souls, and God we feel and know is here. John often smiles through a tear that flows from a heart full of a sense of God's love; and though both of us subject to many infirmities, and sensible of our numberless shortcomings, yet moments so speed by, many of them winged with aspirations after God, that we ourselves forget all our bodily complaints until reminded of them by exhaustion. . . . . Ah! I am happy day and night, hour by hour. Asleep or awake, I am happy beyond the poor compass of language to tell." And to his dear ones at home: "I am not disappointed-rather do I rejoice greatly-that now it seems manifestly the design of God to take me hence. Should this, then, be the will of the Lord, then, my beloved ones, weep not for me. Say, rejoicingly, How good was the Lord! How greatly was he blessed of God; and he has gone to be with. Jesus!""

She read on till the time came when their scanty stock of pease, tea, and even "six mice," failed altogether, and they could only subsist on what the stronger ones of the party could gather of mussels, limpets, and sea-weed; and this in the depth of winter.

"I cannot go on," she said at length. heart-breaking. The brave Gardiner was

"It is too

probably the

last survivor; at all events he died alone. He mentions in his journal that his last faithful companion, Mr. Maidment, had left the boat one morning, and not returned,

and must therefore have expired elsewhere; and that this was mercifully ordered, for in his own state of weakness he could not have removed the body."

"But he was not alone," said Mr. Campbell.

"Doubt

less, in the valley of the shadow of death he was able to say, 'I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.' And although the valley was long and lonely, I believe it was never dark to the faithful servant of Christ."

For some minutes all were silent, and even little Fanny shed tears.

"And they were starved to death," said Anne, weeping. "Oh, that must be so dreadful a way of dying!"

"I recollect," said her mother, "when the first news came to England, and I, like every one else, was so greatly shocked and distressed, a friend gave me some comfort by observing, that from their long time of illness and weakness, we may believe that death in the end came more from exhaustion than actual starvation, at least to most of them. And the very last words which Gardiner was able to write, on September 6th, are these:-'I neither hunger nor thirst, though five days without food! Marvellous loving kindness to me a sinner!'"

There was another sorrowful pause, and then George said,—

"Mamma, true religion is a wonderful thing."

"Wonderful, indeed; and never were its triumphs more gloriously proved than in the case of these noble Chris

tian sufferers. God grant that we may be as happy in our dying hours as they were!"

"But how was it all found out at last?”

"It is too late to tell you this evening, but next Sabbath I hope to continue the history of the Patagonian mission."

"Then it was not given up, mamma," said Anne. "Oh, I am glad of that!"

No, these faithful martyrs did not suffer and die in vain. Their prayers were answered, and the good work for which they willingly laid down their lives is still going on."

AW

III.

KEPPEL ISLAND.

HEN next Sabbath evening came, the children

were eager to hear more particulars of the sad Patagonian story.

"How was it all found out, mamma? Did a ship go at last to seek them?"

mission party.

"The good merchant, Captain Gardiner's friend in Monte Video, was greatly distressed when he found that his orders had not been attended to by the captain of the second vessel, which he meant to have visited the He sent off another immediately for the same purpose. But this was not till weeks after all was over. The ship reached Banner Cove on October 21. On the voyage, when passing Staten Island, a poor shipwrecked crew, who had been cast upon its barren rocks a month before, were mercifully discovered and saved from perishing of hunger. But this delayed and overloaded the vessel."

"Did they find the bottles with the papers safe?"