one; his life was most pure.

2. My mother also was a woman of great goodness, and her life was
spent in great infirmities. She was singularly pure in all her
ways. Though possessing great beauty, yet was it never known
that she gave reason to suspect that she made any account
whatever of it; for, though she was only three-and-thirty years
of age when she died, her apparel was already that of a woman
advanced in years. She was very calm, and had great sense.
The sufferings she went through during her life were grievous,
her death most Christian. [1]

3. We were three sisters and nine brothers. [2] All, by the
mercy of God, resembled their parents in goodness except myself,
though I was the most cherished of my father. And, before I
began to offend God, I think he had some reason,--for I am filled
with sorrow whenever I think of the good desires with which our
Lord inspired me, and what a wretched use I made of them.
Besides, my brothers never in any way hindered me in the service
of God.

4. One of my brothers was nearly of my own age; [3] and he it was
whom I most loved, though I was very fond of them all, and they
of me. He and I used to read Lives of Saints together. When I
read of martyrdom undergone by the Saints for the love of God, it
struck me that the vision of God was very cheaply purchased; and
I had a great desire to die a martyr's death,--not out of any
love of Him of which I was conscious, but that I might most
quickly attain to the fruition of those great joys of which I
read that they were reserved in Heaven; and I used to discuss