in war. In less than a month after, the news came of a victory over
the French fleet, and by the same post I got a letter from Mr
Howard, that was the midshipman who came to see us with Charles,
telling me that poor Charles had been mortally wounded in the
action, and had afterwards died of his wounds. "He was a hero in
the engagement," said Mr Howard, "and he died as a good and a brave
man should."--These tidings gave me one of the sorest hearts I ever
suffered, and it was long before I could gather fortitude to
disclose the tidings to poor Charles's mother. But the callants of
the school had heard of the victory, and were going shouting about,
and had set the steeple bell a-ringing, by which Mrs Malcolm heard
the news; and knowing that Charles's ship was with the fleet, she
came over to the manse in great anxiety to hear the particulars,
somebody telling her that there had been a foreign letter to me by
the postman.

When I saw her I could not speak, but looked at her in pity, and,
the tear fleeing up into my eyes, she guessed what had happened.
After giving a deep and sore sigh, she enquired, "How did he behave?
I hope well, for he was aye a gallant laddie!"--and then she wept
very bitterly. However, growing calmer, I read to her the letter;
and, when I had done, she begged me to give it to her to keep,
saying, "It's all that I have now left of my pretty boy; but it's
mair precious to me than the wealth of the Indies;" and she begged
me to return thanks to the Lord for all the comforts and manifold
mercies with which her lot had been blessed, since the hour she put
her trust in him alone; and that was when she was left a penniless
widow, with her five fatherless bairns.

It was just an edification of the spirit to see the Christian