e replied, "My eldest son is in
the Company's military service." "Then," said the President, "he shall
be a Writer, the highest appointment in my power to bestow." I cannot
tell how thankful we were; for, instead of a separation of almost a
lifetime, it gave hopes that my brother might make a sufficient fortune
in a few years to enable him to come home. There was a great review of
the troops at Calcutta, under a burning sun; my brother returned to the
barracks, sun-struck, where he found his appointment, and died that
evening, at the age of twenty-one.

* * * * *

[My mother has often told us of her heart-broken parting with this
brother on his going to India. It was then almost for a lifetime,
and he was her favourite brother, and the companion of her
childhood. He must have been wonderfully handsome, judging from a
beautifully-painted miniature which we have of him.]

* * * * *

Public events became more and more exciting every day, and difficulties
occurred at home. There had been bad harvests, and there was a great
scarcity of bread; the people were much distressed, and the
manufacturing towns in England were almost in a state of revolution; but
the fear of invasion kept them quiet. I gloried in the brilliant success
of our arms by land and by sea; and although I should have been glad if
the people had resisted oppression at home, when we were threatened with
invasion, I would have died to prevent a Frenchman from landing on our
coast. No one can imagine the intense excitement which pervaded all
ranks at that time. Every one was armed, and, notwithstanding the alarm,
we could not but laugh at the awkward, and often ridiculous, figures of
our old acquaintances, when at drill in uniform. At that time I went to
visit my relations at Jedburgh. Soon after my arrival, we were awakened
in the middle of the night by the Yeomanry entering the town at full
gallop. The beacons were burning on the top of the Cheviots and other
hills, as a signal that the French had landed. When day came, every
preparation was made; but it was a false alarm.

The rapid succession of victories by sea and land was intensely
exciting. We always illuminated our house, and went to the rocky bank in
our southern garden to see the illumination of Edinburgh, Leith, and the
shipping in the Roads, which was inexpressibly beautiful, though there
was no gas in those times. It often happe