,transcriber's ,notes3 ,words in italics
 in the original are surrounded by      
underscores4 ,a row of asterisks        
represents a thought break4             
,,memorial                              
,,of                       ,,mrs4 ,,lucy
 ,,gilpatrick ,,marsh4                  
,a ,,funeral ,,address                  
,,delivered ,,at ,,the ,,eliot ,,church1
 ,,boston ,,highlands1                  
,,monday1 ,,june #bb1 #ahfh4            
,,by                        ,,rev4 ,a4  
,c4 ,,thompson1 ,d4,d4                  
,,printed ,,by ,,order ,,of ,,the       
,,executive ,,committee ,,of ,,the      
,,eliot                         ,,city  
,,mission ,,society4                    
,,boston3                               
,,gould ,,and ,,lincoln1                
#ei ,,washington ,,street4              
#ahfh4     ,,funeral ,,address4   ,when 
the ,lord removed his servant ,moses1   
there was but one mourner1 and that     
mourner was all ,israel4 ,to-day a whole
 community is the mourner4 ,a           

mother--may ,i not say1 the mother--in  
,israel has been taken from us4 ,a      
woman1 a whole woman1 an aged woman1 a  
thoroughly ,christian woman1--one worthy
 to have sat with ,mary ,magdalene and  
the other ,mary over against the        
sepulchre1 to have returned with them1  
that she might assist in preparing sweet
 spices1 and1 when the ,sabbath was     
past1 to have come back again to the    
tomb1--is herself to be laid away       
to-day4 ,we glance at her career and    
character4  ,it is of small moment where
 she was born1--it was in the town of   
,biddeford1 ,maine2 of small moment that
 it was on ,july #c;d1 #agib2 of small  
moment that she was the youngest of     
twelve children1 none of whom now       
survive4 ,but it is a point of interest 
to us1 that1 when a little past twenty  
years of age1 she became by renewing    
grace a child of ,god2 that the chief   
reason for leaving home1 fifty years    
ago1 was a persistent opposition1 on the
 part of friends1 to her ,christian     

activity2 that afterwards she left for a
 time her field of usefulness in this   
city to attend upon her mother in her   
last sickness1 and then had the         
satisfaction of rejoicing over the      
conversion of that parent at the same   
age she has now herself departed this   
life4 ,still later1 and under the same  
circumstances1 she performed a similar  
kind service for her father in his      
closing sickness1 and was cheered by the
 hope of his conversion too1 when just  
verging upon fourscore4 ,being in       
,biddeford at that time for ten months1 
she established a female prayer-meeting1
 and several conversions followed4 ,she 
also1 after much opposition1 opened a   
,sabbath school1 having obtained        
permission to occupy a school-house1 but
 at the same time being forbidden to use
 wood belonging to the town4 ,that1 it  
was supposed1 would prevent the         
attendance of children4 ,but the noble  
woman was not to be baffled thus4 ,in   
her own arms she carried fuel from her  

house4 ,of course the ,sabbath school   
was a success4  ,she had previously had 
tempting offers1 to the extent even of  
the homestead to be secured to her1 if  
she would remain there2 but ,providence1
 as she believed1 evidently called her  
to ,christian labors in this city1 and  
to her mind that was decisive4          
,pecuniary considerations might not     
divert her from the ,master's service   
here4 ,how far from a sinecure was that6
 ,while acting indefatigably as matron  
of a reformatory institution1 she       
attended the prayer-meetings of the     
church to which she belonged1 and a     
private devotional meeting preparatory  
to each of them4 ,in addition to her    
regular ,sabbath-school exercise1 she   
once a week taught a class of colored   
children1 and spent ,saturday afternoons
 in visiting members of the same1       
besides paying weekly visits to persons 
in the ,house of ,correction4  ,one of  
the senior members of this church hands 
me1 by request1 the following           

memorandum3,footnote3 ,rev ,r4          
,anderson1 ,d4,d4--  ,i have known ,mrs4
 ,marsh since the year #ahbj1 or about  
forty-eight years4 ,in that year ,i came
 to ,boston from the ,andover ,seminary1
 with several classmates1 to spend a    
vacation in missionary labors1 and made 
my home at a religious boarding-house1  
kept by ,miss ,witham and ,miss         
,gilpatrick4 ,as ,i recollect ,miss     
,gilpatrick1--and ,i well recollect     
her1--she was the same sort of a        
,christian woman then that we have known
 her to be of late years1 only without  
that grand development1 which time and  
the grace of ,god have given her1       
placing her among the more remarkable   
,christian women of her generation4     
,miss ,witham was married1 not long     
after1 to the ,rev4 ,amos ,bingham1     
brother of the missionary1 and1 at a    
later period1 ,miss ,gilpatrick was     
married to the ,rev4 ,christopher       
,marsh1 pastor of the ,congregational   
,church in ,west ,roxbury4 ,for several 

years before her marriage she had filled
 a responsible station in one of the    
most self-denying departments of the    
religious charities in ,boston2 and     
always1 as ,i have understood1 with the 
unbounded confidence of those who knew  
her1 in her ability1 integrity1 and     
devotedness to the cause of her         
,redeemer1 and in her unwearied efforts 
for the salvation of those placed under 
her care4 ,since that time she has been 
a striking illustration of an humble1   
devoted1 self-denying1 intelligent1     
useful follower of the ,lord ,jesus4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,what might be expected of such a one as
 parishioner8 ,just what her pastor at  
,jamaica ,plain1,footnote3 ,rev ,a4 ,h4 
,quint1 ,d4,d4 and other friends there  
testify4 ,the church in that place1 then
 struggling into existence1 was not a   
little indebted to her4 ,it was her     
constant endeavor to promote sociability
 in the congregation2 she made it an    
invariable practice to call on all      

new-comers1 and to request others to do 
the same4 ,never did she1 except under  
necessity1 absent herself from church   
meetings1 nor omit to speak a kind word 
and also a faithful word to those whom  
she met1 when suitable occasions        
presented4 ,her spirit and ways were    
peculiarly motherly4 ,during her        
residence here1 ,i have never looked    
upon her as a parishioner so much as a  
colleague1 my senior1 and one that may  
well be accounted a model4         99   
99       99       99       99  ,what    
might be expected of such a one as      
pastor's wife8 ,i indulge in no vague   
and conjectural portrait-painting1 nor  
yield to any professional bias1 but give
 the deliberate judgment of those       
acquainted1 and qualified to speak4 ,in 
the delicate relation now referred to1  
she was greatly beloved at ,west        
,roxbury2,footnote3 #ahca-ahej4 her life
 there was that of a missionary laboring
 in the by-ways for miles around4 ,it   
was very much owing to her truly        

self-denying and most energetic efforts1
 that a place of worship was built1 for 
which1 as for the communion service1 she
 solicited funds4 ,she collected the    
,sabbath school1 and for a time         
superintended it herself4 ,she gathered 
a female prayer-meeting1 and a meeting  
of mothers1 both of which she sustained 
almost unaided4 ,her kind attentions to 
the sick and afflicted1 to the aged and 
the young1 were unwearied4         99   
99       99       99       99  ,in      
#ahch1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,marsh1 finding   
his health improved1 was invited to     
settle again over the church in         
,sanford1 ,me41 where he had first been 
a pastor4 ,soon after1 there began a    
remarkable work of grace in that town1  
and during the short ministry there1    
till death closed her husband's labors1 
,mrs4 ,marsh toiled and prayed1 and     
rejoiced over a spiritual harvest4 ,it  
is not too much to say there will be    
weeping throughout the town of ,sanford1
 where these remains are to be taken1   

when the news of her decease shall reach
 the place4 ,what she was as a mother1  
faithful and tender1 there are those    
present who can testify4  ,what now     
might be expected of one1 with such a   
character and such antecedents1 on      
becoming our city missionary8 ,precisely
 what we delight to record of her4 ,in  
,september1 #ahfa1 she began that labor 
amongst us4 ,singular devotedness1      
fidelity1 and good judgment have marked 
her whole ministry here4 ,not long since
 she mentioned to a friend that she had 
taken this passage for her daily        
resting-place1--,be careful for nothing4
 ,of nothing that pertained to          
herself--ease1 strength1 or health--was 
she careful4 ,the cause of the poor1 and
 those spiritually perishing1 she made  
her own4 ,she gathered1 and chiefly     
maintained1 two or more series of weekly
 prayer-meetings1 and a mother's        
meeting2 she taught a ,bible-class in   
the mission ,sabbath school2 and that   
school1 by their tearful presence1 now  

attest the deep regard which they       
entertain for her4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,a sewing school1 
during the colder season1 was one       
favorite method of usefulness4 ,the     
first intimation of her coming in was   
the signal of a general brightening of  
faces1 and her smiles1 bestowed upon    
all1 gave fullest satisfaction4 ,while  
interested in providing employment for  
each scholar during the session1 her    
chief thought seemed to be1 ,how can ,i 
benefit these immortal souls8 ,to the   
utmost would she strive to win their    
attention to ,god's ,word1 to a hymn1 or
 valuable story4 ,though coming to the  
school1 often weary with labors         
elsewhere1 she would still listen with  
great patience to the many questions    
asked1 and would bear up cheerfully     
under the multiplied cares of the hour4 
,but her chief vocation was to visit    
from house to house4 ,go out with her   
into the region assigned4 ,it is no     
fancy sketch that ,i draw4 ,those who   

have accompanied ,mrs4 ,marsh supply the
 materials1 if not the colors4 ,in her  
walks through by-ways1 after her        
character had become manifest1 words of 
greeting would everywhere meet her from 
the little child and from older persons4
 ,the young were drawn to her1 and for  
all she had a kind word and a wise word4
 ,in the sick-room her presence acted   
like a charm2 the languid eye would     
brighten1 and the name of ,jesus was    
sure to be whispered in the ear4 ,it was
 as easy for her to pray to our heavenly
 ,father as to speak to any friend2 her 
prayers were earnest1 simple1 confiding1
 and appropriate to the occasion and the
 person4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,her peculiar field        
presents phases quite varied1 and which 
quite decisively test character4 ,the   
concurrent testimony of those who have  
been associated with ,mrs4 ,marsh more  
or less intimately1 and have seen her in
 the different departments of ,christian
 work1 is that they cannot name a fault 

in her2 that they have been deeply      
impressed with her singular fitness for 
such service2 that they have found her  
always calm and collected2 that she     
never seemed surprised at any scene of  
destitution1 or any amount of complaint 
poured into her patient ear2 that she   
showed herself forbearing and           
sympathizing1 yet watchful and decided2 
and that1 if occasion required1--as     
occasion sometimes did require1--they   
found she could be stern4  ,she         
understood human nature well2 character 
seemed to lie open to her eye4 ,attempts
 at concealment or deceit were almost   
always futile4 ,one had need be master  
of chicanery to impose upon her4  ,very 
few here know what courage there was in 
that heart4 ,never otherwise than       
womanly1 never weakly feminine1 she     
exhibited1 when there was need1 true    
heroism1 a masculine daring of          
benevolence4 ,she never boasted1--no    
truly courageous person is ever         
boastful1--she seldom spoke of what she 

had done2 but there are persons living  
who know somewhat of a history1 in      
former years especially1 that shows the 
highest style of undaunted1             
self-forgetting intrepidity4  ,another  
characteristic of ,mrs4 ,marsh--and far 
from being unimportant--was her habit of
 great exactness in making a written    
record of articles sent in for          
gratuitous distribution1 and in keeping 
a detailed account1 even to every       
two-cent purchase1 from her ,poor's     
,purse1 which was entirely separate from
 the mission treasury4         99       
99       99       99       99  ,her     
industry was remarkable4 ,it was not    
fragmentary1 occasional1 spasmodic2 but 
maintained month by month1 year after   
year1 in heat and cold1 in rain1 snow1  
and tempest1 in weariness1 and often in 
great discomfort walking a long way from
 her home that she might minister to    
those in need4 ,after visiting thus from
 house to house all day1 she has        
frequently sewed till the neighborhood  

of midnight preparing garments for the  
destitute4 ,if there are any two stars  
symbolizing activity and perseverance1  
it must have been under their           
conjunction that she was born4 ,growing 
old and growing indolent had no affinity
 in her4 ,it should be borne in mind    
that almost the whole of this good work 
amongst us has been performed on        
borrowed time1 since the period of      
three-score and ten had been reached1--a
 period which by universal consent is   
allowed and is usually taken for repose1
 for remission of all laborious effort4 
,at the hour of her decease last        
,saturday morning1 ,mrs4 ,marsh lacked  
only thirteen days of being seventy-six4
  ,look at her record for the last year 
only4 ,besides being almoner of other   
comforts and delicacies for the sick and
 destitute1 she distributed more than   
one thousand two hundred garments and   
other articles to the needy2 more than  
two thousand religious tracts1 papers1  
books1 and the like2 and made rising of 

three thousand visits2 which1 owing to  
lameness1 was a number less by one      
thousand than that of the year previous4
  ,it should be stated that in early    
life her constitution and her health    
seemed not to be firm2 and that         
frequently her toils have been          
prosecuted amidst no small amount of    
weakness and even suffering4 ,hers is   
one of the cases going to show that     
nothing conduces more to longevity than 
benevolent industry4  ,it should also be
 stated that this perseverance in       
,christian toil did not stand connected 
with personal necessities4 ,children had
 urged her to withdraw from these       
labors1 and at more than one of their   
homes is an apartment called ,mother's  
,room1 which has for years stood waiting
 for her4 ,loyalty to the ,master       
demanded1 as she believed1 that all     
remaining strength should1 no less than 
in former years1 be devoted to him4 ,her
 life was1 to its close1 a protest      
against the prevailing spirit of        

self-indulgence4 ,though fully aware    
that the hour of departure hastened on1 
she could not bring herself to the      
pitiful work of merely saving her own   
soul4 ,there are certain of woman's     
rights which she strenuously yet        
modestly vindicated1--her right to quiet
 benevolent activity1 her right to be a 
ministering angel4 ,you may have noticed
 that trees and plants1 when they feel  
the approach of decay1 sometimes seem to
 hasten their fruitage just at the last4
 ,she was aware that her time was short1
 and she hastened to make the most of   
it4 ,and it would be an important       
omission if the statement were not made 
that in her views of duty and in her    
,christian sympathies there was no      
narrowness4 ,this work of city          
evangelization was no pet employment4   
,it proceeded from genuine principle1   
which is always expansive and           
liberalizing4 ,her heart went out with  
special interest to the ,home           
,missionary ,society1 and yet more      

toward the foreign fields of the        
,american ,board4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,had our deceased 
friend the weakness--the comparatively  
pardonable weakness of vanity8 ,had the 
characteristic infirmity of old age come
 upon her1--a fondness for recounting   
earlier or more recent labors and       
successes8 ,from what has been said1 you
 who are strangers to her would hardly  
expect it1 for you have noticed that it 
is the lighter ears of grain that hold  
their heads highest1 and wave about most
 freely4 ,mrs4 ,marsh was a branch so   
laden with fruit as to hang low2 she was
 clothed with humility4 ,she sat at the 
,master's feet4 ,she did not talk about 
meekness or modesty1--she illustrated   
them4 ,moses probably did not know how  
his face shone as he came down from the 
mount2 our friend seemed not to know how
 radiant hers was with benevolence2 nor 
how busy were her own feet in errands of
 kindness4 ,all agree in testifying that
 this grace of humility shed a sweet1   

calm lustre over all her other virtues4 
,the only one's faithfulness that she   
hesitated to speak of was her own2 her  
uniform estimate of herself was1 ,i am  
an unprofitable servant4 ,who ever      
suspected her of vainglory8 ,who will   
say that she was not accustomed to give 
all glory and praise to ,god8  ,this    
quality was too genuine to admit of a   
sombre tinge4 ,there seemed to be no    
trace of false spirituality4 ,she       
exhibited a fine combination of         
cheerfulness and seriousness4 ,in fact1 
she had no time for despondency about   
herself or others4 ,heart1 lips1 and    
hands were too full of something else to
 admit of moodiness4         99       99
       99       99       99  ,mrs4      
,marsh had often expressed a desire     
that1 if it pleased ,god1 she might not 
outlive active usefulness2 that she     
might die in the harness1 might die here
 amongst us4 ,when two years ago a city 
missionary in ,boston,footnote3 ,deacon 
,wilder4 died suddenly1 she said she    

would like to go in the same way4 ,god  
has substantially gratified her wish4   
,now1 in all the relations at which we  
have glanced1 and positions as daughter1
 as head of a family1 as head of a      
charitable institution1 as private      
church-member1 as a helpmeet for a      
,christian minister1 and as city        
missionary1 she exhibited the highest   
order of conscientiousness1 and of      
consecration to ,god4 ,have you ever    
known one who walked more nearly in the 
steps of our ,lord and ,saviour1 one who
 did less to please self8 ,do you recall
 an acquaintance who appeared to act    
less from impulse1 or more uniformly    
from an abiding sense of duty1 in all   
quietness and steadfastness doing with  
her might what the hands found to do8 ,a
 friend1 who has known her intimately   
for forty years1 states1--,i never knew 
,mrs4 ,marsh lukewarm or with a cold    
heart4 ,her life has been a chain of    
well doing all along1 without one       
breakage4         99       99       99  

99       99  ,the impression with us is 
deep1 that the character of our deceased
 friend was in its type a very uncommon 
one2 that by the grace of ,god it       
attained to a moral grandeur seldom     
witnessed4 ,such concentration1 such    
unselfishness1 such devout persistency  
in endeavors to honor our ,lord ,jesus  
,christ raise her to a lofty level4  ,we
 would institute no comparison between  
her and the votaries of fashion1--the   
frivolous1 selfish beings1 whose        
thoughts centre chiefly on personal     
accomplishments and position4 ,she that 
liveth in pleasure is dead while she    
liveth4 ,but for a moment bring to mind 
those of a more elevated grade1 who1 by 
the pen1 the pencil1 or in the          
departments of sculpture and music1     
minister to aesthetic enjoyment1 and the
 mental improvement of a community4     
,select1 if you please1 one who attained
 to the same age with our departed      
friend1 a woman of undoubted talents1 of
 unimpeached morals1 the most           

distinguished tragic actress that       
,england ever produced1 and who was     
applauded to the skies4 ,let ,sarah     
,kemble ,siddons march grandly up that  
aisle4 ,ah1 to what nothingness does she
 shrivel in the presence of this        
heavenly woman1 around whom the light of
 the cross and the glories of eternity  
gather6 ,let the present ,roman         
,pontiff1 born the same year with this  
humble city missionary1 enter in all his
 regalia2 how does his triple crown grow
 dim before the crown of righteousness  
that adorns her head6         99        
99       99       99       99  ,ten days
 ago1 at the last meeting of the ,eliot 
,city ,mission ,society1 ,mrs4 ,marsh1  
in view of failing strength1 sent in her
 resignation4 ,a committee were         
appointed to wait upon her1 and convey  
an expression of the general            
appreciation in which she and her labors
 are held4 ,they have as yet had no     
opportunity to do so4 ,they are now     
present1 and will briefly perform the   

duty assigned them4         99       99 
99       99       99  ,beloved          
,friend1--beloved ,persis1 who hast     
labored much in the ,lord1--we speak in 
behalf of ourselves1 and we speak in    
behalf of multitudes4 ,a church to whom 
you are endeared1 a missionary          
association bearing an apostolic name1  
an affectionate and indebted ,sabbath   
school1 who are here at this hour1 a    
whole section of our city1 many scores  
of sick-rooms1--,german mothers1        
,holland mothers1 mothers from ,england 
and ,scotland1--bid us say1 ,we all     
respect you1 we love you1 we thank ,god 
for your coming amongst us4 ,your       
prayers have strengthened us2 your wise 
and motherly ministrations have relieved
 us4 ,the very stones of this rocky     
place have been worn to smoothness by   
your busy footsteps4 ,the very dust of  
our streets is hallowed4 ,tears fall    
apace2 yet we praise the ,lord that     
there remaineth a rest for his people4  
,rest1 weary head2      ,lie down to    

slumber in the peaceful tomb2           
,light from above has broken through its
 gloom2      ,here in the place where   
once thy ,saviour lay1      ,where he   
shall wake thee on a future day1--      
,like a tired child upon its mother's   
breast1--                  ,rest1       
sweetly rest4                   ,rest1  
spirit free1      ,in the green pastures
 of the heavenly shore1      ,where sin 
and sorrow can approach no more2        
,with all the flock by the ,good        
,shepherd fed1      ,beside the streams 
of life eternal led1      ,forever with 
thy ,god and ,saviour blest1            
,rest1 sweetly rest4