of the finest passages in Rutherford's early letters to her are those in
which he counsels her and her husband to patience, and meekness, and
forgiveness of injuries. 'Keep God's covenant in all your trials. Hold
you by His blessed word, and sin not; flee anger, wrath, grudging,
envying, fretting. Forgive an hundred pence to your fellow-servant, for
your Lord has forgiven you ten thousand talents.' And again: 'Be
patient; Christ went to heaven with many a wrong. His visage was more
marred than that of any of the sons of men. He was wronged and received
no reparation, but referred all to that day when all wrongs shall be
righted.' And again: 'You live not upon men's opinion. Happy are you
if, when the world trampleth upon you in your credit and good name, you
are yet the King's gold and stamped with His image. Pray for the spirit
of love, for love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things, endureth all things. Forgive, therefore, your fellow-servant his
one talent. Always remember what has been forgiven you.' And on every
page of the Kirkcudbright correspondence we see that, amid all these
temptations and trials, no man had a better wife than the provost, and no
children a better mother than Grizel and her two brothers. Her talents
sought no nobler sphere for their exercise and increase than her own
fireside; and her public spirit was better seen in her life at home than
anywhere out of doors. Hers was truly a public spirit, and like a spirit
it inspired and animated both her own and her husband's life with
interest in and with care for the best good, both of the Church and the
State. Her public spirit was not incompatible with great personal
modesty and humility, and great attention to her domestic duties, all
rooted in a life hid with Christ in God.

And then, all this--her birth, her station, her talents, and her public
spirit--could not fail to give her a great influence for good. In a
single line of Rutherford's on this subject, we see her whole lifetime: