affectionate, humble servant,

"FLORA MACDONALD.

"Please direct to me, to Mrs. Macdonald, late of Kingsborrow, South
Uist, by Dunvegan."

Two years, it seems, elapsed, and the summer of 1782 arrived, and the
fate of Alexander Macdonald was still unknown; yet the mother's heart
still clung to hope, as it proved by the following letter. No murmurs
escape from one who seems to have sustained unrepiningly the sorrows
which reach the heart most truly; the wreck of fortune, not for
ourselves, but for our children, and the terrors of suspense. One source
of consolation she possessed: her surviving sons were brave, honourable,
and respected. But "Sandy" never returned.

MRS. MACKENZIE OF DELVINE, BY DUNKELL.

"Milton, third of July, 1782.

"Dear Madam,

"I received your agreeable favour a fortnight ago, and am happy to
find that your health is not worse than when I left you. I return
you my sincere thanks for your being so mindful of me as to send me
the agreeable news about Johny's arrival, which relieved me from a
great deal of distress, as that was the first accounts I had of him
since he sailed. I think, poor man! he has been very lucky, for
getting into bread so soon after landing. I had a letter from John,
which, I suppose, came by the same conveyance with yours. I am told
by others that it will be in his power now to show his talents, as
being in the engineer department. He speaks feelingly of the
advantages he got in his youth, and the good example showed him,
which I hope will keep him from doing anything that is either sinful
or shameful.[314]

"I received a letter from Captain Macdonald, my husband, dated from
Halifax, the twelfth of November '82; he was then recovering his
health, but had been very tender for some time before. My son
Charles is captain in the British Legion, and James a lieutenant in
the same: they are both in New York. Ranald is captain of Marines,
and was with Rodney at the taking of St. Eustatia. As for my son
Sandy, who was a-missing, I had accounts of his being carried to
Lisbon, but nothing certain, which I look upon the whole as a
hearsay; but the kindness of Providence is still to be looked upon,
as I have no reason to complain, as God has been pleased to spare
his father and the rest.