resignation of this worthy woman. Mrs Balwhidder was confounded,
and said, there was more sorrow in seeing the deep grief of her
fortitude than tongue could tell.

Having taken a glass of wine with her, I walked out to conduct her
to her own house; but in the way we met with a severe trial. All
the weans were out parading with napkins and kail-blades on sticks,
rejoicing and triumphing in the glad tidings of victory. But when
they saw me and Mrs Malcolm coming slowly along, they guessed what
had happened, and threw away their banners of joy; and standing all
up in a row, with silence and sadness, along the kirkyard wall as we
passed, showed an instinct of compassion that penetrated to my very
soul. The poor mother burst into fresh affliction, and some of the
bairns into an audible weeping; and, taking one another by the hand,
they followed us to her door, like mourners at a funeral. Never was
such a sight seen in any town before. The neighbours came to look
at it as we walked along, and the men turned aside to hide their
faces; while the mothers pressed their babies fondlier to their
bosoms, and watered their innocent faces with their tears.

I prepared a suitable sermon, taking as the words of my text, "Howl,
ye ships of Tarshish, for your strength is laid waste." But when I
saw around me so many of my people clad in complimentary mourning
for the gallant Charles Malcolm, and that even poor daft Jenny
Gaffaw, and her daughter, had on an old black riband; and when I
thought of him, the spirited laddie, coming home from Jamaica with
his parrot on his shoulder, and his limes for me, my heart filled
full, and I was obliged to sit down in the pulpit, and drop a tear.

After a pause, and the Lord having vouchsafed to compose me, I rose