University of Virginia Library

Dr. Judson was not only a celebrated man and missionary, but his
wives have been worthy of him, and, of course, have been celebrated
women. Many of the details of the missions in which these individuals
labored, and which are given in their separate memoirs, have
been omitted in this work, and the lives and characters of the women
themselves are set before us. The circulation of the volume cannot
but be useful.

A rapid examination of the book has left the impression on our minds
that the author has performed her task successfully; weaving faithful
and graceful narratives out of materials furnished to her hand by previous
biographers.

It will command a wide circulation among the numerous class in our
community, interested in missionary enterprises. It possesses, also, a
literary value, which commends it to the public attention.

It is one effect of the missionary cause that it has given to the church
and the world some of the finest models of female character. Not a small
number of American ladies who might have spent their lives in circumstances
of ease, and in circles of refinement, in their own country, have
cheerfully surrendered everything to the conviction of duty, and have
gone to live and die in heathen lands; and in thus devoting themselves
to the best of causes, they have become examples of glowing and heroic
fortitude in honor of Christ, which may be considered as marking
a new epoch in the history of their sex. Dr. Judson's three wives, of
whom we have an interesting account in this volume, belong to this
favored class of females; and no Christian can read these sketches
without feeling that each of them is deservedly embalmed in the gratitude
of the church. They differed essentially in some of their natural
qualities, but they were alike in the one grand point, of entire devotion
to the missionary work. There is little danger of multiplying judicious
works of this kind beyond the demand.