his house liberally. Old Richard remained in the family during the rest of his life, and had a good salary for only saying prayers amongst the servants every night. Alice was married to a tobacconist at Hexham. Edward was made the Colonel's gamekeeper, and had a present of a fine gold mounted gun given him. His master afterwards procured him a commission in a regiment of foot, where he suffered many misfortunes and disappointments. He was shot through the shoulder at the battle of Fontenoy, but recovered, and, retiring on half-pay, took a small farm on the Scottish side. His character was that of a brave, but rash officer; kind, generous, and open-hearted in all situations. I have often stood at his knee, and listened with wonder and amazement to his stories of battles and sieges, but none of them ever pleased me better than that of the Long Pack.

His

Alas! his fate is fast approaching to us all! he hath many years ago submitted to the conqueror of all mankind. brave heart is now a clod of the valley, and his gray hairs recline in peace on that pillow from which his head shall be raised only when time shall be no more.

A PEASANT'S FUNERAL.

On the 10th of April, 1810, I went with my father to the funeral of George Mouncie, who had been removed by a sudden death, from the head of a large family, now left in very narrow circumstances. As he had, however, during his life, been held in high estimation for honesty and simplicity of character, many attended to pay the last sad duty to departed worth. We were shown one by one, as we arrived, into a little hovel where the cows were wont to stand; although, it

was a pleasant day, and we would have been much more comfortable on the green; but it is held highly indecorous to give the entertainment at a burial without doors, and no one will submit to it.

We got each of us a glass of whisky as we entered, and then sat conversing, sometimes about common topics, but for the most part about our respective parish ministers; what, subjects they had of late been handling, and how they had succeeded. Some of them remembered all the texts with the greatest exactness for seasons by-gone, but they could only remark, on many of them, that such a one made much or little of it.

"Not

One man said, in the course of some petty argument, "I do not deny it, David, your minister is a very good man, and a very clever man too; he has no fault but one." "What is that?" said David. "It is patronage," said the other. "Patronage," said David, "that cannot be a fault." a fault, Sir? But I say it is a fault; and one that you and every one who encourages it, by giving it your countenance, will have to answer for. Your minister can never be a good shepherd, for he was not chosen by the flock." "It is a bad simile," said David; "the flock never chooses its own shepherd, but the owner of the flock." The greatest number of the inhabitants of that district being dissenters from the established church, many severe reflections were thrown out against the dangerous system of patronage, while no one ventured to defend it save David; who said, that if one learned man was not capable of making choice for a parish, the populace was much less so; and proved, from Scripture, that man's nature was so corrupted, that he was unable to make a wise choice for himself: and maintained, that the inhabitants of this country ought to be thankful that the legislature had taken the task out of their hands.

As a further proof of the justice of his argument, he asked,

whether Jesus of Nazareth or Mahomet was the best preacher ? The other answered, that none but a reprobate would ask the question. Very well, said David; Mahomet was one of your popular preachers; was followed, and adored by the multitude wherever he went, while he who spoke as never man spake was despised and rejected. Mahomet gained more converts to his religion in his life-time, than has been gained to the true religion in 1800 years. Away with your popular preachers, friend! they are bruised reeds. His antagonist was non-plus'd: he could only answer, "Ah! David, David, ye're on the braid way."

The women are not mixed with the men at these funerals, nor do they accompany the corpse to the place of interment ; but in Nithsdale and Galloway, all the female friends of the family attend at the house, sitting in an apartment by themselves: The servers remark, that in their apartment, the lamentations for the family loss are generally more passionate than in the other.

The widow of the deceased, however, came in amongst us, to see a particular friend, who had travelled far, to honour the memory of his old and intimate acquaintance. He saluted her with great kindness, and every appearance of heartfelt concern for her misfortunes. The dialogue between them interested me; it was the language of nature, and no other spoke a word while it lasted.

"Ah! James," said she, "I did not think, the last time I saw you, that our next meeting would be on so mournful an 'occasion: we were all cheerful then, and little aware of the troubles awaiting us! I have since that time suffered many hardships and losses, James, but all of them were light to this -she wept bitterly;" James endeavoured to comfort her, but he was nearly as much affected himself. "I do not repine," said she, "since it is the will of Him who orders all things for the best purposes, and to the wisest ends: but, alas! I fear I

am ill fitted for the task which Providence has asigned me!" With that she cast a mournful look at two little children who were peeping cautiously into the shiel. "These poor fatherless innocents," said she, " have no other creature to look to but me for any thing; and I have been so little used to manage family affairs, that I scarcely know what I am doing; for he was so careful of us all, so kind! and so good!"—“ Yes,” said James, wiping his eyes, "if he was not a good man, I know few were so! Did he suffer much in his last illness ?" "I knew not what he suffered," returned she, " for he never complained. I now remember all the endearing things that he said to us, though I took little heed to them then, having no thoughts of being so soon separated from him. Little did I think he was so ill! though I might easily have known that he would never murmur nor repine at what Providence appointed him to endure. No, James, he never complained of any thing. Since the time our first great worldly misfortune happened, we two have sat down to many a poor meal, but he was ever alike cheerful, and thankful to the Giver.

"He was only ill four days, and was out of his bed every day: whenever I asked him how he did, his answer uniformly was, I am not ill now.' On the day preceding the night of his death, he sat on his chair a full hour speaking earnestly all the while to the children. I was busy up and down the house, and did not hear all; but I heard him once saying, that he might soon be taken from them, and then they would have no father but God: but that he would never be taken from ́them, nor ever would forsake them, if they did not first forsake him. He is a kind indulgent Being, continued he, and feeds the young ravens, and all the little helpless animals that look and cry to him for food, and you may be sure that he will never let the poor orphans who pray to him want.

"Be always dutiful to your mother, and never refuse to do what she bids you on any account; for you may be assured

that she has no other aim than your good; confide all your cares and fears in her bosom, for a parent's love is stedfast; misfortune may heighten but cannot cool it.

"When he had finished, he drew his plaid around his head, and went slowly down to the little dell, where he used every day to offer up his morning and evening prayers, and where we have often sat together on Sabbath afternoons, reading verse about with our children in the Bible. I think he was aware of his approaching end, and was gone to recommend us to God; for I looked after him, and saw him on his knees.

"When he returned, I thought he looked extremely ill, and asked him if he was grown worse! He said he was not like to be quite well, and sat down on his chair, looking ruefully, at the children, and sometimes at the bed. At length he said feebly, "Betty, my dear, make down the bed, and help me to it-it will be the last time." These words went through my head and heart like the knell of death-All grew dark around me, and I knew not what I was doing.

"He spoke very little after that, saving that at night he desired me, in a faint voice, not to go to my bed, but sit up with him; for,' said he, it is likely you may never need to do it again.' If God had not supported me that night, James, I could not have stood it, for I had much, much to do! A little past midnight my dear husband expired in my arms, without a groan or a struggle, save some convulsive grasps that he gave my hand. Calm resignation marked his behaviour to the last. I had only one acquaintance with me, and she was young.The beds face towards each other, you know, and little John, who was lying awake, was so much shocked by a view which he got of the altered visage of his deceased parent, that he sprung from his bed in a frenzy of horror, and ran naked into the fields, uttering the most piercing and distracted cries. I was obliged to leave the young woman with the corpse and the rest of the children, and pursue the boy; nor was it till