stance of the insufficiency of wealth to constitute human security against misfortune. Freely would the Nabob have given all Narrypunt's riches, and his own too, if they could have recalled the departed spirit of his daughter. But to describe his grief and agony of suffering is beyond my humble powers: let him speak for himself. The following is a copy of his letter, in answer to the above communication.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

"Your letter has completely unmanned me. I am too full for expression! True—it requires all the firmness of man to think of such a catastrophe.

Good God! My poor, kind-hearted, singleminded, kid-like Jemima! O, why did not some angel stop the ball? But I must not arraign.-Yes -yes-I must bear it-and thank God that all my children were not, like her, laid in the grave before I had shed a tear on the consciousness of unutterable calamity.

"Tell Mrs. Wilford, if you please, that I am resigned-that I attribute no blame !-Such events have happened; our misfortune might have occurred had I been on the spot, though I always kept my

fire-arms high, and away from Charles, whose rash and wayward disposition often excited my apprehension. O, how frequently I told that boy never to touch pistol or gun, and now by disobedience he has steeped his parents in grief, and laid up for himself a store of anguish, that will gnaw his mind while memory shoots through his brain. This is, indeed, horrible!

"If my presence could recall the departed spirit -if in my capacity of comforter I could effect any thing, I would fly instantly home! Good God! I was on the eve of proceeding to Yorkshire for a fortnight, to see my old friend Smyth. All my plans are overwhelmed. I can scarcely think of what I should do. I shall be at Mulgatawny by the time an answer to this letter could reach metill then, farewell! Severe as the stroke has been, your sympathy and manner have made it less intolerable than it would have been, coming through a less warm medium. Pray believe me, my dear friend, with mournful compliments to you and

To his unfortunate lady he wrote thus:

'66

MY DEAR ANNE,

"I have heard from Mr. T. of the dreadful

Occurrence.

I can hardly hold

my pen,

from agi

tation and distraction. But we must strive to bear up under the sore affliction. I shall be home by Saturday. Make your mind easy. The mournful event might have happened had I been present, therefore I do not blame.-But it is horrible; and I am overwhelmed, as well on my own account as on yours, lest you should sink under the weight of sorrow. Consider, God has left us other children. How shall I ever be able to look at Charles again? Unhappy boy! he is to be pitied.-Good God! to kill his sister.-Well, such things will happen till carelessness and disobedience shall be banished from the world. I shall leave all here, and fly to you. Tell Wilhelmina and the boys not to be downhearted, but to cheer you. Keep a good firm spirit; in this life we should be prepared for every thing. Death is not misery. Jemima died like a soldier-without pain; and her lamb-like soul is now an angel, perhaps smiling at our grief for her

exchange from a life of trial, sorrow, and tears, to an eternity of joy, rapture, and felicity. Farewell, my poor love-my old wife-my mother of eight children. I shall kiss away your grief, and all will yet go well. We have weathered terrible storms together, but such a catastrophe as this is the struggle. Get over it-you will be as dear to me as an old ship is to her captain, and looked upon with all the affection of remembered suffering. "Your attached husband,

"H. WILFORD.”

I need not proceed much farther with the melancholy part of this story. We may learn from it, to be certain of nothing-to be prepared for every thing-and to be thankful for what is granted, seeing that we cannot call even a shadow our own.

It may be very useful, however, to follow our afflicted Nabob a little longer, to show the consolation he derived from friendship and religion under his mental suffering. Moreover, it may be of great utility to the unfortunate boy, whose rashness and disobedience caused the calamity, to have a written record as a memento for future reflection. I shall,

therefore, present you with another letter, which Mr. Wilford received on this occasion, and his answer:

66 MY DEAR WILFORD,

"I heard of the unfortunate accident in your family this morning only, and I instantly proceeded to Mulgatawny, to see if I could be useful to Mrs. Wilford. Your friend Mr. T had left me nothing to do but to condole with, and console your wife and daughter.

My object in writing this is to endeavour to prevail on you not to leave London until you have completed your business there. Apply yourself to that business, and endeavour by doing so to prevent your mind from dwelling upon that which neither you nor I can now remedy. Leave your family to Mr. T and myself.

"I am happy to say Mrs. Wilford and your daughter bear up as they ought to do. Your son has only the feelings of a child, and before he gets age time will blunt them. I wished to bring him home, but Mrs. Wilford would not agree to my doing so. As Mrs. W- must now be under in

creased expenditure, I took the liberty of requesting she would draw on me if requisite.

c 5