to the Honourable Dewitt Clinton, then mayor of the city. The situation of this family being made public, three hundred dollars were voluntarily contributed for their relief. Roused by this incident, a public meeting was called at the Tontine Coffee-House, and committees from the different wards were appointed to aid the Corporation, in ascertaining and supplying the immediate wants of the suffering poor. The zeal of Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Hoffman paved the way for this public-spirited exertion, which, probably, was the means of saving the lives of some of the destitute and friendless.

In the month of August 1805, Mrs. Graham paid another visit to her friends in Boston, and spoke of them with much affection and esteem. She used to mention, with peculiar approbation, a Society of pious ladies there, who met once in every week, for prayer and mutual edification.

On the 15th of March, 1806, the female subscribers to proposals for providing an Asylum for orphan children, met at the City Hotel; Mrs. Graham was called to the chair, a Society organized, and a Board of Direction chosen. Mrs. Hoffman was elected the First Directress of the Orphan Asylum Society. Mrs. Graham continued in the office of First Directress of the Widows' Society, but took a deep interest in the success of the Orphan Asylum Society also she, or one of her family, taught the orphans

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