now， it was the elementary teaching of the densely ignorant； now， it was the raising up of those who had wandered and got trodden under foot； now， it was the wider employment of her own *** in the general business of life； now， it was all these things at once. Perfectly unselfish， swift to sympathise and eager to relieve， she wrought at such designs with a flushed earnestness that disregarded season， weather， time of day or night， food， rest. Under such a hurry of the spirits， and such incessant occupation， the strongest constitution will commonly go down. Hers， neither of the strongest nor the weakest， yielded to the burden， and began to sink.
To have saved her life， then， by taking action on the warning that shone in her eyes and sounded in her voice， would have been impossible， without changing her nature. As long as the power of moving about in the old way was left to her， she must exercise it， or be killed by the restraint. And so the time came when she could move about no longer， and took to her bed.
All the restlessness gone then， and all the sweet patience of her natural disposition purified by the resignation of her soul， she lay upon her bed through the whole round of changes of the seasons. She lay upon her bed through fifteen months. In all that time， her old cheerfulness never quitted her. In all that time， not an impatient or a querulous minute can be remembered.
At length， at midnight on the second of February， 1864， she turned down a leaf of a little book she was reading， and shut it up.
The ministering hand that had copied the verses into the tiny album was soon around her neck， and she quietly asked， as the clock was on the stroke of one：
"Do you think I am dying， mamma？"
"I think you are very， very ill to-night， my dear！"
"Send for my sister. My feet are so cold. Lift me up？"
Her sister entering as they raised her， she said： "It has come at last！" And with a bright and happy smile， looked upward， and departed.
Well had she written：
Why shouldst thou fear the beautiful angel， Death， Who waits thee at the portals of the skies， Ready to kiss away thy struggling breath， Ready with gentle hand to close thine eyes？
Oh what were life， if life were all？ Thine eyes Are blinded by their tears， or thou wouldst see Thy treasures wait thee in the far-off skies， And Death， thy friend， will give them all to thee.
第一章CHAUNCEY HARE TOWNSHEND EXPLANATORY INTRODUCTION TO "RELIGIOUS OPINIONS" BY THE LATE REVEREND CHAUNCEY HARE TOWNSHEND
Mr. Chauncey Hare Townshend died in London， on the 25th of February 1868. His will contained the following passage：-
"I appoint my friend Charles Dickens， of Gad's Hill Place， in the County of Kent， Esquire， my literary executor； and beg of him to publish without alteration as much of my notes and reflections as may make known my opinions on religious matters， they being such as I verily believe would be conducive to the happiness of mankind."
In pursuance of the foregoing injunction， the Literary Executor so appointed (not previously aware that the publication of any Religious Opinions would be enjoined upon him)， applied himself to the examination of the numerous papers left by his deceased friend.
Some of these were in Lausanne， and some were in London.
Considerable delay occurred before they could be got together， arising out of certain claims preferred， and formalities insisted on by the authorities of the Canton de Vaud. When at length the whole of his late friend's papers passed into the Literary Executor's hands， it was found that Religious Opinions were scattered up and down through a variety of memoranda and note-books， the gradual accumulation of years and years. Many of the following pages were carefully transcribed， numbered， connected， and prepared for the press； but many more were dispersed fragments， originally written in pencil， afterwards inked over， the intended sequence of which in the writer's mind， it was extremely difficult to follow. These again were intermixed with journals of travel， fragments of poems， critical essays， voluminous correspondence， and old school-exercises and college themes， having no kind of connection with them.
To publish such materials "without alteration"， was simply impossible. But finding everywhere internal evidence that Mr.
Townshend's Religious Opinions had been constantly meditated and reconsidered with great pains and sincerity throughout his life， the Literary Executor carefully compiled them (always in the writer's exact words)， and endeavoured in piecing them together to avoid needless repetition. He does not doubt that Mr. Townshend held the clue to a precise plan， which could have greatly simplified the presentation of these views； and he has devoted the first section of this volume to Mr. Townshend's own notes of his comprehensive intentions. Proofs of the devout spirit in which they were conceived， and of the sense of responsibility with which he worked at them， abound through the whole mass of papers. Mr. Townshend's varied attainments， delicate tastes， and amiable and gentle nature， caused him to be beloved through life by the variously distinguished men who were his compeers at Cambridge long ago. To his Literary Executor he was always a warmly-attached and sympathetic friend. To the public， he has been a most generous benefactor， both in his munificent bequest of his collection of precious stones in the South Kensington Museum， and in the devotion of the bulk of his property to the education of poor children.
