The biographer of Mrs. Boardman—­since her successor in the mission—­mentions that a single speculative error had crept into her religious faith, on the subject of God’s particular providence—­that while contemplating the vastness of that agency

    “That ever busy wheels the silent spheres,”

she had almost thought it derogatory to the “Majesty of heaven and earth” to conceive of him as occupied with our mean affairs, numbering the hairs of our heads, and guiding the sparrow’s fall.  But the blow which crushed her heart, destroyed its skepticism.  She saw so clearly in this dispensation, the hand of a Father chastening his erring child; she felt so keenly that she deserved the rod, for having in a measure worshipped the gift more than the giver, that she believed, with all the strength of an irresistible conviction, that even so lowly a thing as her own heart was indeed a theatre for the constant display of her Maker’s guiding and controlling power, not less than the starry heavens; that her own sanctification, and the providential means to effect it, even in their minutest details, were ordered by sovereign grace and wisdom; and from this time forth she never doubted again.

But it is time to detail the spirit-stirring scenes that occurred a few months after the death of the child; to which scenes allusion was made in the first of her two letters.

CHAPTER IX.

REVOLT OF TAVOY.—­LETTERS FROM MRS. B.

The revolt of Tavoy from the British government, and its consequences to the missionaries and other foreigners in the city, are so well described in a letter from Mr. Boardman to a friend in America, that we will give it nearly entire.

         “REV.  AND DEAR SIR,

“The province of Tavoy has engaged in an open revolt against the British government.  On Lord’s day morning, the 9th inst. at 4 o’clock, we were aroused from our quiet slumbers by the cry of ‘Teacher, master, Tavoy rebels,’ and ringing at all our doors and windows.  We were soon awake to our extreme danger, as we heard not only a continual report of musketry within the town, but the balls were frequently passing over our heads and through our house; and in a few moments, a large company of Tavoyans collected near our gate, and gave us reason to suspect they were consulting what to do with us.  We lifted our hearts to God for protection, and Mrs. Boardman and little George were hurried away through a back door to a retired building in the rear.  I lay down in the house, (to escape the bullets,) with a single Burman boy, to watch and communicate the first intelligence After an hour of the greatest anxiety and uncertainty I had the happiness of seeing the sepoys (troops in the British service) in possession of the city gates in front of our house.  We soon ascertained that a party of about 250 men had in the first instance attacked the