HIS DOMESTIC TRAITS. 363 



of us was early enough, was sure to find him with his Bible 

 in his hand, or hear his voice raised in his morning devo- 

 tion. In my early days, bereavements were numerous in 

 the household : four of the lambs of the flock were taken 

 away in quick succession ; then he always gathered the 

 broken band and led us in prayer to Him who gave and 

 who recalled his own. 



The first of these bereavements was in the death of our 

 father's mother ; his grief on that occasion, and the reverent 

 love manifested, are fresh in my mind, and, till the last of 

 his life, I never knew him to pass the spot where her grave 

 lay without raising his hat and remaining uncovered till he 

 had left the place behind. 



Our confidential friend he ever was ; we could go to him 

 with the utmost freedom and unbosom our troubles ; no 

 matter what business was pressing on him, he had time to 

 hear all, and to give us his most tender sympathy and affec- 

 tionate counsel. Every burden was lightened when dear 

 father helped us to bear it. Especially was this the case 

 with our religious difficulties, and with some of us these 

 were heavy. Never can we forget how the clouds would 

 roll away, as he would listen patiently to all our troubles, 

 and then so clearly show us the true ground on which to 

 rest, the infinite love and mercy of our heavenly Father, 

 through the grace of Christ, and as often as the clouds 

 returned, so often and so tenderly would he go over the same 

 ground till the cloud passed to return no more. A remark 

 of Leigh Richmond's daughter, I am sure, was the feeling 

 of us all, " That when our hearts felt too hard and cold 

 to thank God for anything else, we could always thank Him 

 for such a father." 



The traits of Professor Silliman, as they appeared 

 in his family life, are further touched upon in the an- 

 nexed paragraphs from the pen of Mrs. Dana. 



