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doctrine, Mr. King is said to have stood alone among the clergy of Hull, who were generally Calvinistic.

When the same mighty hand of God which had cast her down at Portington had lifted her up in Hull, she returned to her home, where she soon joined a class. After all the concurrent agencies which had already tended to form her character, the stern exhibition of God's anger because of sin, with the opportune exhibition of His eternal and unchanging love and mercy, completed the formation of one of the loveliest impersonations of Christian virtue and principle that could be found. The writer of this Memoir cannot forget the thankful satisfaction with which she once related to him this passage in her religious life, and how she manifested an affectionate sympathy with the circle of friends she claimed as her own in the Church of England, or how, while maintaining a noble independence, during an arduous struggle against intolerance in some of the clergy in that Church, she promoted a most precious interest in her own. So did "a meek and quiet spirit," and a true heart, persevere in the way of duty: nothing could disturb her equanimity and singleness of purpose.

But returning to our survey of her earlier life, we must notice the strokes of severe affliction with which it pleased God that she should be chastened. There is an account of it,-or, rather the fragment of such an account,-written with her own hand, which I now copy. She heads it, "Our first bereavement ;”—

"We had a happy home. Green fields and sweet gardens around us; kind parents loving the Saviour, gentle and firm in their family, and pleased to see them happy. Out of seven (children) four had left for other homes, and three remained to cheer their hearts when sorrow first visited us. Our father returned from his fields speechless from paralysis, and the three mournful watchers from that moment unceasingly watched his footsteps by day,-for he did not then die,—and his couch by night, lest one wish should be ungratified, or one want neglected. Poor Margaret was the most fragile of the three, but her warm, loving heart shrank from no toil. She sang to him the hymn he loved. She cheered him by determined effort, and though sad, we were happy in our blessed employ, and his quiet smile and silent affection well repaid our care. In her early life she (Margaret) had enjoyed religion, but had relaxed in effort, and backslidden from God. At last sickness came. My elder sister watched by Margaret, and I by my father. He had suffered much. All our fears seemed so centred in him that the medical attendant could scarcely arouse in our minds any fear for her until within a month of her death, and then, too plainly, we saw her danger. Our poor father seemed to fear it

sooner than we; and, when taken to her room, he used to weep over her, but could not speak. O the agony of that last week! So great was her weakness that she could but just say, 'O, not to be ready! My heart is so hard!' and sink again into the slumber from which she woke in fits of exhaustion;-and out of that exhaustion there seemed to be no hope of her rallying. Our hearts were bowed before God, and broken.

"The little church of God in the village pleaded mightily for her, and for us. For three days almost every breath we breathed was prayer. We could not live without it, and this passage constantly supported my mind: And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.' Here faith was sustained, because I knew that He willeth not the death of a sinner. Dear Margaret! Never, even in eternity, can I believe I shall forget the night when for a few moments I left her bed to plead her cause with God, nor the force with which this passage was applied to my mind, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring her to me.' With strong effort my heart replied :—' 'I will ;' and I returned calm and trusting. But faith was tried indeed. The flushed face was now as pale as marble-the voice gone: we watched in speechless agony. But, in the faithfulness of God, I had scarcely been a moment when the voice of my other sister fell on my ear reprovingly, Why will you not be comforted? She is happy.' And it was so. A dear friend, who then thought her departing, said, ' Cast yourself on the Atonement, Margaret.' She had strength to whisper, I am trying.' And not in vain. The next utterance was calm and audible: I have had a reprieve. I have come back to tell you that God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven me my sins;' and then, for perhaps half an hour, [she spoke in] alternate praise, thanksgiving, warning, and comfort to her aged mother, for we dared not tell her father. She lived three days after this, but the pallor of death never left that lovely countenance after the peace that 'passeth all understanding' had filled the spirit......O how sweetly she talked of Jesus-of heaven—of eternity-of joy, and the prospect before her! while we listened, almost enjoying the happy prospect ourselves, overpowered by the goodness of God to her and to us. The day she died was most peaceful. She was free from pain, and full of praise.” Another paper, signed "Helen Bell," bears a touching note concerning her father which may be fittingly inserted here:-" My sister's name was Margaret. She died March 16th, 1836. He was aware of her sickness and death; which so deeply affected him that we concealed her funeral by having it before he came down

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in the morning. But on the Sunday, when we were all assembled at dinner, he looked round, seemed to notice our dark dresses and her absence, and wept bitterly."

For nearly four years Helen's aged parent was without the power of speech, and her attention to him knew no bounds; but long watching with him, and anxiety on his account, nearly cost her her life. After his death she removed with her mother to Swinefleet, near Goole, for change of air and scene; and when she had recovered her strength she devoted her leisure to works of piety and mercy. Many a cottage was lighted up with her words and deeds of kindness.

On the 18th of July, 1843, she was married to Mr. William Leak, who now survives her, and deeply mourns his loss. In March, 1848, Mr. Leak commenced business in ne city of York, and his wife made that change of situation an occasion of much In anticipation of new responsibilities she earnestly sought direction from above. She longed to live in the spirit of that precept which required the Israelites to "seek the peace of the city" in which they should be "captives, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof" they would have “peace.” (Jer. xxix. 7.) Of York, therefore, where she and her husband were to pursue their daily calling, it was their united desire to seek and promote the spiritual well-being,-both of their numerous household and their neighbours also. Mrs. Leak, for her part, made solemn covenant with God that this she would do; and she faithfully performed the vow. The young people employed in her husband's business were made the first objects of her care; and, to the end of her life, she received not a few affectionate acknowledgments of her active endeavours for their welfare. Since her death many letters of condolence, sent to her bereaved husband, abound in testimonies of the same kind; and although some of the writers express themselves in language which might seem adulatory, those who knew the object of their esteem must feel that it was not in the least over-drawn. She visited the chambers of the sick, and the wretched habitations of the most destitute, with indefatigable diligence; and rendered no small aid to the Wesleyan visitors and to the city missionaries.

But her care for the army was such as to place her almost alone in a newly-opening field of extensive usefulness. In the spring of 1856, soon after the Crimean War, when a regiment of militia was in York, as usual, for their yearly training, she was to be seen speaking to the militiamen in the streets, and giving them tracts to read, whenever opportunity occurred. From these she turned to the recruits of the Northern District, whose depôt was in York,

and the work she thus did was of such signal importance that I must dwell upon it for the encouragement of those who desire to promote the spiritual welfare of the army.

If I recall the date correctly, it was in the Christmas week of 1857 that Mrs. Leak found herself unexpectedly drawn into a novel and very arduous enterprise. While the well-to-do citizens of York were enjoying the good cheer at their own firesides, our late friend was one day proceeding towards the dwelling of an aged widow. The cottage was in an alley behind a public-house. Her errand to the widow was to give her some temporal relief, to comfort her with words of Christian kindness, and unite with her in prayer. Passing that public-house door, she saw groups of rough-looking young men standing about, and recognised them as recruits for the army, brought from various parts of that extensive military district to be forwarded to the regimental depôts after passing medical examination. Feeling much interested in those youths, she passed on, made mention of them in her prayer in the widow's chamber, and ceased not to think of them until her thoughts ripened into a settled purpose to endeavour to make a way of communication with them.

After long hesitation, and with solemn prayer, yet with trembling, she one day ventured to step forward, and quietly offered one of the young men a religious tract. It was respectfully accepted, and the recruit listened to a few kind words without showing the least impatience. Mrs. Leak took heart, gave the poor fellow her blessing, went on again to the bed-side of her old friend the widow, and there poured out a prayer for the young soldier and his companions. An answer to that prayer descended on her own soul, and the blessedness of it abode with her to her life's end. It was a blessing that soon spread abroad like fire among stubble, —that continues to spread, and will so continue that none shall quench it.

York was, at that time, the centre of a very wide recruitingdistrict. From the counties of York, Northumberland, Durham, Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, and Rutland, numbers, varying from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty, passed weekly through the city. After a few days, or a week at most, each man was transferred to his chosen regiment, or to the regimental depôt, to be taught his drill, initiated into military duty, and made ready for proceeding to distant quarters, or to scenes of war. In speaking with those recruits, Mrs. Leak felt herself in communication with the future members of a great army, such an one as may be outnumbered, but cannot be excelled in the dominions of any Sovereign after those of our own good Queen; whose forces are the

most choice, the most capable of endurance, and perhaps we presume to say, the bravest in the world. While so engaged saw a constant stream of youth passing through her quiet old to be incorporated with this army, and dispersed with it, ove distant regions, in manifold privations, perils, and deaths. how could a woman, a woman so gentle and so unobtrusive, herself up to the courage needful for a first attempt,-how the wife of a man of business, amidst the duties of a large b hold, find time to carry out the enterprise which already beg open on her view? As yet she knew not how; but she had le the power of prayer, and in prayer sought for wisdom to the path of duty, and for grace to pursue it. One strong inc must have been the thought that many of this mingled mul had left behind them godly parents, teachers, and friends. large proportion of them were of Wesleyan-Methodist familie had a claim on our care-which, practically, this godly lad the first to acknowledge. Every recruit, on entering his reg would be required to declare his religion; and subsequent i taught us, more clearly than she could have herself imagined great was our own interest in her work. There are very fe diers who have not spent some part of their childhood in a Su school; and how deeply Wesleyans were interested in this c persons in the counties of the Northern District will at once from the figures at the foot of this page, drawn by myself fro "Census of Education" of 1851, which reports the number in the Sunday-schools,* including all denominations.

Simultaneous with Mrs. Leak's exertions in behalf of th tiamen in York were my own first efforts for the establishn Wesleyan ministrations at Aldershot, and other military st which also brought me into correspondence with York. revered friend, the late Rev. Peter M'Owan, then stationed wrote me concerning Mrs. Leak:-"Her heart yearned ove young men, for whose souls no man seemed to care. She tl on their sorrowing parents; she lamented the snares by whic

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Making for Methodist children close upon forty-one per cent. of th

number.

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