resignation, and I again, my dear friend, entreat similar exertions on your part.

"This morning, about eight o'clock, Mrs. W. left Jemima and Charles asleep in the same room; in a few minutes after, she was alarmed by the report of a pistol, which it appears Charles had seized the moment he awoke. The direction he fired in was towards the bed in which his sister was asleep, and the ball lodged in the dear girl's head. Surgeon W was immediately summoned. The ball was extracted without any apparent suffering on her part, and the spirit fled from this earth to her Heavenly Father. I have arranged every thing for interment, which takes place at eight o'clock on Tuesday morning. Adieu, my dear friend-rely upon it that every attention shall be paid during your absence to our friends in Mulgatawny-Wilhelmina and your sons are quite well, but overwhelmed with sorrow. Believe me,

"Your very sincere friend,

"R. T."

Here, then, gentle reader, was another awful in

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.

"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 me→ till 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

yours,

"Your sincerely attached

"H. WILFORD."

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 tation and distraction.

my pen,

from agi

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 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,