Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/44

16 united to her in marriage in Slough Church, in July, 1850. The next nine years were spent by the young couple in the Presbyterian Manse of Falstone, where their three sons—William, Alexander, and Donald—were born. While giving her chief attention to her family and household, the claims of religion and her neighbours were not overlooked by Mrs Stuart, who fulfilled in an eminently exemplary manner the duties appertaining to her position as the wife of a country clergyman.

As already stated Mr and Mrs Stuart and their children reached Dunedin early in January, 1860, and after a time were settled in Knox Church Manse. Mrs Stuart's many excellent qualities, her good example, and her earnest desire to prove useful, soon gained for her the esteem and confidence of the members of the congregation and of the general community, and to all appearance she seemed destined, like her husband, to become a great power for good. Great were the grief and disappointment when in little more than two years after her arrival in Dunedin she was called away by the inscrutable decree of her Heavenly Father. The poignant grief that wrung the heart of her bereaved husband called forth expressions of the deepest sympathy from the entire community. The Provincial Council, then in session, on being informed of Mrs Stuart's death, resolved, out of respect to her memory, to adjourn till after the funeral.

Mrs Stuart's remains were conveyed to their last resting-place on Saturday, April 19th. It was stated by the Otago Daily Times that a very large number of the inhabitants testified their respect for the deceased by forming part of the funeral cortege, which numbered fully 150 persons, and that many of the shops and even some of the hotels were closed on the occasion. Mr Stuart and his eldest son were accompanied by the venerable Dr Burns, and among those who followed were the Rev. E. G. Edwards; a number of clergymen of the Presbyterian and Wesleyan churches; Sir John Richardson (Superintendent of the Province); members of the Provincial Council; and Messrs Cutten, Hepburn, Dick, Cargill, Gillies, Reynolds, McGlashan, Paterson, Hislop, &c. The service at the grave was conducted by the Rev. Mr Will.

The Session of Knox Church expressed their feelings regarding this sorrowful event in the following resolution:—"The Session record their deep sympathy with their minister in the late bereavement