A new trouble soon came upon them.  Mary was seized with a small-pox of a dreadful sort.  Who now was to help the weak mother to nurse the little Maria?  Abby was too young.  The babe was four months old, and a heavy burden for feeble arms; yet all day long the mother carried it, as she went to and fro from the sick child to the poor prisoner.  Sometimes, when it was asleep, she laid it down by the side of her husband.  He was able to watch a sleeping babe, but not to nurse a babe awake, owing to his great weakness, and to his mangled feet.  Soon the babe herself was attacked by the small-pox, and continued very ill for three months.  This last trial was too much for the poor mother.  Her strength failed her, and for many weeks she lay upon her mat unable to rise.  She must have perished, if it had not been for the faithful servant.  He was a native of Bengal, and a heathen.  Yet he was so much concerned for his sick mistress and imprisoned master, that he would sometimes go without food all day, while he was attending to their wants; and he did all without expecting any wages.

The poor little infant was in a sad case now its mother was lying on the mat.  It cried so much for milk, that once its father got leave to carry it round the village to ask the mothers who had babes, to give some milk to his.  By this plan, the little creature was quieted in the day, but at night its cries were most distressing.

The time at length arrived, when these trials were to end.  The king sent for the missionary, not to put him to death, as he had once intended, but to ask for his help.  What help could he render to the king?  The reason why the missionary had been imprisoned so long was, that a British army had attacked Burmah.  The king had feared, lest the missionary should take part with the enemy, and therefore he had shut him up.  Now there were hopes of peace, and an interpreter was wanted to help the Burmese to speak with the British.  The missionary knew both the English language and the Burmese, and he could explain to the king what the English general would say.

For this purpose he was brought to Ava.  He was not driven along the road like a beast, but relieved from his chains, and treated with less cruelty than formerly.  Yet he was still a prisoner.

The mother was now well enough to make a journey, though still very weak.  She returned to her cottage by the river-side, and soon she had the delight of seeing her husband enter it.  It was seventeen months since he had been torn from it by the king’s officers, and ever since, he had been groaning in irons.  But he was not now come to remain in his cottage, but only to obtain a little food and clothing to take with him to the Burmese camp.  His wife felt cheered on his account, hoping that as an interpreter he would be well treated.