SOLON ROBINSON, 1841 173 



yet living, that might object. But what gave him most 

 concern of all, was a note added to the letter, and evi- 

 dently much blotted with the tears of suffering beauty, 

 which I venture to copy. It is as follows: 



"My Dear Husband — Should it be the will of God, 

 that I never should have the happiness to behold your 

 face again, I have a sure prompting from nature, that 

 ere another year rolls round that I shall possess an image 

 of that face, which I can press to my own throbbing 

 heart. Oh! it shall be my unceasing prayer, that the 

 Great God of peace and war may protect you in peace. 

 But should it be otherwise, Oh ! may He be with you and 

 your noble hearted and heroic General, in the darkest 

 hour of battle, and may He be, as I am sure He will, the 

 kind protector of your widow and orphan. 



"Oh! forever remember your own dear 



Emily." 



Never, since the day when the corpse of his first wife 

 was brought suddenly into his presence, had he suffered 

 such intense agony as he now felt; to add to the horror, 

 the prophetic forebodings of his wife, as to the horrid 

 fate that awaited him, involuntarily instilled itself into 

 his own mind. For a moment the thought rushed upon 

 him, to seek the General, who had already shown him 

 uncommon favors, and ask for a discharge; but the 

 thought was soon banished from his mind by the fear of 

 disgrace in the eyes of his brave companions, who had 

 treated him already with such marked respect and es- 

 teem, and he determined to meet death sooner than dis- 

 grace. — With his mind harrowed with so many unwel- 

 come reflections, he cast himself upon his blanket on the 

 ground to await the return of Scott, who was on duty, 

 with whom he might converse upon the matter of his 

 wife's letter. 



Having spent the whole of the preceding night in the 

 saddle, nature soon overcame the distress of his mind, 

 and he sunk into an apparent slumber. I say apparent, 

 because in fact the agony which he suffered while the 



