ow keen my misery
for the grief which I have caused her, I would not have to ask her
forgiveness twice. Dear father! dear mother!--both, both of you forgive
your thoughtless son."

These last lines of his letter drowned us both in tears, and, for the space
of several minutes, neither of us were able to speak. I was the first to
break silence, and I said--"Agnes, our dear Robin is now a soldier, and he
seems to like that way of life. But I dislike the thought of his being only
a corporal, and I would wish to see him an officer. We have nobody in the
world but him to care for. He is our only son and heir, and I trust that
all that we have will one day be his. Now, I believe that the matter of
four or five hundred pounds will buy him a commission, and make him an
officer, with a sword by his side, a sash round his waist, and a gold
epaulette on his shoulder, with genteel pay and provision for life; besides
setting him on the high road to be a general. Therefore, if ye approve of
it, I will sell out stock to the amount that will buy him commission."

"Oh," replied she, "ye needna ask me if I approve, for weel do ye ken that
I will approve o' onything that will be for my bairn's benefit."

I accordingly lifted five hundred pounds, and through the influence of a
Parliament man, succeeded in procuring him a commission as an ensign. I
thought the money well spent, as it tended to promote the respectability
and prospects of my son.

Four years afterwards, his mother and I had the satisfaction of reading in
the public papers, that he had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant upon
the field, for his bravery. On the following day we received a letter from
himself, confirming the tidings, which gave us great joy. Nevertheless, our
joy was mingled with fears; for we were always apprehensive that some day
or other we would find his name among the list of killed and wounded. And
always the first thing that his mother said to me, when I took up the
papers, was--"Read the list of the killed and wounded." And I always did
so, with a slow, hesitating, and faltering voice, fearful that the next I
should mention would be that of my son, Lieutenant Goldie.

There was very severe fighting at the time; and every post was bringing
news concerning the war. One day, (I remember it was a King's fast-day,)
several neighbours and myself were leaning upon the dike, upon the footpath
opposite to my house, and waiting for the postman coming from Ay