partaken plentifully of the mercy and faithfulness of our covenanted God. She had been permitted the high privilege of ministering to both the soul and body of our departed child in her latter end, and of witnessing the triumphant close of that solemn scene. To me this was denied; and many painful thoughts filled my mind, in connexion with this appointment of the Sovereign Disposer of all events. But if separated from the deathbed of one I loved so tenderly, it was in the path of duty; and though the trial was felt, I was, in a measure, enabled to say-" It is well." We were not yet out of the furnace: many such duties as I lamented not being permitted to perform for dear Matilda, awaited me; and had the occasions been then foreseen which were about to call for those, how altered in character, or how subdued, must have been our present grief! It is well to remember, that "inconsolable sorrow in such cases as ours, "however admired by the world, is rebellion against the appointment of God, and the offspring of unbelief; that grief should no more be indulged and cherished, than our anger and other passions." But how gracious is the Lord! The rod was in his hand; The array of

" *

yet he afflicted not willingly.

* Scott.

coming chastisements was concealed from us, and each stripe, as it fell, was preceded by no terrors. Verily, we may sing of "mercy" with "judgment."

66

Matilda's mortal remains were laid in the narrow house appointed for all living" on Tuesday, the 17th April, in the blessed hope of a glorious resurrection. Death had made little change in her appearance. For her years she was naturally tall, and during her illness she had grown much. As I hung over her, on the evening of my arrival at home, and the light which I held in my hand fell upon her features, she seemed as in a peaceful sleep. Her lips, though shrivelled, retained the redness of life, and were not so compressed as to conceal her teeth, which appeared between. Her dark eye-lashes and pencilled eye-brows contrasted strongly with the marble whiteness of her forehead; and I felt, amidst the stillness of the chamber, as if she were about to awaken from her slumber, and to turn. on me the full black eye, beaming with intelligence, which I had so often looked on. Alas! the illusion soon vanished. "Dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return," was inscribed throughout on the motionless frame which lay before me; and when I reflected on her early

youth and advanced attainments—the healththe sprightly vivacity—the happy disposition for which she had been distinguished, I could only exclaim" What hath sin wrought!" "Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

"And Thou my fainting soul with strength
Didst strengthen inwardly."

THE state of the other children excited no apprehension in our minds. The older ones appeared almost recovered from the effects of the epidemic; and as we looked for the speedy approach of warm weather, which would enable us to remove them for the benefit of change of air, no alarm possessed us on their account. They were confined to the house, indeed, the severity of the season being remarkable; but this was their only restriction. Our youngest, Jessie, just two years old, was evidently the most weakly; but she was not confined to bed. Her case appeared in some points to resemble Matilda's; yet, as she had none of the spasmodic affection which we associated with the fatal termination of her sister's

ailment, and little of her weakness—moreover, as she every day was carried about in the nurse's arms, and often displayed the cheerfulness of health, no one conceived her to be in danger. The medical attendant, too, had ceased his visits, being equally at ease with ourselves. That her convalescence was less advanced than the others, we ascribed to her aversion to medicine, and her resistance, only occasionally overcome, to the necessary remedies for the removal of the fever which still hung about her.

On Friday of the week on which we had committed Matilda to kindred dust, Jessie appeared greatly improved. We were encouraged in our cheerful anticipations, and our minds were at rest, so far as they could be under our recent wound. We still had six sweet children; and though we mourned her departure who had been so bright a pattern to them that remained, we knew that God had taken her:-she had gone to Christ, which was "far better" than to be with us.

On Saturday morning it was thought that an unfavourable change was perceptible in our little darling; not so marked, however, as much to increase our anxiety for her. It was natural that we should now be easily alarmed; and our fears, in so far as they existed, were ascribed to this.