Yesterday mng. at 6.30am, themos mugs of coffee in hand, David and I headed off to Winchester. The slight delay caused by having to fill up with fuel meant that we were to late for the start of the 7.40 service (though we were in the Cathedral while it was happening and heard nothing...) so we just indulged in a time-less wander round looking at the architecture, considering details of history and people whose epitaphs made us stop and think.
I copied out a couple into my note book - both of ladies - this one was on a slab on the floor:
"she was a friendly, charitable and religious woman who went through a long course of sickness with a pious resignation to providence and firm in the Christian hope of risign again to a happy immorality. ... a most virtuous and affectionate wife"
the other, above the door to the crypt:
"Her exemplary discharge of every reletive duty is attested by the deep regret of her surviving children and precularly of him who for forty-four years was blessed in a conjugal union with her and whose affliction at her loss and gratitude to her memory no words can express. In love unwearied, in friendship firmly attatched, in principle strong yet unostentatious, in afflictions resigned, in purpose calm, in judgement discerning, in manners engaging, in habits active. She lived to serve others rather than herself 'adorning the doctrine of God her Saviour in all things'. The powerful intellect which she inherited from her father was blended with every feature of feminine softness and ornamented with the dignity of a Christian matron. Her superior talents were dedicated to their heavenly donor by incessant exertions to enlighten the ingorance, to mitigate the sorrows, to relieve the wants and to train the children of the poor to habits of piety and industry.... in the integrity of that faith which worketh by love with her lamp burning and her light shining and in steady reliance on the merits of her blessed redeemer she was translated as may be humbly hoped, to the society of those celestial spirits whose compassionate ministrations she imitated here on earth ' 1830 aged 65

Wow! what a woman! I should think I'd need to live to be a lot older than 65 to even half-approach the attainments of this lady - still, it gives one something to aim for!