randmama, that though my days have been few upon the earth, they
were happy! When you think of me, uncle David, after my sufferings are
over, it may well be a pleasing remembrance, that you were always the
best, the kindest of friends. Oh! how kind! but I must not--cannot speak
of that----. This is my birth-day!--my last birth-day! Many a joyous one
we kept together, but those merry days are over, and these sadder ones
too shall cease; yet the time is fast approaching, so welcome to us
both,

'When death-divided friends at last
Shall meet to part no more.'"

In the evening, Major Graham observed that Frank made Mrs. Crabtree
bring everything belonging to him, and lay it on the table, when he
employed himself busily in tying up a number of little parcels,
remarking, with a languid smile,

"My possessions are not valuable, but these are for some old friends and
messmates, who will be pleased to receive a trifling memorial of one who
loved them. Send my dirk to Peter Grey, who is much reformed now. Here
are all the letters any of you ever sent me; how very often they have
been read! but now, even that intercourse must end; keep them, for they
were the dearest treasures I possessed. At Madras, formerly, I remember
hearing of a nabob who was bringing his whole fortune home in a chest of
gold, but the ropes for hoisting his treasure on board were so
insufficient, that the whole gave way, and it fell into the ocean, never
to be recovered. That seemed a very sudden termination of his hopes and
plans, but scarcely more unexpected than my own. 'We are a wind that
passeth away and cometh not again.' Many restless nights are ordained
for me now, probably that I may find no resource but prayer and
meditation. Others can afford time to slumber, but I so soon shall sleep
the sleep of death, that it becomes a blessing to have such hours of
solitary thought, for preparing my heart and establishing my faith,
during this moment of need."

"Yes, Frank! but your prayers are not solitary, for ours are joined to
yours," added Laura. "I read in an old author lately, that Christian
friends in this world might be compared to travellers going along the
same road in separate carriages--sometimes they are together--often they
are apart--sometimes they can exchange assistance, as we do now--and
often they jostle against each other, till at last, having reached the
journey's end, they are removed out of these earthly vehicles into a
better s