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Account Of Grace Kennedy, Author Of Jessy Allan
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15 | "Profession is not Principle," &c., was first published in 1822. Then followed a little work, intended for a different class of readers, "Jessy Allan, or the Lame Girl, a story founded on facts." It is the history of a young woman who was known to the author, and whose real name was Nanny Henderson. She had been educated at a charity school, of which the author took an active and constant charge for many years. Nanny had left school before she began to take an interest in the instruction of the children, and was, at that time, living alone, and able to support herself by her own work. On her being taken ill, a short time after, the author first visited her, and, from herself, and her kind friend, the mistress of the school, the author was made acquainted with those circumstances of her history which had not come under her own observation. During the few years which remained of poor Nanny's short and suffering life, the author continued to visit, and take an interest in her. | |
16 | In December, 1823, "Father Clement" was first published. "Anna Ross" was published the following spring, and two little tracts, "Andrew Campbell's Visit to his Irish Cousins," and "The Word of God, and the Word of Man," intended for Ireland, which she had been requested to write, were published soon after. | |
17 | "Dunallan," appeared in December, 1824. | |
18 | The author was engaged with another long work, entitled "Philip Colville, a Covenanter's Story," which, unfortunately, is not finished; but, as it keeps strictly to the history of the times to which it refers, and is written so as not to require any correction from another, it may, perhaps, be given to the public. Any one interested in the conclusion of the historical part, can find it in various works.* | |
19 | *The work referred to, has been published since the above was written; also, a little tract, entitled "Address to a Destitute Sick Person." | |
20 | The author's desire to remain unknown, was early communicated to her publisher, and she considered herself under much obligation to him for the manner in which he acted on this delicate point; for, until the winter of 1824, the name of the author was unknown even to her publisher. | |
21 | The author enjoyed uninterrupted good health till 1824, when she was frequently indisposed, and, towards the close of it, she suffered almost constant uneasiness, and her illness became of a more serious nature. Her friends, trusting too much to her uncommonly good constitution, were not immediately alarmed, until she herself warned them of the painful and most unlooked for event which awaited them. In the full vigour of those powers of mind, which heaven had given her, and with the fair prospect of usefulness opening before her, she had no wish for life. She was not merely willing and ready, but she longed to depart and to be with Christ, and she met and welcomed death as it gradually approached, with that unclouded serenity and calmness which evinced her mind to be in "perfect peace." No shade ever darkened the comfort of her soul -- she knew "in whom she believed," and, in full assurance of faith, she waited the coming of her Lord. | |
22 | A short time before her departure from this world, she said to a beloved friend, who attended her, that she now wished her friends to know that she released them from their promise of secrecy regarding her works; that the truths which she had endeavoured to urge upon others, she found completely sufficient to support her own soul, and she thought if this was known, it might tend to their being of more use to those who read them. | |
23 | The severe illness from which she suffered, was not accompanied by any fever, and the extreme weakness with which she was oppressed, appeared to have no influence on her mind, ever calm and collected, with wonderful composure, she thought of the friends she was about to leave, and expressed her wishes regarding those whose happiness had been very dependent upon her, and who were most deeply to feel the sad change in their earthly lot from a bereavement so severe, and comforted their hearts by the elevated faith and the sure hope which animated her own. When she was too ill to be able to converse, her friends found their sweetest support taken away; but it was with evident pleasure that she herself watched her increasing illness. If once she had been involved in the spiritual darkness of a natural state, now she was "light in the Lord;" and on Monday morning, the 28th of February, her willing spirit quitted the earthly tabernacle, to be admitted to the immediate presence of Him who is the source of all light and joy. | |
24 | The Sunday after her departure from this world, a funeral sermon, unexpected by her family, was preached by the Rev. Dr. Jones, in the church of which she had long been a member; and her much esteemed pastor, to whom she was warmly attached, and on whose ministry she had constantly attended from an early age, has permitted this short account to be concluded with that part of his discourse with which he also concluded his sermon. |