ELIZABETH FRY, dreaded " the dark." To be left without a candle at night caused her acute paroxysms of anguish, which, ultimately, injured her nervous system. She endured tortures at sight of agun ; she once gave up a delightful party of pleasure because there was a gun in the carriage in which she was to travel with her father and mother. She would fall into trans- ports of misery at the idea of bathing ; the first glimpse of the sea invariably calling forth a burst of tears. But reserved and silent as she was timid and impressionable, she never told any one of her painful fears, which occasioned her being estimated as dull, stupid, and obstinate. Poor little Elizabeth being regarded as a stupid, obstinate child, so continually heard herself con- demned for dulness that at length she considered it a hopeless labour to attempt to acquire anything. Her delicate health offered a ready plea for neglect- ing lessons ; and she was generally permitted to escape from the irksome tasks to the tranquil and meditative pleasures she preferred. She consequently bid fair to grow up lamentably ignorant, careless, self - willed, and obstinate. For the gentle, amiable, timid little Elizabeth Gurney was proud and inexorably obstinate at heart. Yielding readily to a mild request, an implication of command or authority roused her to a state of quiet but determined revolt; and the spirit of contradiction seemed thoroughly ingrafted in her nature. Her religious feelings were inclined to be serious 8
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