How weak, perhaps enthusiastic, would this have appeared to the busy crowd, blind to the special providence exercised by the God of heaven towards all his creatures. She felt the pressure of her affliction; but, like the Psalmist, _gave herself unto prayer_:
"Prayer ardent opens heaven, lets down a stream Of glory on the consecrated hour Of man in audience with the Deity."
Though her faith was strong, yet her mind was under such agitation, from her total want of funds to carry her plan into effect, and from other conflicting exercises, as to throw her into a nervous fever, which kept her confined to her bed for some weeks. On her recovery, she felt it her duty to _go forward,_ trusting that He, who had directed her path, would provide the means that were necessary to enable her to walk in it: she sold her heavy furniture, packed up all her remaining effects, and prepared to set out from Paisley for Edinburgh on a Monday, in the year 1779.
On the Saturday previous she sat by her fire musing and wondering in what manner the Lord would appear for her at this time, when a letter was brought to her from Mr. Peter Reid, enclosing a sum of money which he had recovered from the underwriters, on account of Mrs. Graham's muslins captured on their passage to the West Indies. Mrs. Graham had considered them as totally lost, but her friend had taken the precaution to have them insured.
With this supply she was enabled to accomplish her object, and arrived in Edinburgh with her family. Her friend Mrs. Brown met her there, and stayed with her a few days, to comfort and patronize her in her new undertaking. Mrs. Brown was her warm and constant friend until her death, which occurred at Paisley in 1782, when she was attending the communion. She bequeathed her daughter Mary to Mrs. Graham's care. But in 1785 the daughter followed the mother, being cut off by a fever in the twelfth year of her age.
It may be proper here to introduce the name of Mr. George Anderson, a merchant in Glasgow, who had been an early and particular friend of Dr. Graham. He kindly offered his friendly services, and the use of his purse, to promote the welfare of the bereaved family of his friend. Mrs. Graham occasionally drew upon both. The money she borrowed she had the satisfaction of repaying with interest. A correspondence was carried on between them after Mrs. Graham's removal to America, until the death of Mr. Anderson, in 1802.