Mrs. Hall's eighty-first birthday her husband wrote the following letter to her, a most touching tribute to her influence both as a woman and as writer. It seems almost too sacred to print, but after her death it was thought well to give it to the public to show what she was:—
"This is the 6th January, 1881. Surely, surely, I may thank God for the blessing he gave to me, and to hundreds of thousands, eighty- one years ago. … Gratitude from me to Him has been increasing year by year, and day by day, since the ever memorable day I saw you first. You have been to me a guide, a counsellor, a companion, a friend, a wife, from that day to this, ever true, faithful, fond, devoted, my helper in many ways, my encourager and stimulator in all that was right, the same consoler in storm and sunshine, lessening every trouble, augmenting every pleasure. Wisely upright yourself, you have been mainly instrumental in making me wisely upright. … God bless you, my soul's darling, the love of my youth, the love of my age, more beautiful in my sight than you were fifty-six years ago. Such adoration as I may rightly tender to a fellow mortal who will be immortal, I render to you, praying God to bless us both, blessing me in blessing you, and blessing you in blessing me.'
Twenty-four days after this touching letter was written, Mrs. Hall died on Sunday, 30th January,
