On the

them afforded them much comfort. morning of the day when the barn was set on fire, which was also the day of the battle of Ross, as they were reading in the New Testament, Samuel's wife inquired of one of their guards the cause of the peculiar smell, like burning animal matter, which she perceived. He told her it proceeded from some beef steaks they were preparing for breakfast! To a further inquiry she made, What was meant by the firing of guns?' he replied, 6 'Tis some criminals we are shooting.' 'And will they shoot us?' said the poor woman. 'Oh! may-be they will spare you till the last,' was his answer.

"In about five minutes after this, the three were taken out.

"The rebel officer who commanded there had been reminded by Samuel of their having been school-fellows, and the latter had given him his watch and money to keep for him: it is even stated, that the officer slept in the same bed with him part of the previous night. Having proposed to Samuel that he should conform and turn to the Roman Catholic profession, he replied, Where shall I turn, but where my God is?'

6

And when he was

urged to have his children sprinkled, he said,

'My children are innocent, and I will leave them so.'

"When the two brothers, with Samuel's wife, were brought out into the lawn in front of the dwelling-house where they were imprisoned, to be put to death, some person said, 'They were Quakers.' It was replied, that if they could make it appear they were Quakers they should not be killed.' As they were not in reality members of the Society, this was not attempted to be done. Those who had them in custody then took Samuel aside, and on certain conditions offered him his life; but, whatever was the nature of these conditions, he firmly rejected them; and when the holy water, as they termed it, was brought to them, he turned his back upon it.

"The insurgents then shot his elder brother, whom he very much encouraged, fearing his steadfastness might give way-for John had shown a disposition to turn Roman Catholic if it might be the means of saving Samuel's life; but the latter encouraged his brother to faithfulness, expressing the words of our blessed Saviour, They that deny me before men, them will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven;' and he again revived the

39th verse of the same chapter in his remembrance. See Matthew, chap. x.

"Samuel then desired his love to be given to different Friends, whom he named,-some of the rebels, at the same time, with a view to depress his spirits, telling him, that these Friends had been made prisoners before he was, and shot at the camp at the Three Rocks. This communication had partially the effect they intended; he meekly replied,

They died innocent.' He then took an affectionate farewell of his wife, who, with admirable fortitude, stood between the two brothers, holding a hand of each, when they were shot; and his last words were reported to be those expressions of our Lord and Saviour, which he repeated for the third time in the hearing of his murderers, He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.' It was cause of mournful reflection to his friends that he was fired at three times before his death took place. He was an innocent young man, much beloved by his neighbours.

6

"It seemed as if his wife would have shared the same fate, had not the officer who commanded interposed in her favour. She was permitted to convey their bodies to their

former dwelling on a car; but not being able at that time to procure coffins for them, she buried them in the garden. On the death of their aged father, which took place in the following month, and was probably hastened by the untimely end of his two only sons, the bodies of the three were taken to the burying-ground of the Friends at Forrest, and there interred, about seven weeks after."

Let those who admire military courage ask themselves, "Who, in this case were the really brave?" those who were slaughtered, or the soldiers who slaughtered them? Truly, physical force is a cruel and despicable thing, when compared with moral heroism.

CHAPTER XI.

MORAL HEROISM EXHIBITED IN THE FEMALE CHARACTER LADY RACHAEL RUSSELL-WIFE OF THE SCOTCH COVENANTER, JOHN BROWN-MRS. ELIZABETH FRY.

As the sphere of woman's duties is limited for the most part to the social circle, her station in society being that of subordination and obedience, superficial or arrogant observers may

suppose that the quality called moral heroism is not often found united with the female character. This, however, is a conclusion which the wise and discerning will not be likely to arrive at, for this reason; as it is a mental quality not depending on bodily strength, it may be exhibited by the weakest and most tender in physical structure, equally with the most hardy and robust. And the sex who are called to endure the greatest amount of suffering-whose cares, while they may be more limited, are certainly more affecting, and probably more incessant, endure a discipline of circumstances likely to produce a very great amount of the quality under consideration. No station in life is more important and arduous than that of a wife and a mother. The happiness and the virtue of society depend mainly on the wise and faithful fulfilment of those relationships. nation is truly prosperous, not merely by its wealth, its commerce, its political enactments, and relations, but by its social purity and moral elevation; and these depend on

A

"Well ordered home, man's chief, best good, below." The contemplative and philosophic poet of our age, * has beautifully and justly

Wordsworth.