duty to me. 
504 Original Letters to and from James Elphinstom, [Jan. dy 
‘water. ill yesterday, she was perfect- 
}y distinct, and charmingly serene tothe 
Jast. 
Ihave met with abundance of kind- 
ness and sympathy from all our friends, 
particularly Miss Garrock, who begs to 
make her compliments of condolence (as 
ITmay say do all the rest) in the since- 
rest manner. 
_ And now, my dear sister, allow me to 
sive you the advice I am myself on all 
hands receiving; but which is easier to 
give than to take, though not the less 
indispensable. Nothing can indeed for- 
bid yielding some time to nature; who,, 
I thank: God, has done tolerably her 
But, afterwards, I hope we 
shall feet what we can express, great 
thankfulness for the so long enjoyment of 
sO uncommon a parent; and for the un- 
speakable patience, anc other virtues 
and graces of her life, of which the 
happy, though humble consciousness, 
afforded such consolation at the last. 
Oh! may we, and all, where her in- 
fluence or example can extend, oh! 
may we live her life, that our latter end 
may be like her’s. 
The coffining is just performed, with 
much decency, as without affectation, 
according to her own dear injunctions, 
which to us will ever be sacred. The 
interment is to be to-morrow at five in 
the afternoon, of which I hope to give 
-you an account by next post. In the 
mean time, I shall not forbid you to 
mingle vour tears with mine: the tears 
of nature with the thanks of reason. 
I mean to leave this house, which can 
‘how afford me very small comfort, ina 
few days, and move to a little house, in 
the Fountain Close,where I shall become 
‘ure Doctor’s mearer neighbour; though 
indeed he has been ever a near neighbour 
to me, particularly upon the present - 
occasion, on which I have been obliged, 
nat a little, to his assistance, 
May God comfort yeu and your’s ; and 
grant us a happy meeting, when we may 
pour our souls into each other more 
freely: my frequent prayer, who am 
éver your own, 
Edinburgh, 
Sept. 12th, 1750. 
James E({pHrnston. 
From pr. JOHNSON, to MR. ELPHINSTON. 
- Dear Sir, 
You have, as I find by every kind of 
evidence, ce an excellent mother, and 
I hope you will not think me incapable 
of partaking of your grief. I have a 
mother, now eighty-two years of age; 
whom therefore I 
; t 
must soon lose, upless 
it please God, that she rather should 
mourn for me.’ I read the tetters, in 
which you relate your mother’s death, to 
Mrs. Strahan, and F think I do myself 
honour, -when I tell you, that I read 
them with tears. But tears are neither 
to me, nor to you, of any farther use, 
when once the tribute of nature has been 
paid. The business of life suramons us 
away from: useless grief, and calls to the 
exercise of those virtues, of which we are 
lamenting our deprivation. The great 
benefit which one friend can confer upon 
another, is to guard, and incite, and ele- . 
vate, his virtues. This your mother 
will sull perform, if you diligently pre- 
serve the memory of her life, and of her 
death ; a life, so far as I can learn, use~ 
ful, wise, and innocent; and a death, 
resigned, peaceful, and holy, I cannot 
forbear to mention, that neither reason 
nor revelation denies you to hope, that 
you may increase her happiness by obey- 
ing her precepts; and that she may, in 
her present state, look with pleasure 
upor every act of virtue to which her 
instructions or example have contributed, | 
Whether this be more than a pleasing 
dream, or a just opinion cf separate 
spirits, is indeed of no great importance 
to us, when we consider ourselves as 
acting under the eye of God. Yet surely 
there is something pleasing in the belief, 
that our separation from those wham we 
love, is merely corporeal, and it may be 
2 great incitement to virtuous friendship, — 
if it can be made probable, that union, 
which has received the divine approba- 
tion, shall continue to eternity. 
There is one expedient, by which you 
may, in some degree, continue her pre- 
sence. If you write down minutely, 
what you can remamber of her, from 
your earliest years, you will read it with 
great pleasure; and receive from it many 
bints of soothing recollection, when tin g- 
shall remove her yet farther from you,- 
and your grief shall be matured to vener- 
ation. To this, however painful for the 
-present, I cannot but advise you, as to-a-- 
! ; you, , 
source of comfort and satisfaction, in the 
time to‘come: -for all comfort, and all 
satisfaction, is sincerely wished you, by, 
Dear Sir, 
Your most obliged 
humble servant, 
Sept. 25th, 750. Sam. JOHNSONe 
To DR. JOHNSON. 
Dear Sir, : 
While 1 doubted my ability of making 
a suitable return to your former letter, 
the unexpected,’ as wrimerited a 
4 an 
