152 DICK'S LETTER OF COMFORT. CHAP. xn. 



weeks after. His son preserved the letter. He writes 

 upon it, " I have laid it amongst my mother's hair." 



Eobert was not able to attend the funeral. He was 

 too poor for that. The journey was long and expensive, 

 and there were no railways in Caithness at that time. 

 Besides, he did all his work with his own hands. He 

 had neither journeyman nor apprentice. His only helper 

 was Annie Mackay, his servant. 



His sister Jane, however, went from Haddington to 

 Tullibody, to be present with the family at the time of 

 Mr. Dick's funeral. After her return home for she was 

 then married he thus wrote to her : " I have thought 

 that it may perhaps lighten the distress which you suffer 

 from the decease of our father, if I should write you a 

 few lines, not that a flow of words is the best .source of 

 comfort in a case such as this. Eesignation to the will 

 of God will avail much more. I hope you will see it to 

 be your duty to bow in quiet and patient submission, 

 looking forward with the eye of Faith to that better 

 world, where, after a few years, you will meet your 

 father again. Your mother is also there. Those who 

 remain behind must toil on, and abide their time, 

 neither murmuring nor desponding at the ways of the 

 Supreme Disposer of all events, whether prosperous or 

 adverse. 



"These events create sad blanks. The mind for a 

 time will be hankering after what is gone. But new 

 affections spring up and entwine themselves round the 

 soul, hiding if not healing the wounds. Time will roll 

 on, and then we shall be here no more. This is all that 



