think it best to sell the property, and remove farther from the city. This to me, and others, is not desirable. . . . Where can we find a more suitable situation-so near the city, and so easy of access-so near the Hudson, and exhibiting so well our beautiful front to the numerous passengers on the river? . . .”

The Board, at their meeting, May 26th, 1859, thought themselves required, by their duty to the institution, to adopt the following minute:

"Mrs. Bethune being prevented, by her removal to Brooklyn and by the infirmities of advanced age, from engaging any longer in the direction of the Society, and the duties she so much loved and so faithfully performed from its very formation, it was resolved that Mrs. John Anthon be appointed First Directress, and Mrs. Van Horne Second Directress; also, that the name of Mrs. Bethune, while living, be always published above the names of the Board of Direction."

The last time Mrs. Bethune met with the Board was at the anniversary held in the Asylum at Bloomingdale, May 13th, 1856, as shown by the following minute of that date:

"Mrs. Bethune, the venerable First Directress and surviving founder of the institution, was present. The Rev. Dr. Bethune made the address."

This completed fifty years of service rendered by her to the Asylum. She attended the meetings of the Board regularly up to June of the year before. She never knew of her ceasing to be in office.

The following extract from the 55th Annual Report of the Orphan Asylum Society closes the record of my mother's connection with an institution which shared more deeply her love and care than any other. "My dear," said she one day, when playfully reproaching herself for some slip of memory, "I believe that I shall forget every thing but the Orphan Asylum; that I shall always remember."

"Since the last annual report of this society, the last tie has been severed that bound it to its commencement—a link which extended through a chain of years from its very foundation has been broken, gently separated, leaving the Board of Direction, as it were, themselves orphans-in the loss of Mrs. JoANNA BETHUNE, the mother of this institution, the original proposer of its plan.

"Mrs. BETHUNE was, before this society existed, deeply interested in that which takes care of widows with young children; and often, as these poor widows died, and left their fatherless and now motherless little ones, her kind heart grieved that they could no longer receive from that society the aid they needed more than ever. Hence, by a natural step, the foundation of the New York Orphan Asylum, the first call for which was from the pen of Mr. DIVIE BETHUNE, at the request of his wife and her associates in the Widows' Society. From this period until absolutely disabled by the infirmities of age, a period of little less than fifty years, Mrs. BETHUNE's heart and hand, prayers and active exertions, were ever en

gaged, successively as Trustee, Treasurer, Second Directress, and First Directress, in behalf of the blessed work she had undertaken. She died on the 28th of July, 1860, at the age of ninety-two years; and when, from the bed of suffering and weariness, she woke in the glory of an immortality inconceivable to mortal mind, we can fancy, amid the ecstatic joy of the first moment of bliss, that one source of delight, and not the least, would be the sight of the many happy, glorified spirits who, but for her instrumentality, might have languished here in want, and died ignorant or neglectful of the glorious inheritance purchased for them by their precious Savior.

"We dare not trust ourselves to lift, in imagination, the veil that separates us from that unseen world; it would make us so envy her, so long to be there, that we could not, without repining, turn back to earth, and its cares and sin. But may such a life as hers, with the reward we know she now enjoys, be a spur to our zeal, and inspire us never to weary nor faint, but work on and rejoice that we may bear a humble part in the great scheme of making the world happier and better."

CHAPTER XII.

MRS. HOFFMAN AND MRS. STARTIN.

The Associates of Mrs. Bethune.-Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Startin. -Their Character and Services.-Testimonies of the Board.

Ir is to be lamented that so little has been preserved of the excellent women who were associated with Mrs. Bethune in the foundation and early progress of the Orphan Asylum. The writer has taken great pains to discover whatever remains concerning them on record or in the memory of the people, but he has not been as successful as he desired and hoped.

Mrs. Sarah Hoffman was the contemporary rather of Mrs. Graham than of her daughter, but Mrs. Bethune held her in that respect and veneration which her strong mind, benevolent character, and dignified carriage were so well calculated to inspire; and that this regard was not unreciprocated is seen in the fact that Mrs. Hoffman preferred to resign her directressship of the older society to preside over the Orphan Asylum Board, which was more especially the enterprise of her younger friend. Unless she had done so, Mrs. Bethune would not have had the same courage for the untried work; but Mrs. Hoffman's name was as a tower of strength, so high was her moral and intellectual position in the best society of New York at

that time. There is an affectionate tribute to her memory in the Life of Mrs. Graham (p. 167, American Tract Society's edition), written by Mr. and Mrs. Bethune. Mrs. Graham "and her venerable companion, Mrs. Sarah Hoffman, Second Directress of the Widows' Society, traveled many a day, and took many a step together in the walks of charity. Mrs. Graham was a Presbyterian, Mrs. Hoffman an Episcopalian. Those barriers of which such an unhappy use has been made by sectarians to separate children of God fell down between these two friends at the cry of affliction, and were consumed on the altar of Christian love. Arm in arm, and heart to heart, they visited the abodes of distress, dispensing temporal aid from the purse of charity, and spiritual comfort from the Word of God." Mrs. Hoffman continued her active superintendence of the affairs of the society until 1817, after which her age and infirmities forbade her to continue her much-loved employment, and her attendance at the meetings of the Board almost entirely ceased, though it was not until August, 1821, that her spirit returned to God. Mrs. Hoffman recommended to the ladies the election of Mrs. Startin as her successor. Mrs. Startin was accordingly elected, but declined in favor of Mrs. Hamilton, who, every way fitted for the responsible office, was, as the second directress, from the beginning the one to whom, in the judgment of the Board, the honor was due.

Extract from the Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Orphan Asylum, August 7, 1821: