tless motherless ones to him. Lord, I desire so to
do; for he is a dear and kind father, though _nature_ cannot always
see it, and indeed how could this be? for that which is _natural_ in
us is, not only in its will opposed to God, but even in its best
affections tainted from the fall. Were it not that the Lord whom we
love and serve, is as infinite in his compassions, as he is mysterious
in his ways, the days that must come when the excitement of present
suffering will be past, and my soul begins to look round and see the
extent of its desolations, in a country, too, where there is nothing
to comfort or cheer me, would appear to me too dark to be borne, did I
not know the Lord hath said, I will not leave you orphans, but I will
come unto you; so if he does come and dwell more sensibly within me,
even my poor dull and slow-growing spirit may soon be ripened and
gathered into his kingdom, there to join my dear departing spirit in
the realms of light.

_May 13._--My dearest wife has reached the light of another day,
still quietly sinking without a sigh and without a groan. This my
prayer for her in the night of my darkness the Lord has mercifully
heard. At present all the remaining ones of the family are well. I
have separated the dear little boys and Kitto, and allow them to hold
intercourse with none. The dear baby, and myself, and the maid, and
the little boy of our sick servant, are also much separated, and this
nurse, whom the Lord sent us, alone attends the sick; but yet so
contagious is this fearful disease, that when it has once entered your
dwelling, you can know no other safety than in your Lord's preserving
care. These are indeed days of trial, but doubtless they will have
their precious fruit in all God's children; for the eyes of the Lord
are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry--for the
Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants, therefore none of them that
trust in him shall be desolate--no, not even I, poor and worthless as
I am, I shall yet praise him who is the Lord of my life, and my God.

The dear boys also keep up their spirits much better than the first
two or three days after their dear mamma was taken ill. The magnitude
of present danger to themselves, and to all, in some measure divides
their thoughts, and prevents them from resting alone on that deeply
affecting prospect before them, for they loved her most truly, and,
Oh! how much reason had they to love her.

I have just hea