184 John Bachman. 



bons had returned from Scotland, and were living 

 in New York. In his letters to his son-in-law, he 

 deprecated a Northern winter for the invalid, and 

 urges her husband to bring her South. 



January, 1840, they arrived in Charleston. The 

 household treasure, the father's companion, and the 

 mother's right hand, was restored for a season to 

 the home of her childhood. 



Beloved friends welcomed the invalid, and skilled 

 physicians watched over her. Her husband " hoped 

 against hope ; " but the practised eye of her father, 

 could not be deceived. 



A German author has said, " Every man in the 

 course of his life is called upon to offer up to God 

 his Isaac." This call had now come to the Pastor of 

 St. John's. 



To VICTOR G. AUDUBON : 



CHARLESTON, May 10th, 1840. 



My Dear Victor : "I am very sorry that I have 

 nothing favorable to write you with regard to Maria. 

 I was at her bedside a few moments ago ; her pulse 

 is feebler. * 



We have had many heavy trials of late, but none 

 equal to this. I have had philosophy, and, I trust, 

 religion, to stay me under all other calamities ; but 

 here I stand unhappy and bewildered. I trust that 

 dear Eliza will be strengthened to bear up under 

 this visitation. We must look upwards to the 

 Higher Power to God for support ; all is under the 

 direction of His wisdom. Maria's health had seemed 

 to me for months on the decline. When the 

 physicians advised a change to Aiken, we took her 

 there and cherished a hope that pure air might 



