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Though mentally very active, personal activity was not her particular gift, and perhaps, she may have been considered by some Christians not sufficiently zealous in this respect, when she declined taking any charge of the more public societies which have been formed here for charitable purposes; but the holy principle which guided her conduct was evinced by the steady and faithful manner in which she fulfilled her part in every benevolent duty in which she engaged. No work was ever undertaken by her that was not faithfully fulfilled; and especially in the instruction of children she took an active interest for many years.

Her habits and taste were of a retired nature, yet she desired to devote the time and talents heaven had bestowed upon her, to the service of her divine Master; and all her works had one single object in view -- she longed ardently to lead others to the knowledge of that almighty Saviour, "whom, having not seen, she loved; in whom, though she saw him not, yet believing, she rejoiced with joy unspeakable, and full of glory;" and whom to know is "life eternal."

Female authors have frequently been accused of neglecting those duties which are considered as more peculiarly belonging to their own department in life, when they enter on the higher ground of literary pursuits; but she was entirely free from any fault of this kind; indeed, so completely was this the case, that even in the minute niceties of ladies' works, she excelled as much as in the higher endowments of her mind. Her retired and deeper studies, and her writing, never interfered with other duties and occupations. She never, for one moment, discovered the slightest literary parade, and had no hours set apart in which she was not to be intruded upon. She wrote with the desire and hope that her works might be of use; but the employment was her pleasure and amusement. When she was living in the country, perhaps, during the hours spent in the garden, with a piece of paper and a pencil, and a book for her table, she pursued the subject with which her mind was engaged. Her first works were completed without even the members of her own family suspecting she had been so employed.

There can be little incident to relate in the life of a retired female; and when no reference is allowed to any private papers, the "mind's history," there remains no materials that can interest the public. The expectations, therefore, which have been formed of a life of the author, must be entirely disappointed; even this slight outline is given with reluctance by her own family. Another wish which has reached them, must, also, be disappointed, that of having prefixes to her works a likeness of the author. In personal appearance, she was of a tall, slight figure; her countenance fair and pretty, and sweetly expressive, conveyed a true impression of the mind by which it was animated, and is indelibly engraven on every heart that loved her; but her family do not possess any likeness of this beloved friend which they consider good. Both from her appearance, and the engaging modesty of her manner, she looked younger than she was.

Her first work was written about 1811, -- a tract intended to promote inquiry on the subject of religion among the Jews. It was sent sometime after, anonymously, to a clergyman of the Church of England, whose character was well known to her, and who takes an active interest in behalf of that unhappy people. He was requested to make what use of it he pleased, if he considered it calculated to promote the purpose for which it was intended; but whether the whole, or any part of it was ever published, remained unknown to the author and her family.

"Dunallan," though the last published of her works, was composed long before any of the others, about ten years since, during a residence in the country.

The first of her works which was published, was "The Decision," in 1821, a little volume intended for the young. The motives which induced the author to write this work, were explained in a letter to her publisher, on sending the first part of it, from which an extract may afford some interest.

"It has often struck me, that among the great variety of excellent little works, published of late years, for the purpose of attracting the attention and regard of young people to the subject of religion, scarcely any have been addressed to the youth of the higher classes. At least, I know of very few, indeed. It is true, works suited to the poor, are equally calculated to teach truth to the rich, when written in the correct and beautiful style that many of them are; but the characters described, and the attendant circumstances, are generally taken from the lower ranks and habits of life, and young people of a higher class too soon learn from those whose opinions they naturally adopt, to consider religion as an excellent thing for the poor, without, at the same time, feeling that they are equally interested in the truths it teaches.

"I have attempted to make the accompanying little work such as a religious friend might present to a young person of a better class, with a hope that it might bring the necessity of personal religion home to the conscience. I am sensible, that I have mingled a good deal that is, perhaps, trifling in the conversations; but feared, from what I have observed in young people, that they otherwise would have appeared stiff and unnatural. A second part will, of course, enter more deeply into the subject of religion, &c., &c."