Page:Women worth emulating (1877) Internet Archive.djvu/125

Rh which, under the Divine blessings lead to eminence.

In the year 1781, a young married couple, aged respectively 23 and 22, set up their first home in lodgings at Islington. Their marriage dower consisted of love and faith towards God and each other, superior intelligence, and habits of industry and frugality. Isaac Taylor, the husband, was an engraver, with no other certain income than half a guinea a week for three days' work, weekly provided for him by his elder brother, who was afterwards known as "the learned editor of Calmet's Dictionary ." This income, with thirty pounds in hand, and a hundred pounds in stock possessed by Mrs. Taylor, and furniture enough for their two' pleasant rooms, comprised their pecuniary means for starting in life. Both these young people were endowed with those distinctive qualities which we call a character. Both were sincerely religious, showing forth their principles in their daily life.

In January, 1782, Anne, their gifted eldest child, was born. A year and nine months after, September, 1783, Jane, destined to be so well known and loved, was added to the household. A removal had taken place from what then was a rural suburb of London, to Red Lion Street, Holbom, and here their first son, who did not survive childhood, was given to them.

If the father had now to toil very hard to maintain his family, the mother^s exertions were quite as great. She never allowed herself, any recreation.