ton, to
hear what was the news of the day. As he approached us, I thought he looked
very demure-like, which was not his usual; for he was as cheerful,
active-looking a little man as you could possibly see.

"Well, Hughie," said I to him, holding out my hand for the papers, "ye look
dull like to-day; I hope ye have no bad news?"

"I would hope not, Mr Goldie," said he; and, giving me the paper, walked
on.

The moment that Agnes saw that I had got it, she came running out of the
house, across the road, to hear as usual, the list of the killed and
wounded read, and my neighbours gathered round about me. There had been, I
ought to tell ye, a severe battle, and both the French and our army claimed
the victory; from which we may infer, that there was no great triumph on
either side. But, agreeably to my wife's request, I first read over the
list of the killed, wounded, and _missing_. I got over the two first
mentioned; but, oh! at the very sight of the first name upon the missing
list, I clasped my hands together, and the paper dropped upon the ground.

"O Robie! my son! my son!" I cried aloud.

Agnes uttered a piercing scream, and cried, "O my bairn--what has happened
my bairn? Is he dead! Tell me, is my Robie dead?"

Our neighbours gathered about her, and tried to comfort her; but she was
insensible to all that they could say. The first name on the missing list
was that of my gallant son. When the first shock was over, and I had
composed myself a little, I also strove to console Agnes; but it was with
great difficulty that we could convince her that Robin was not dead, and
that the papers did not say he was wounded.

"Oh, then!" she cried, "what do they say about him. Tell me at once. Roger
Goldie! how can ye, as the faither o' my bairn, keep me in suspense."

"O, dear Agnes," said I, "endeavour, if it be possible, to moderate your
grief; I am sure ye know that I would not keep ye in suspense if I could
avoid it. The papers only say that Robin is _amissing_."

"And what mean they by that?" she cried.

"Why," said I to her, "they mean that he, perhaps, pursued the enemy too
far--or possibly that he may have fallen into their hands, and be a
prisoner--but that he had not cast up when the accounts came away."

"Yes! yes!" she exclaimed with great bitterness, "and it perhaps means that
his body is lying dead upon the field, but hasna been found."

And she burst out into louder lamentations, and all our endeavours to