each other may be daily increased, as far as they may be pleasing to God. I will use that speech to thee, that Abigail did to David: 'I will be a servant to wash the feet of my lord.' I will do any service wherein I may please my good husband. I confess I cannot do enough for thee; but thou art pleased to accept the will for the deed, and rest contented.

“I have many reasons to make me love thee, whereof I will name two: first, because thou lovest God; and secondly, because thou lovest me. If these two were wanting, all the rest would be eclipsed. But I must leave this discourse, and go about my household affairs. I am a bad housewife to be so long from them; but I must needs borrow a little time to talk with thee, my sweet heart. I hope thy business draws to an end. It will be but two or three weeks before I see thee, though they be long ones. God will, bring us together in his good time; for which I shall pray.

Farewell, my good husband; the Lord keep thee.
Your obedient wife,

MARGARET WINTHROP." Below is another letter from the pen of this good woman, written after her husband had decided to come to Massachusetts, and just before his embarkation:

"MY MOST DEAR HUSBAND,-I should not now omit any opportunity of writing to thee, considering I shall not long have thee to write unto. But, by reason of my unfitness at this time, I must entreat thee to accept of a few lines from me, and not impute it to

any want of love, or neglect of duty to thee, to whom I owe more than I ever shall be able to express.

"My request now shall be to the Lord to prosper thee in thy voyage, and enable thee and fit thee for it, and give all graces and gifts for such employments as he shall call thee to. I trust God will once more bring us together before you go, that we may see each other with gladness, and take a solemn leave, till we, through the goodness of our God, shall meet in New England, which will be a joyful day to us. With my best wishes to God for thy health and welfare, I take my leave and rest, thy faithful, obedient wife, MARGARET WINTHROP."*

Governor Winthrop landed on these shores in June, 1630, and his wife followed him in about a year. She lived till June, 1647, and was perhaps as

* The following extract from a letter written by the Governor in March, 1629, shows that he was not unconscious of the excellence of the gift he possessed in his "yokefellow." Addressing her as "MINE OWN DEAR HEART," he proceeds:

"I must confess thou hast overcome me with thy exceeding great love, and those abundant expressions of it in thy sweet letters, which savor of more than an ordinary spirit of love and piety. Blessed be the Lord our God, that gives strength and comfort to thee to undergo this great trial, which, I must confess, would be too heavy for thee, if the Lord did not put under his hand in so gracious a measure. Let this experience of his faithfulness to thee in this first trial, be a ground to establish thy heart to believe and expect his help in all that may follow. It grieveth me much, that I want time and freedom of mind to discourse with thee, my faithful yokefellow, in those things which thy sweet letters offer me so plentiful occasion for. I beseech the Lord, I may have liberty to supply it, ere I depart; for I cannot thus leave thee."

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useful in her more private, as her husband in his public and highly honorable, sphere. A woman of singular virtue, prudence, modesty and piety; though dignified, she was condescending; and knowing her place, she kept, and filled, and honored it. With undimmed and steady lustre, she shone for sixteen years amid the shadows of night that overhung and threatened the infant colony.

ANECDOTE OF MRS. GEORGE CLINTON.

Now good digestion wait on appetite.

SHAKSPEARE.

One winter morning, in 1776, just after the family of Governor Clinton had risen from the breakfast table, a stranger entered and was received with characteristic hospitality. Whilst refreshments were being prepared for him, the Governor entered into conversation in regard to the affairs of the country, and, among other questions, asked him in what capacity he was participating in the struggle for freedom. The stranger's hesitancy and manifest cautiousness, excited suspicion; and ere long he was seen to take something out of his pocket very slyly and swallow it, which confirmed the Governor in the belief that he was a spy. When Mrs. Clinton learned what he had done, she went immediately to the kitchen, and ordered a large dose of tartaı emetic to be put into the coffee pot. The stranger soon took his seat at the table, but before he had finished his breakfast, it became evident that some thing lay heavy on his stomach, and ere long, according to the cunning woman's expectations, up came

a silver ball! It was unscrewed, and found to contain an important document from Sir Henry Clinton to General Burgoyne. The stranger was tried as a spy, proved guilty "out of his own mouth,"* and executed. The ball which Mrs. Clinton's ready wit Jonah-ed to light, is said to be in one of the museums of the United States.

This witticism is not original with us, and is too good to appropriate unacknowledged.

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