Memoir of Mary L. Ware, Wife of Henry Ware, Jr.Hall, Edward B. (Edward Brooks)
Religion
Memoir of Mary L. Ware, Wife of Henry Ware, Jr.
Hall, Edward B. (Edward Brooks)
Unitarians -- United States -- Biography; Ware, Mary L. (Mary Lovell), 1798-1849
The result of the visit to New York is known. Mrs. Ware had not
over-estimated the importance of the period. It was a crisis. The second
Sunday of her husband's absence was the last time that he ever attempted
to preach. He was attacked in the pulpit with bleeding, as he supposed
from the lungs, and did not finish the service. It was the end of his
career as a preacher, and the extinction of many bright hopes in those
united minds and devoted hearts. For to Mrs. Ware, also, was this a
disappointment of cherished purposes, not simply as his wife, but from
her own fervid interest in the Christian ministry, and her sympathy with
the aspirations and the struggles of those engaged, or about to engage,
in this great work.
Her account of the change, and other changes that followed, closing the
Cambridge life, may be best given in extracts from various letters,
which will constitute a journal of the time.
"_March, 1842._ Mr. Ware had not been well for two months
previous to his going to New York; no difficulty upon the
lungs,--simply out of order from too close and wearisome
attention to a vexatious variety of duty, having no rest, and
not time enough to do any thing well. His system seemed
disarranged, and he thought he should be most benefited by
going away, changing the scene entirely, and obtaining rest to
mind and body. He went. Every letter spoke of improvement, and
I had made up my mind, that, in spite of all my fears, he was
doing the best possible thing. So I said to his father on
Sunday evening; and on Monday I received his letter, telling
me of his having been taken in church with raising blood. Of
course I went immediately to him, arriving at his lodgings at
nine, Tuesday morning. The weather was very mild, and the
uncertainty of its continuing so made me anxious to get him
home. After some reluctance on the part of his physician had
been overcome, we decided to return that day. So, after
spending eight hours in New York, I turned my face homeward,
and in forty hours after leaving my own door landed at it with
my precious charge, none the worse for the journey. You may
suppose it all seemed a dream to me. It was, however, a sad
reality to him, a _very_ sad disappointment.... Your picture of
'rest' is a beautiful vision,--one which many of our friends
have brought before our eyes at this time. But what can a man
do, with seven children, and only his own hands to depend upon?
I scruple not to say, that a ten-foot house, and bread and
water diet, with the sense of rest to _him_, would be a luxury,
and I trust some door will be opened to us by which we shall
obtain it. Now he is tied, bound hand and foot; and if he does
not die in the bonds, it is more than any one has a right to
calculate upon. How various the trials of life! and how
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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