THE RUINED MERCHANT. 505 



firmly struggling with difficulties. The father of James Monsou was 

 now far advanced in life, and 



" Age had dropp'd his snow upon his head." 



But his was a green old age " frosty but kindly;" and though 

 venerable and patriarchal in his appearance, the springs of life still 

 flowed freshly within him. Time which had robbed him of the 

 elasticity and ardent temperament of youth, had also freed him from 

 some of that acute sensibility which had so nearly overpowered his 

 son. The whole of his property had been swallowed by their recent 

 misfortunes, arid the means which he had sedulously guarded to be a 

 provision to him and his equally aged companion, 



" In their reverence and chair-days," 



he had cheerfully given to free his son from his pecuniary diffi- 

 culties. Both had patiently and without a murmur borne the priva- 

 tions necessarily incident to poverty, and had unremittingly assisted 

 the lamented Amy in the task of comforting and encouraging their 

 son. Both indeed were fondly attached to him, for he was their only 

 child, and from his youth upwards had uniformly honoured his father 

 and mother, and they had indulged the grateful anticipation that he 

 would be the prop to sustain them through the vale of life. And 

 well had he performed his duties till he had sunk beneath the load of 

 his calamities. 



Their distress soon reached a crisis ; and actual want threatened 

 shortly to drive them to utter degradation. Monson, stretched on 

 his sick bed, unconscious and at times delirious, querulously de- 

 manded those little luxuries to which he had been accustomed, and 

 in a tone of impatience and reproach chided alternately his weeping 

 mother and the departed Amy. No means were in their possession 

 to procure them, but by the sale of clothing and of the remnant of 

 furniture left to them. One by one these were disposed of, and this 

 source of supply was speedily at an end. The despairing mother 

 knelt at the bed-side of her delirious son, and, in an agony of tears, 

 exclaimed in the beautiful language of the Psalmist " O Lord, my 

 God, in thee have I put my trust save me and deliver me : " and 

 in all the earnestness of a devout and humbled spirit, she prayed for 

 support and resignation in her hour of trial. 



Comforted by her appeal to Him " who comforteth us in all our 

 tribulations," and relieved by her tears, she joined her husband at 

 their scanty meal ; and strong in hope and the passiveness of female 

 endurance, she exhorted him to shake off his despondency, and to 

 endeavour to find means by his own exertions to snatch their son 

 from the danger of being lost for want of succour. 



" God's will be done, Mary ! I trust I have not lived in vain ; 

 and that He whom I have served humbly will not desert us. 

 His chastening hand has fallen heavily, and ' our bread is now 

 scattered upon the waters;' but in his good time he will bring it 

 back again. I will be 'up and doing;' and though my limbs are 

 failing, and my arms somewhat sapless, with His assistance I will 

 venture forth." 



