at an early part of the year, to exclude from our fellowship. The other two members remain steadfast. The church now consists of ten native Christians. Ten other persons, five of them Karens, concerning whom different degrees of hope are entertained by us, may be named as having applied for baptism. They are still on trial, and we shall be happy if any of them prove worthy of the Gospel ordi

nances.

The last has been a year

"5. Miscellaneous notices. of frequent interruptions in our missionary work, and of repeated and heavy afflictions in our family. The messengers of disease and death have visited us, and left us enfeebled and sorrowful. But we have found it good to bear the yoke in our youth; and we hope that through the remainder of our life, we may remember with thankful submission the loving chastisements of our heavenly Father. Few have been the days during the year, when we have not had some painful affliction in some one or more members of our little family. But already, we see some of the good effects of these parental corrections and admonitions, in a greater desire to be weaned from the world and sublunary enjoyments, and to aspire more ardently after that life which is hid with Christ in God.'

"In consequence of these repeated interruptions, and the revolt of Tavoy, all missionary operations have been suspended at this station for nearly a third part of the year. Still it has pleased God to look upon the low estate of the little church. Eight have been added by baptism and several others hopefully converted. When I consider that besides this, twenty-five once heathen lads have been daily taught the principles of the Christian religion, many hundreds of adults, priests and people, in town and village, have heard of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, and a large number of Christian books have been distributed in various parts of the province, and read with interest by many individuals, I feel a humble confidence that, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, as we have sown in hope and tears, so, in due season, we shall reap in joy.

"In closing this lengthened letter, permit me to remark, that the many inconveniences and actual sufferings necessarily resulting to a missionary and his family, from

the want of a brother and a fellow-laborer in such a country as this, especially in cases of sickness, the wretched state in which his family, the church, and the schools must be left, if a missionary, thus solitary, is removed by death, and the great need of more laborers in this part of the Lord's vineyard, compel me again to urge the request for more missionaries to be sent to this station as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I remain as ever, dear Sir, yours, in the service of our Redeemer."

CHAPTER XVIII.

Dangerous illness of Mrs. Boardman-Visit to the Karen settlements south of Tavoy--Mrs. Boardman leaves for Maulmein.

In order to form a just estimate of human character, we need to view man in all the attitudes in which the providence of God has placed him. If we would know the ardor of his piety, the strength of his faith and trust in God, we should contemplate him not on the sunny heights of prosperity only, nor yet amid those common afflictions even, which few are privileged to escape; but also in the deep vale of adversity where, to most minds, every thing of a worldly nature wears a melancholy aspect,-amid crushed hopes and blighted prospects. It is in the midst of such scenes that the latent feelings of the heart are most likely to be elicited, and new, or at least genuine, traits of character are developed. It is for the purpose of presenting Mr. Boardman under such circumstances, that we here give a few extracts from his unpublished journal. Although his whole missionary course had, as we have seen, been one of trial, yet those trials, not excepting that even of the loss of his first-born, might have been easily borne, in comparison with the one which he now anticipated. Mrs. Boardman's health had again become very much impaired, and though she had now presented him a son, it continued rapidly to decline, and awakened alarming apprehensions as to its termination.

Under date of January 1st, 1830, he writes as follows:

"As Mrs. Boardman, previous to her late confinement, had been reduced very low by a protracted illness, for which she was in a course of salivation, she is now extremely feeble, and her case may justly excite alarm as to the event. But I desire to leave her and myself, and our two babes, and our two adopted children, in the hands of Him, without whose permission not a sparrow falleth to the ground.. "Jan. 5. Mrs. B. still grows weaker, and her case is now more alarming. All missionary labor has been suspended

for a week, to allow me all my time in taking care of her. Have written to Maulmein for some of our dear friends to come to our assistance, and be with us at this critical time, we hope they will be able and disposed to comply with our request. Should they come even immediately, I can scarcely hope for their arrival before the crisis, or, perhaps, the fatal termination of my dear partner's disorder. My comfort in my present affliction is the thought that if, to our former trials, the Lord sees fit, to add that of removing my beloved companion, he does it with the perfect knowledge of all the blessedness which death in its consequences will confer on her, and of all the sorrows and distresses which her loss will occasion her bereaved husband and four orphan children in the peculiarities of our present condition. There is not a European female to take charge of the children this side Maulmein, a distance of more than one hundred and fifty miles. As to myself, I will not attempt to describe what would be my loss in the death of such a wife. Neither will I say anything of the schools, the church, and the poor ignorant females of Tavoy. I feel assured that our loving Lord knows the exact amount of suffering which her death would occasion; and if, with this knowledge, he still sees fit to take her away, he has enabled me to say, 'Thy will, not mine, be done.' It affords me great relief to have been assured by her that the bitterness of death is past, and that heavenly glories have been unfolded in a wonderful and unexpected manner to her view. She feels that she can now leave us all in our heavenly Father's hands, and depart to be with the Lord.

"Jan. 15. Through the divine mercy, Mrs. Boardman is gradually recovering. Still I scarcely dare leave her for a quarter of an hour. From the first of her illness, I have given up every other care to attend upon her, and no missionary work has been going on, except that the assistant teachers have, according to their ability, continued to conduct the boys' day school.

"On receiving intelligence of the death of Mrs. Eustice Carey and Mrs. Pinney, both of them peculiarly valuable members of the Circular Road Mission, Calcutta, I wondered that God should be so merciful to me in sparing my dear partner, while other missionaries, much better than myself, are bereaved.

"Jan. 27. The attending physician has urgently recommended that Mrs. B. be removed from town to a situation where she may enjoy the sea air. Accordingly we have today removed out to a bungalow, standing on the sea-side, about ten miles from town. During our stay at this place, which may be near a fortnight, the school is suspended."

Her

This measure seems to have been quite successful. health had become so much improved, that on the 8th of February, Mr. Boardman thought it safe and expedient to return to the city. A few letters addressed to his family connexions, will here come in place. They will serve to develope more fully the state of his religious feelings under his affliction.

"My dear Sister,

To Mrs. Blanchard.

"Tavoy, Feb. 17, 1830.

"How many tears of joy you must have shed on hearing the news of brother B.'s baptism. Mine have also flowed. How gladly would I extend to him the hand of Christian fellowship!

"Five years ago yesterday I was ordained to the work of the ministry. How little have I done! and what is worse, how little have I tried to do! I desire to be more devoted, humble, self-denying, prayerful and watchful than before.

"God, in love, has sent us cup after cup of affliction here in Tavoy. O how bitter! O how sweet! What a blessed anguish I have sometimes felt! A few weeks ago, while sitting by my dear Sarah's sick bed, and expecting her soon to leave me, I had such comfort in laying all my sorrows before my dear loving Lord as I cannot describe. I hope the fruit of all will be to take away sin. If you will believe me, I sometimes half doubt whether I knew anything about true religion when I left America. Christ, heaven, the cross, the grave, life, death, love, joy, grief, the Bible, the Gospel, the throne of grace, all seem different from what they then did. Should we be so happy as to meet in heaven, what do you think we shall talk about first? Till we get there, let us build us a little tabernacle close by the cross of calvary," and watch our Saviour, and hear what he will say. Ye

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