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which followed her happy departure we held another prayer-meeting, in the chamber from whence her disembodied spirit had so recently taken its flight; and when I endeavoured to improve the solemn event, the mortal remains of our departed friend were lying before us upon a plank, and arrayed in a funeral pall, according to the usage of this country.

"During both these engagements, my hearers were numerous, composed chiefly of Catholics, several of whom, on the latter occasion, remained during the whole night with the corpse, in company with our brethren and sisters from Palon. On the morrow, at noon, we consigned her remains to the silent tomb, after which, taking my stand by the open grave, I addressed a numerous assembly of the people, comprehending about an equal number of Catholics and Protestants. Amongst those whom I first recognized, were the mother, the eldest brother, and a sister-in-law of our friend Mary all of whom appeared deeply affected during this solemn service, and manifested an earnest desire to know the truth.

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"There is also a poor blind man, living in an adjoining hamlet, who prevails upon some of his neighbours to conduct him to our 're-unions' held at Champsellaz, where he praises God that he is now enabled to understand the words of everlasting life."

CHAPTER XII.

THE READER'S FEELINGS AS HE APPROACHES THE CLOSE OF ANY INTERESTING BIOGRAPHY-NEFF'S PEOPLE BECOME ALARMED AT THE STATE OF HIS HEALTH-HIS OWN EXPERIENCE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES HIS HEALTH STILL DECLINES-RECEIVES A CONTUSION OF HIS KNEE --WRITES A LETTER ON THE IMPROVED STATE OF HIS SCHOOL ROOM AT DORMILLOUSE DESCRIBES OTHER SCHOOL HOUSES AN ALARMING DESCENT OF AN AVALANCHE, &c. &c. HE PROCEEDS TO QUERAS-FEELS HIS STRENGTH RAPIDLY DECLINE DETERMINES UPON REMOVING TO GENEVA-IS MET BY HIS FRIENDS FROM DORMILLOUSE-HIS STRENGTH IS RECRUITED-RESOLVES TO RE-VISIT THE DIFFERENT COMMUNES IN HIS EXTENSIVE PARISH THE CATHOLIC PRIESTS ARE SURPRISED AT HIS RE-APPEARANCE AMONGST THEM HE ARRIVES AT LE TRIEVE WHERE HE FINDS RELIGION GREATLY ON THE INCREASE-HIS APPROBATION OF RE-UNIONS-HE PREACHES AND ATTENDS RE-UNIONS AT MENS ARRIVES AT GENEVA-HIS HEALTH APPEARS TO IMPROVE HIS DISORDER HOWEVER STILL PROCEEDS HE WRITES HIS MEDITATIONS -EXTRACTS FROM HIS MEDITATIONS-HE PROCEEDS TO PLOMBIERES.

"Towards the close of any book of biography," remarks an elegant living writer, "in which we have been particularly interested, there is something of apprehension experienced as we approach the last pages; we know the catastrophe, which consum

mates every work of the kind, because the same is the consummation of every human life. Whose heart has not palpitated, whose hand has not trembled, as if it felt a feebler pulse, at turning over leaf after leaf? and whose eye has not keenly, eagerly, yet afraid, and revoltingly glanced on to the very line on which the last agony is described, as though it saw the dying look of one, who had been very pleasant in life,' and from whom, even in the volume of the book,' it was hard to be divided."

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Felix Neff had now, for eight years, been a faithful, a devoted, and a successful minister of the everlasting gospel. Called when very young to the work of an evangelist, remaining an entire stranger to the refinements and luxuries of life, and possessing naturally a strong constitution, which had been still more invigorated by constant and active exertion, he had, thus far, in the enjoyment of a large measure of health, been enabled to pursue his high and holy vocation with extraordinary zeal and unabated energy.

Three of these years had now elapsed

since he became the only Protestant pastor resident in the valleys of Queras and Fressiniere, which forms a large portion of the consistory of the Higher Alps. In addition to these, he had also voluntarily undertaken the pastoral superintendence of several entire communes, not contained within the limits of that widely extended ecclesiastical division.

During the whole of this period, Neff had never allowed considerations of personal comfort, or even a due regard to his health, to interfere with the ardent prosecution of his evangelizing efforts; so that his friends, with the tenderness of that love with which they must have regarded him, could not fail to mingle feelings of the deepest and the most painful apprehension, assured that, in a climate so rigorous and insalubrious, his constitution, however vigorous and healthy, could not long remain unimpaired, especially when in connexion with labours so extended, and so arduous, that, for their due performance, they required an almost superhuman amount of physical power and effort; labours, moreover, which had fully occu

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