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Mrs. Coleman, at the earnest solicitation of her young relatives, narrated several events which had occurred in the early settlement of Western New York, while she was there, which were calculated to impress the mind with a sense of that watchful care which we constantly experience.

'On one occasion,' said she, my sister, Mrs. Howe, went out with a lady who was carrying some dinner to her husband, who was engaged in the woods at some distance from their house. They had not proceeded far, when my sister remembered something she had left at home which she intended to have taken with her, and ran in haste to get it. In a moment after she turned back from her companion, she heard a shriek, and looking around, saw her friend held in the strong grasp of a large panther! Holding her fast, he sprang into a tree near the footpath that lay through the woods.

'With remarkable presence of mind the lady gave the panther the food she had prepared for her husband, for, as she afterwards told her friends, she felt she should probably prolong her life by so doing. Said she, in relating this occurrence, "My feelings cannot be described or imagined,

at the moment I sat on a limb of the tree into which I had been borne by the strong and ferocious beast by which I was then firmly held. Death seemed to me inevitable, and my blood was almost chilled with horror. I feared to die; and I dreaded to have my husband bereaved of my society in so awful a manner.

"As these thoughts were passing through my mind, tumultuously, I saw my husband approaching. I called to him, and bade him discharge the rifle he had in his hand at the panther. Terrified at my situation, and shocked at the idea of being the means of my death, he replied, 'I know not what to do-I am afraid I shall destroy your life instead of that of the animal! O, what can I do, my dear wife! must I see you die now!'

"This was said in a moment, and I answered by saying, 'Risk it-it would be far better to die thus by your hand, than be torn in pieces by this terrible beast! fire! oh, fire!'

""In an instant he raised his musket, and taking careful aim, lodged its contents in the breast of the panther. The creature's hold of me relaxed, and I found it impossible to retain mine upon the limb on which I had rested. I fell to the ground with the animal (which was killed), and escaped with only a broken arm."

'My sister,' continued Mrs. Coleman, remained, almost petrified with consternation, sufficiently near the spot to see her friend fall, and then ran immediately to her, and it will be believed that the tears which flowed profusely down the cheeks of these three friends, as they looked upon each other, under those thrilling circumstan

ces, were tears of thankfulness. They were too much affected to speak, until after the lapse of several minutes.

'This providential escape of the lady from the very jaws of a dreadful death, made, as may be imagined, an abiding impression upon the minds of this party, now rendered doubly dear to each other.

'As soon as practicable, the lady was carried home by her friends, and a surgeon sent for. She suffered much pain ere her broken limb could be taken care of, as her husband was obliged to go seventeen miles before he could find a doctor. Still, the afflicted individual almost forgot her distress while her mind continually reverted to the signal interposition of Heaven in her behalf; and it was a theme upon which, in after life, she and my sister ever loved to dwell, with feelings of gratitude.

'Mrs. Howe said she could not but feel that if she had been grasped by the panther, instead of her friend, she would not have been spared; for she was aware that her mind was not as well balanced as was that of the lady, and she should have been too much frightened to keep her hold of the food by which the animal was for a time pacified, and it was owing to the self-possession of the other that she was not immediately destroyed.'

Mrs. Howe was the fourth daughter of Mr. Weldron. She was mild and engaging in her deportment from childhood, and evinced a desire to be useful to her mother, at the time when that lady most needed to be cheered by the affectionate conduct of her children. When she arrived at womanhood, she cherished the same temper of mind, and was greatly beloved by all who knew her.

Mrs. Howe, as has been before remarked, was much

affected in view of the remarkable preservation of the lady, to whom she was bound by the strongest ties of friendship. Hitherto she had regarded God as the governor of the universe; but ever after this event, she delighted to recognize His gracious hand in the most minute occurrences of every day, and felt that He who condescended to regard the lily and sparrow, would not be unmindful of her, but would order all things well.

This reflection gave a spring to all her actions, and led her constantly to endeavor to do right. A benign Providence smiled upon her efforts, and she was blest. During her period of probation, however, she was called upon to put forth all the fortitude she could summon, in order to meet the trials of life with composure.

She was favored with obedient children, one after another of whom, as they became old enough, gladdened her heart by their moral loveliness. The eldest was a son, manly in spirit, yet dutiful and yielding to his parents, but particularly so to his mother, after the death of his father, which event occurred when he was but a youth.

This young gentleman had a strong predilection for mercantile pursuits, and left home at the age of twentyone to engage in trade in a distant region. But though generally absent from the place of his birth, and the friends of his early youth, his letters, frequent visits, and tenderly expressed regard, were a solace to his mother.

The other children of Mrs. Howe all lived to an age to enable them to form characters for which they were respected, even by the vicious. Two sons of this lady died in early manhood, and left their mother, though a mourner, greatly comforted by the reflection, that in this life

they had been preparing to be forever happy in that state of existence which will never end.

One occurence, which took place while the eldest of these sons was confined to the sick room, will serve to show the spirit that was cultivated by the different members of this peaceful family, whose influence, though silent, was healthful as far as it was felt. One day, a girl called at the house of Mrs. Howe, weeping bitterly; and, being solicited by this friendly lady to make known the cause of her sorrow, told the following affecting story:

Her parents, who had formerly been known to Mrs. Howe, were dead, and their children left to the care of relatives who had proved themselves mercenary in their actions towards the orphans. This poor girl, whose name was Janette, was the eldest. She had one sister younger than herself, and she was only fifteen; besides, she had two brothers, one about nine years of age, the other only two.

Said she to Mrs. Howe, 'I do not know but you will blame me for complaining, but it is known to many that although there was something left to support us by our parents, we are not treated well. O, I wish you could take some of us to live with you, Mrs. Howe! My little brother,' continued the weeping girl, 'is sick, and I know that he suffers for the want of -I watch over proper care and do the best I can for him. Do, Mrs. Howe, as you have sickness in your family, and cannot leave home, let me bring the little fellow here, that you may see him!'

Mrs. Howe readily consented to have the sick child brought to her house; for she had reason to believe that the story of the girl was but too true. She had been

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