1843-44. DEATH OF JAMES RUSSELL. 317 



of good, as contrasted with the transitoriness of evil, etc. etc. I 

 am becoming absurdly diffuse on this topic, but I will have done. 

 Two of my sisters have been kid up this winter ; they are both 

 in bed while I write. This makes a sad household, and drives 

 one to dwell on sources of consolation." 



Exactly three weeks after this did the end come, and the 

 next letter gives the sad news to Dr. Cairns : " When I wrote 

 you last, I looked for many weeks, at least, as yet remaining. 

 On the day of his death, however, we had all, himself included, 

 a strange presentiment that death was at hand. He wrote the 

 names of several friends on books that day. In the evening 

 we were all reluctant to retire. Mary and I had secretly re- 

 solved (unknown to each other) to remain up all night, and 

 his brother slept beside him. We were reading together [in 

 the next room] the eighth chapter of the Eomans, and had 

 nearly finished it, when the sound of his breathing heavily called 

 us to his side, and we had the sad satisfaction of witnessing him 

 die. His mind wandered slightly through the short period dur- 

 ing which he retained consciousness. He was not apparently 

 aware that he was dying, but believed he was about to fall 

 asleep. He spoke, however, with more freeness than usual, 

 though with much physical difficulty ; and in answer to our 

 questions referred to his never having, since he went to Glasgow, 

 lost, or ceased to have, trust in Christ. He was repeating a con- 

 versation he had with Mary that morning, ending with a confes- 

 sion of his ability to throw himself ' humbly' (he dwelt much on 

 that word) on Christ. It was inexpressibly touching to us see- 

 ing him dying, and desiring a repetition of his assurances of 

 faith, to be gently (very gently) interrupted by his 'wait a 

 minute.' He would not acknowledge a true conclusion not 

 legitimately arrived at; and when we anxiously repeated to 

 him words of Scripture, he kept quietly on in his own state- 

 ment, and so lost consciousness. 



" It would have been consoling to us to have heard him again 

 repeat his acknowledgments of reliance on God. But it was not 

 necessary to us, and it would argue a mournful lack of faith to 

 let the accident of his dying physical state, which precluded 

 speech, shake our trust in God. I never felt the great privilege 



