"Half or quarter of an hour before expiring, his countenance exhibited less suffering, and he said, (although with considerable difficulty,)' Now a little repose a little consolation—a little joy.' Then he often repeated, 'From death unto life'From death unto life.'

"At length he presented his trembling hand to place it in mine; he pressed mine very sensibly; and retained it in his own, 'from death unto life,' for without our perceiving it he ceased to breathe. Twice, believing him gone, Louisa Schepler closed his eyes, but they opened again, and were raised on high."

Henry Oberlin was buried in the church-yard of Foudai, where a monument of wood, surrounded by willows, is erected to his memory.

His venerable father was graciously supported under this heavy stroke, and in his discourse over the grave of his son, spoke tenderly and familiarly of the departed, as having only preceded them a little way in their pilgrimage, soon to be overtaken, and for ever reunited to those whom he had left behind. The following letter to his friend Mr. Heisch, exhibits the disinterested manner in which he contemplated his own irreparable loss, when dwelling upon his son's removal to eternal glory.

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Waldbach, in the Steinthal, Jan. 8, 1818. Accept, my dear, not to be forgotten friend, my sincere and heartfelt thanks for the many proofs of your continued affectionate remembrance. Your name is inscribed on my heart; and yet I find it difficult to give you any assurance of it, being extremely engaged with labors that are continually increasing, whilst the use of my bodily

powers is greatly diminished. I particularly suf fer in my eyes, which sometimes altogether refuse me their service, notwithstanding the excellent spectacles you presented to me, and one pair of which Louisa gratefully uses.

"We all sincerely rejoiced at the departure of our Henry from this world; for besides having been subjected during his whole life to a chain of complicated sufferings, he had suffered for some months past (ever since his missionary journey in France) with peculiar severity, so that his emaciated appearance awakened every one's sympathy, and neither medicines nor any thing else could procure him any real alleviation or respite from pain. In consequence of the warm recommendations of our friends, we were induced to call in Dr. Stückalberger, a very clever physician of Basle, a few weeks before our Henry's decease; but no sooner had he seen him, and become acquainted with his symptoms, than he said, 'I shall not touch dear Mr. Oberlin with any medicine or remedy, nay, not even with medical advice, being perfectly convinced that if, on the one hand, I may hope to effect any good, or even may effect it, I shall, on the other hand, do more harm than it may again be in my power to remedy." This was both kind and judicious; and I had been endeavoring to persuade the other physicians to adopt the same plan, though in vain; for, with the utmost kindness, they were resolved to do all in their power to assist him. God had, in this case, reserved to himself the exclusive prerogative of affording effectual help. Henry, in addition to that spirit of universal benevolence by which he was animated, felt a pecu

liar interest for two nations, Livonia, together with the whole of Russia, and France. No doubt our and his good Lord now assigns to him some more extensive sphere of activity than he could have had here, not only, perhaps, for the benefit of these two nations, but even for that of other nations and other individuals. May we be his servants; no matter whether here or there, if we can but be faithful in his service, and of some utility to others!

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Henry received your letter of the 17th of October, as well as the elegant silver pencilcases, and commissioned me to return you his sincerest thanks. He gave them as a remembrance of you to his brother Charles Conservé, clergyman of Rothau, who has shown him extraordinary kindness both as a physician and a brother.

"Louisa Schepler and all our dear friends here, thank you cordially for your remembrance, and assure you of their uninterrupted affection and recollection.

"God grant that you may become useful in his service.

"Adieu, my long endeared friend!

"JOHN FREDERIC OBERLIN."

CHAPTER VIII.

Medal presented to Oberlin by the Royal Agricultural Society of Paris-Oberlin's private character-His description of himself Mr. Owen's letter, containing an account of a Ban de la Roche Sabbath-Oberlin's ministry-Sermons-Ministerial labors, &c.-His paternal influence over his flock-Questions addressed to his parishioners-Circulars.

NOTWITHSTANDING Oberlin's advancing age, and the loss he had experienced in the death of his son, the Ban de la Roche still witnessed a succession of useful improvements, and a progress in civilization and prosperity. So much delighted were his friends at Strasbourg and at Paris with witnessing the success of his indefatigable exertions, that, in the year 1818, they agreed to collect, without his knowledge, documents of the good which he had achieved, and to submit them to the Royal and Central Agricultural Society of Paris.

M. le Comte Francois de Neufchâteau, who had repeatedly visited the Steinthal, was deputed to this office, and requested to propose the vote of a gold medal to the pastor of Waldbach, in acknowledgment of the services which he had rendered, during more than half a century, to agriculture in particular, and to mankind in general.

"If you would behold an instance of what may be effected in any country for the advancement of agriculture and the interests of humanity," said he, when addressing the Society upon this occasion, "quit for a moment the banks of the Seine, and ascend one of the steepest sum

mits of the Vosges mountains. Friends of the plow, and of human happiness, come and behold the Ban de la Roche! Climb with me the rocks so sublimely piled upon each other, which separate this canton from the rest of the world, and though the country and the climate may at first sight appear forbidding, I will venture to promise you an ample recompense for the fatigue of your excursion.

"As for myself, after having formed the administration of the department of the Vosges, in 1790, and presided over it, in 1791, I had, in 1793, to travel over those mountains as a commissioner of the government, at the very period when the parishes of Rothau and Waldbach, before that time dependent on the principality of Salm, were united to the department. I have, therefore, been long acquainted with the valuable services rendered, for more than fifty years, to the Ban de la Roche, by John Frederic Oberlin. Ever since that time, and to the advanced age of seventy-eight, he has persevered in carrying forward the interesting reformation first suggested and commenced by his virtue, piety and zeal. He has refused invitations to more important and more lucrative situations, lest the Ban de la Roche should relapse into its former desolate state; and by his extraordinary efforts and unabated exertions, he averted from his parishioners, in the years 1812, 1816, and 1817, the horrors of approaching famine.*

*The new crop of potatoes that Oberlin had introduced, formed the principal subsistence of the people during those disastrous years, when the season was so cold and rainy that they could not get in two-thirds of the