sunk far in the socket, still retained its wild, resolute expression; and his person was as straight as an arrow. He regularly hunted on the confines of those vast plains where the buffaloes still lingered, and his great complaint was, that he could scarcely hear his dog bark or his gun go off in this tarnation place, where there was no echo, and where the sounds never came back again, but were lost in the interminable vastness of space. "One morn they miss'd him ;" another and another came, and he did not appear. This excited no attention, as he was often absent for weeks together. Shortly after, however, a party of hunters from the fort discovered him sitting upright against a tree, his rifle between his legs, and resting on his shoulder. He had shot his last shot, killed his last buffalo, and sunk into his last sleep. The animal was lying at a little distance, and his dog crouching at his feet, unconscious that the repose of his master was to last until the day of judgment. They buried him among the graves of their dead comrades, and many a hardy soldier said to himself, "Peace to the remains of the old hunter, one of the last of the companions of Boone !" Did Colonel and Mrs. Dangerfield ever live to regret their consent, or did Virginia receive the reward of her tenderness, her gratitude, her perseverance, and her strong faith? We are happy in being able to reply to the first inter - rogatory in the negative, to the second in the affirmative. Some years have now elapsed, and Virginia and Rainsford become more happy every passing year, as their confidence in each other and in themselves increases. It would be idle, as it would not be true, to say that this happiness was not at first shaded by occasional painful recollections of the past and apprehensions of the future. But these carried with them their own antidotes, in the increased tenderness and solicitude of Virginia to administer to the happiness of Rainsford, and his profound gratitude and affection when he remembered the debt he owed her. In short, the present content and fruition at length swallowed up the recollection of past sorrows, dispersed the clouds of the future, and laid the foundation of a solid, permanent reliance on the goodness of Providence. Virginia has of late encouraged Rainsford to employ his ample wealth in the improvement of the surrounding country, and his fine talents in public life. Both Leonard Dangerfield and himself are now running a brilliant career in goodly fellowship; and Virginia sees with delight, that while the mind of her husband is occupied in grasping the vast magnitude of those subjects which connect themselves with the welfare and glory of our native land, it gathers strength, and acquires new brilliancy in the exercise. He no longer broods over himself and his petty apprehensions, but forgets them all in the noble ambition of being useful to others. Our heroine is rewarded as she deserves to be, for she leads a life of love and virtue, and her path is illuminated by the consciousness of having persevered in the payment of a debt of gratitude. She still lives, and we trust long will live, happy in the devoted affec tion of a man of whom she has reason to be proud; in the full enjoyment of a woman's best dower, the love of her parents, her brother, her neighbours, and her dependants. 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