So ends the story of Charlotte Maria Tucker; for fifty-four years A Lady of England, and for eighteen years A Lady of India. It is the story of a brave and self-sacrificing life, whether in her quiet English home, or in the vicissitudes of her Indian career. I have done my best to present her simply and truly as that which she was,—a very unusual and noble character, with of course some of those defects which are found in even the best and noblest of men and women. Charlotte Tucker would herself have been the first to deprecate any attempt to make her out a faultless being. Faultless she was not; but she was singularly true, unselfish, devoted, single-hearted, earnest-minded, and loving.
The one aim perpetually before her eyes was to carry out the Will of her Father in Heaven, alike in the greatest and in the smallest matters. Whether she were striving to bring the Heathen to a knowledge of the Truth, whether she were discussing difficult questions with a Muhammadan, whether she were writing a book, whether she were entertaining a guest, whether she were trying to cheer a sick friend, whether she were playing a game with little brown boys,—in any case she put the whole of herself into the task which she had in hand, and she did it ‘unto God.’ To the utmost of her ability, all that she undertook was done thoroughly. There was no half-heartedness, no slurring over of one thing or another. Difficulties, oppositions, failures, discouragements, lack of apparent results, all these, instead of disheartening her, seemed rather to spur her on to renewed efforts.
Beyond the few words above, no eulogistic ending to her Biography is needed. If her Life as it was lived does not speak for itself, mere words of praise would be thrown away. It is possible that her example, in going out to India after the age of fifty, will lead others to do the same; and if so, one object of her going will have been accomplished. That may well be the result in England of her eighteen years’ toil. The results in India lie beyond our puny powers of measurement.
FOOTNOTES
[1] It was a custom in the family, through several generations, to give a Christmas present to each child of new silver, the amount given being one shilling for each year of age, and sixpence in addition. Thus, a child of ten would receive ten and sixpence, all in new silver.
[2] One of a band of robbers.
[3] Chief police-officer.
[4] At the Official East India Company’s dinner, given by the Directors; ladies being admitted to a gallery as spectators.
[5] A pet name for her sister.