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high comforts and blight anticipations , amid the reverses of a mutable world .
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Additions . Mrs . Mary Hughes . ( See XIX . 754 . ) In the 69 th year of her age , Mrs . Mary Hughes , youngest daughter of the Rev . Edward Hughes , Rector of Norbury , in the county of Stafford . Her pious and excellent father died when the subject of
this memoir was only two years old , and she was entirely educated by a mother , who was , by all wha knew her , beloved and respected as a woman of most amiable and truly Christian character . From this parent , to whom she was most devo - tedly attached , Mrs . Mary Hughes early
imbibed that deep sense of religion , and those feelings of diffusive benevolence , which in after life formed the distinguishing traits in her character . She gave proof of the former while yet very young , by adopting the excellent plan of every Sunday morning selecting a short text of
scripture , intended to be the rule of her conduct during the ensuing week . The writer remembers having heard her mention the three following as having been of the number : " Rejoice always ; " Ci Set your affection on things above ; " " Pray without ceasing . "
The benevolence of her disposition was early displayed , by the self-denial which she practised in appropriating a fourth of her then small allowance , to the relief of the indigent . As she grew up and this allowance was enlarged , she devoted half of it to the same laudable purpose , and towards the support of such institutions as she believed to l > e best calculated to promote ftn object , which by that time began , and ever after continued to en-
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gage her attention , and interest her mind in an eminent degree , —the spread of what she believed to be the pure and uncorrupted doctrines of the gospel . To this last division of her income she strictly adhered until the year 1820 , when the death of her eldest sister made a
considerable alteration in her pecuniary affairs , after which period she prescribed no limits to her liberality , but constantly gave all she could possibly spare , for the same useful and laudable objects . She took a deep interest in the education of the poor , to promote which in her own neighbourhood , she , in
conjunction with her second sister , ( whose benevolence of heart was as warm , although her pecuniary means were not so large , as her own , ) established a Sunday school in the village of Hanwood , four miles distant from Shrewsbury , whe ^ e they
resided , which , with the aid of a small annual subscription , they carried on for many years to a large extent , and a full account of which may be found in ' * The Sunday Scholar / ' which forms No . 40 of The Christian Tract Society ' s publications .
When seventeen years of age , Mrs . Mary Hughes passed twelve months with some near relations , zealously attached , as she herself was at that time , to the Established Church . On her return home , she found that her much-esteemed friend , the Rev . Edward Harries , of whom an
account is given in Vol . VII . of " The Monthly Repository , " p . 118 , was become an Unitarian , and had led her mother and sisters to adopt , upon full conviction of their truth , his own opinions . She was at first shocked at this change , and argued , as many others have done , " that
there would be no merit in faith , were all the things required to be believed , level with our comprehension . " Her strong and candid mind , could not , hotvever , long resist the force of the arguments and clear scriptural proofs brought forward by her friend , and by her mother and sisters , in support of their
newlyadopted , but firmly-established belief in the Divine Unity ; and no sooner was she convinced of their soundness , and of the futility of all she could urge in favour of those opinions which she had hitherto held tha shen not only openly and fearlessly avowed the change , but with all the ardour natural to a new and zealous
convert to Unitarianism , used every means in her power for its dissemination . Nor did these exertions last only whilst the stimulus of novelty continued to operate . All who were acquainted with Mrs . Mary Hughes , knew how warmly interested she was in the cause , and how anxiously she strove to assist it , both by her purse and and by her influence , until the oppressive
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114 Obituary * —Mr . T . J . Wvod *—Mr * m Mary Hughes .
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Jan . 29 th , at Bury , in Lancashire ' , aged 45 , Mr . Thomas Jackson Wood . Few persons have ever lived more generally respected and beloved , or died more sincerely and dee * ply lamented . In his character were united ardent yet rational devotion , with fhe warmest benevolence ; inflexible integrity , with perfect candour ;
a steady adherence to what he conceived to be truth , with the most unbounded charity to all who differed from him . Society , in him , has lost an amiable and intelligent companion , and the religious community to which he belonged have to regret the removal of an useful and valuable member .
Lord ! how mysterious are they ways ! How blind are we ! how mean our praise 1 Thy steps can mortal eyes explore ? "Tis ours to wonder and adore .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1825, page 114, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2533/page/50/
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