spacious chimney.

"Good morning to you both," said I; "how do you find yourself, Mrs
Beazeley?"

"Ah, deary me!" replied the old woman, putting her apron up to her eyes.

"Sit down, Jacob, sit down," said old Tom; "we _can_ talk of him now."

"Yes, now that he's in heaven, poor fellow!" interposed the old woman.

"Tell me, Jacob," said old Tom, with a quivering lip, "did you see the
last of him? Tell me all about it. How did he look? How did he
behave? Was he soon out of his pain? And--Jacob--where is he buried!"

"Yes, yes;" sobbed Mrs Beazeley; "tell me where is the body of my poor
child."

"Can you bear to talk about him?" said I.

"Yes, yes; we can't talk too much; it does us good," replied she. "We
have done nothing but talk about him since we left him."

"And shall, till we sink down into our own graves," said old Tom, "which
won't be long. I've nothing to wish for now, and I'll never sing again,
that's sartain. We shan't last long, either of us. As for me,"
continued the old man with a melancholy smile, looking down at his
stumps. "I may well say that I've _two_ feet in the grave already. But
come, Jacob, tell us all about him."

"I will," replied I; "and my dear Mrs Beazeley, you must prepare
yourself for different tidings than what you expect. Tom is not yet
shot."

"Not dead!" shrieked the old woman.

"Not yet, Jacob;" cried old Tom, seizing me by the arm, and squeezing it
with the force of a vice, as he looked me earnestly in the face.

"He lives; and I am in hopes he will be pardoned."

Mrs Beazeley sprang from her chair and seized me by the other arm.

"I see--I see by your face. Yes, Jacob, he is pardoned; and we shall
have our Tom again."

"You are right, Mrs Beazeley; he is pardoned, and will soon be here."

The old couple sank down on their knees beside me. I left them, and
beckoned from the door to Tom, who flew up, and in a moment was in their
arms. I assisted him to put his mother into her chair, and then went
out to recover myself from the agitating scene. I remained about an
hour outside, and then returned. The old couple seized me by the hands,
and invoked blessings on my head.

"You must now part with Tom a little while," said I; "there are others
to make happy besides yourselves."

"Very true," replied old Tom; "go, my lad, and comfort her. Come,
missus, we mustn't forget others."

"Oh, no. Go, Tom; go and tell her that I don't care how soon she is my