with admiration by Fliedner's Christian courage and meekness combined. Soon afterwards Fliedner met with a yet more precious reward for his care for the poor convicts. He had been long looking in vain for a suitable Christian. head-matron for the women's wards, when M. Jacobi drew his attention to a certain Frederica Münster, of Braunfels, who had already proved by her conduct that she desired nothing better than to serve the Lord with all her powers. Fliedner made her acquaintance, and found in her what he wanted, while she too was willing to undertake the work proposed to her, if she could obtain the consent of her parents. When their consent was, however, decidedly refused, she almost trembled to meet the eye of the stern young Pastor Fliedner, whose burning zeal for God she knew and admired, and who she feared would be much disappointed. To her surprise he remained calm and kind while he listened; for in truth he saw in this decision of her parents a permission from Providence that he should seek her for the joy of his own heart and home, whom he had sought at first as the benefactress of others. They were soon married, on April 15, 1828, in a little church near Altenberg, where her father was steward of the Prince of SolmsBraunfels. In her Fliedner had indeed gained a She was four days younger than himself, and from her fifteenth year had been called on to fill treasure. E the place of a mother to ten younger brothers and sisters, under circumstances of much trial, as her father lost almost the whole of his property, entirely without any fault of his own. She learnt to know the Lord from the two Basle missionaries, Göbel and Traub, and when her father married again, and no longer required her help at home, she took a chief charge in an institution founded near Dusseldorf by the Count von der Recke for the rescue of neglected or unfortunate girls, and it was here that Fliedner made her acquaintance. For fourteen years she was a faithful wife to him, and the tenderest of mothers to her ten children, seven of whom she was called on to surrender to her God during her own life. In the little congregation, too, she was a true mother in Israel; under her husband's direction she set on foot a society for the care of the sick and poor, and the reader will soon hear what a judicious and affectionate superintendent she was to Fliedner's institutions in their earliest and most difficult years. Meanwhile Fliedner's exertions for the prisoners allowed him no rest, for wherever a door seemed opened for the founding of a new association, or an old one required to have new life put into it, he had to cast himself into the breach; since no one equalled him either in zeal or the power of awakening interest in the subject. When his health began to give way in 1830, and he was ordered by his phy sician to try the waters of Wiesbaden, he would not submit to be taken care of by his mother and sister who lived there, but seized the opportunity of visiting the prisons of his dear Nassau, with those of Hesse and Frankfort on the Main. In the following year, he made a tour of inspection through Westphalia with the Freiherr von Vincke, and once more found the worst abuses in the prisons; particularly in Arensberg, where the prisoners were confined in dark dirty underground dungeons. This journey led to the publication of his work on Holland, and that again induced the ministry to commission him to visit England, in order to draw up a similar report on the various charitable organisations existing there, especially those connected with prisons and workhouses. Fliedner undertook the task with pleasure, for he had fong desired to view more nearly the field on which the labours of Elizabeth Fry had been so blessed. He set off in May 1832, and with his friend Dr. Steinkopff spent a night at Mrs. Fry's house, hearing much on the subject which was so dear to them both. He also accompanied her to Newgate, and often used to relate afterwards how tenderly and earnestly she addressed the poor women, and how her prayer was so fervent and touching, that a sceptical gentleman who was present from mere curiosity, fell on his knees with the rest before it was concluded. While in England, Fliedner had much intercourse, destined to the place of a mother to ten younger brothers and sisters, under circumstances of much trial, as her father lost almost the whole of his property, entirely without any fault of his own. She learnt to know the Lord from the two Basle missionaries, Göbel and Traub, and when her father married again, and no longer required her help at home, she took a chief charge in an institution founded near Dusseldorf by the Count von der Recke for the rescue of neglected or unfortunate girls, and it was here that Fliedner made her acquaintance. For fourteen years she was a faithful wife to him, and the tenderest of mothers to her ten children, seven of whom she was called on to surrender to her God during her own life. In the little congregation, too, she was a true mother in Israel; under her husband's direction she set on foot a society for the care of the sick and poor, and the reader will soon hear what a judicious and affectionate superintendent she was to Fliedner's institutions in their earliest and most difficult years. Meanwhile Fliedner's exertions for the prisoners allowed him no rest, for wherever a door seemed opened for the founding of a new association, or an old one required to have new life put into it, he had to cast himself into the breach; since no one equalled him either in zeal or the power of awakening interest in the subject. When his health began to give way in 1830, and he was ordered by his phy sician to try the waters of Wiesbaden, he would not submit to be taken care of by his mother and sister who lived there, but seized the opportunity of visiting the prisons of his dear Nassau, with those of Hesse and Frankfort on the Main. In the following year, he made a tour of inspection through Westphalia with the Freiherr von Vincke, and once more found the worst abuses in the prisons; particularly in Arensberg, where the prisoners were confined in dark dirty underground dungeons. This journey led to the publication of his work on Holland, and that again induced the ministry to commission him to visit England, in order to draw up a similar report on the various charitable organisations existing there, especially those connected with prisons and workhouses. Fliedner undertook the task with pleasure, for he had fong desired to view more nearly the field on which the labours of Elizabeth Fry had been so blessed. He set off in May 1832, and with his friend Dr. Steinkopff spent a night at Mrs. Fry's house, hearing much on the subject which was so dear to them both. He also accompanied her to Newgate, and often used to relate afterwards how tenderly and earnestly she addressed the poor women, and how her prayer was so fervent and touching, that a sceptical gentleman who was present from mere curiosity, fell on his knees with the rest before it was concluded. While in England, Fliedner had much intercourse, destined to |