"And though I may never revisit the shade,
Yet oft will I think of the vows I have made,
Of the vows I have made."

Such was the gentle, patient mother to whom Clara owed so much. The influence of such a noble, Christian character goes on forever.

"Older hearts may have their sorrows,
Griefs that quickly die away:

But a mother lost in childhood,

Grieves the heart, from day to day:
We miss her kind, her willing hand,
Her fond and earnest care:

And, oh, how dark is life around us!

What is home without, without her there?"

Happy she

-Unidentified.

With such a mother! faith in woman kind

Beats with her blood and trust in all things high

CHAPTER II.

EARLY LIFE.

In my sister's arms I am rocked to sleep
While she sings "The Sweet Story of Old,"
And a love in my heart is enkindled

For the Savior, that never grows cold.
-Clara A. Leffingwell.

Of the ten children born to Edwin Leffingwell and his wife, Miranda Merchant, Clara was the youngest. The others were Edwin S., who died at Salamanca, New York, in 1901; Sarah A. Davis, who now resides at Canton, Kansas; Charles Truman, who lives at Metropolis, Illinois; William, who now lives at Napoli, New York; Elzina Woodard, who lives in Bradford, Pennsylvania; Ellen,. who lives with her sister, Mrs. Woodard, in Bradford; George, who resides at Steamburg, New York; Rose, who died in 1873; and Clayton, who lives in Farmersville, New York.

All of them were much loved by the subject of this memoir, and she constantly mentions them in her letters and writings. She was always praying for them. One of the things that greatly im pressed the author of this book was the great spirit of prayer that was poured out upon her when he first heard her praying for her brothers and sisters at the home of her brother Clayton; and about the

last words she uttered in her delirium when dying in far off China were the names of Edwin, Ellen and Elzina.

The death of her mother was a great shock to Clara's sensitive nature. She did not, however,

fully comprehend her loss nor how much it would mean to her; but she bore up bravely, even the child's character showing this trait which was afterwards so conspicuous in the Boxer riots.

The full shock of her mother's death was not felt

by her, however, on account of the faithful hands into which she fell. Her mother at her death had especially committed the baby girl to the care of the two sisters then at home, Elzina and Ellen; and faithfully have these two sisters carried out that sacred trust. Elzina was married to Mr. Woodard soon after her mother's death, and their home has always been Clara's home. So that all who have known about our dear Sister Leffingwell have always associated her with 41 Boylston St., Bradford, Pennsylvania, the home of the Woodards.

After the marriage of her sister Elzina, Clara passed as a special heritage of love and affection more particularly into the hands of her sister, Ellen; and she then became a mother to the little girl. It was now Ellen who cared for her, washed her, dressed her, taught her, sewed for her, and what at that time seemed the most important of all, sang her to sleep every night. It was Ellen who, in that low, sweet, soft voice of hers, re-sung the songs her mother had formerly sung to her. Clara always insisted that one of the things that permanently turned her heart to the Lord and greatly influenced the future of her life was that one simple sweet song of childhood as it was sung by her sister Ellen,

"I wish that His hand had been placed on my head, That His arm had been thrown around me,

And that I might have seen His kind look when He said, Let the little ones come unto Me."

Another verse of the same song greatly impressed her, but in an entirely different way. It was this:

"In that beautiful place He has gone to prepare
For all that are washed and forgiven ;
And many dear children shall be with Him there
For of such is the kingdom of heaven."

What it was to be forgiven, she did not quite understand; but she did know what the word washed meant. So when she objected to the regular morn ing washing of face and hands, her six-year-old brother, Clayton, would tell her with all the seriousness and earnestness of an exhorter: "Now, Clara, you must have your face washed if you want to go to heaven," and she would respond readily to this appeal and resolutely walk up to the basin. If this interpretation of the sentiment of that verse seems far-fetched, it should be remembered that the Word says: "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10: 22).

Clara was always an unusual child, thoughtful, religious and wise beyond her years, and always had a great desire to do things. She was very relig iously inclined and very early gave her life to the service of her Master. Her true spiritual life began soon after her mother's death; and from that time on she was never known to stamp her foot in impatience as she had been accustomed to do before. When at her play she was often found kneeling and thanking God for His goodness to her. One Sabbath day, when she was a little girl, she took her cup and went out into the tall grass of the meadow to pick strawberries. She put her cup down somewhere and lost it. She was heard to pray: "Jesus,