what might happen. Oh! it was an ill-omened word. The same night
her trouble came on, and before the morning she was a cauld corpse,
and another wee wee fatherless baby was greeting at my bosom--it was
him that's noo awa' in America. He grew up to be a fine bairn, with
a warm heart, but a light head, and, wanting the rein of a father's
power upon him, was no sa douce as I could have wished; but he was
no man's foe save his own. I thought, and hoped, as he grew to
years of discretion, he would have sobered, and been a consolation
to my old age; but he's gone, and he'll never come back--
disappointment is my portion in this world, and I have no hope;
while I can do, I will seek no help, but threescore and fifteen can
do little, and a small ail is a great evil to an aged woman, who has
but the distaff for her breadwinner."

I did all that I could to bid her be of good cheer, but the comfort
of a hopeful spirit was dead within her; and she told me, that by
many tokens she was assured her bairn was already slain.--"Thrice,"
said she, "I have seen his wraith--the first time he was in the
pride of his young manhood, the next he was pale and wan, with a
bloody and gashy wound in his side, and the third time there was a
smoke, and, when it cleared away, I saw him in a grave, with neither
winding-sheet nor coffin."

The tale of this pious and resigned spirit dwelt in mine ear, and,
when I went home, Mrs Balwhidder thought that I had met with an
o'ercome, and was very uneasy; so she got the tea soon ready to make
me better; but scarcely had we tasted the first cup when a loud
lamentation was heard in the kitchen. This was from that tawpy the
wife of Thomas Wilson, with her three weans. They had been seeking
their meat among the farmer houses, and, in coming home, forgathered