In the classics and mathematics she exhibited uncommon aptitude, and
made unusual attainments; so that it was truly said of her, "Perhaps
no female missionary ever left our country with a mind so well
disciplined as Mrs. Judith S. Grant." She sailed for Persia, July
11, 1835; and there she displayed rare ability in acquiring the
language of the people. The Turkish she soon spoke familiarly. In a
short time she read the ancient Syriac, and acquired the spoken
language with at least equal facility. Previous even to these
acquisitions, she taught Mar Yohanan and others English; and as they
noticed the ease with which she turned to her Greek Testament,
whenever ours seemed to differ from the ancient Syriac, they
regarded her with feelings in which it would be hard to say whether
wonder, love, or reverence was the strongest. Some might have cried
out, when her fine intellect and rare acquirements were devoted to
the missionary work, "Why is this waste of the ointment made?" But
had her friends searched the round world for a sphere of greatest
usefulness, they could not have selected one where her rare gifts
would have accomplished so much; and when such a woman manifested
deep solicitude for the education of her sex, ancient prejudice fell
before her.
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