Well might Mr. Judson say, “One of the brightest luminaries of Burmah is extinguished, dear brother Boardman is gone to his eternal rest.  He fell gloriously at the head of his troops, in the arms of victory, thirty-seven wild Karens having been brought into the camp of our king since the beginning of the year, besides the thirty-two that were brought in during the two preceding years.  Disabled by wounds, he was obliged through the whole of his last expedition, to be carried on a litter; but his presence was a host, and the Holy Spirit accompanied his dying whispers with almighty influence.  Such a death, next to that of martyrdom, must be glorious in the eyes of Heaven.  Well may we rest assured, that a triumphal crown awaits him on the great day, and ’Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!’” This is in the spirit of Montgomery’s noble hymn, with an extract from which we will close the account of George Dana Boardman.

    “Soldier of Christ, well done! 
      Rest from thy loved employ: 
    The battle fought, the victory won,
      Enter thy Master’s joy.

    At midnight came the cry,
      To meet thy God prepare! 
    He woke, and caught his Captain’s eye;
      Then, strong in faith and prayer

    His spirit, with a bound,
      Left its encumbering clay;
    His tent, at sunrise, on the ground,
      A darkened ruin lay.”

CHAPTER XII.

LETTERS FROM MRS. B.—­HER DECISION TO REMAIN IN BURMAH.—­HER MISSIONARY LABORS.—­HER TRIALS.—­SCHOOLS.

Mrs. Boardman found the society of Mr. and Mrs. Mason a sweet solace to her sad heart.  They joined her at Tavoy in the spring of 1831, and assisted her in her school, besides studying the language.  Her letters to her sister show a spirit chastened and saddened, but not crushed by sorrow, and still tenderly solicitous for the spiritual welfare of her dear brothers and sisters in America.  She urges them by every motive, to embrace that Saviour she had found so precious.  After telling them of the “glorious revival among the Karens,” and of the baptism of seventy-three of them, she asks how they feel when they hear of the conversion of these poor children of the wilderness?  “Some,” she says, “indeed most of those who have been baptized, were impressed with the infinite importance of religion at the first time of hearing the gospel, and gave themselves no rest till they found it in the Saviour.  O, I tremble and can scarcely hold my pen while I think of the awful account you must render to God, if after all your privileges, you fall short of Heaven at last....  How can you resist any longer?  You cannot, you will not—­something tells me you will give yourself immediately, unreservedly to that compassionate Saviour whose love was stronger than death.”