of Helen Walker,
particularly concerning her journey to London, but found this nearly impossible;
as the natural dignity of her character, and a high sense of family
respectability, made her so indissolubly connect her sister's disgrace with her
own exertions, that none of her neighbours durst ever question her upon the
subject. One old woman, a distant relation of Helen's, and who is still living,
says she worked an harvest with her, but that she never ventured to ask her
about her sister's trial, or her journey to London; Helen, she added, was a
lofty body, and used a high style o' language. The same old woman says, that
every year Helen received a cheese from her sister, who lived at Whitehaven, and
that she always sent a liberal portion of it to herself, or to her father's
family. This fact, though trivial in itself, strongly marks the affection
subsisting between the two sisters, and the complete conviction on the mind of
the criminal that her sister had acted solely from high principle, not from any
want of feeling, which another small but characteristic trait will further
illustrate. A gentleman, a relation of Mrs. Goldie's, who happened to be
travelling in the North of England, on coming to a small inn, was shown into the
parlour by a female servant, who, after cautiously shutting the door, said, Sir,
I'm Nelly Walker's sister. Thus practically showing that she considered her
sister as better known by her high conduct than even herself by a different kind
of celebrity.
    Mrs. Goldie was extremely anxious to have a tombstone and an inscription
upon it erected in Irongray Churchyard; and if Sir Walter Scott will condescend
to write the last, a little subscription could be easily raised in the immediate
neighbourhood, and Mrs. Goldie's wish be thus fulfilled.«
    It is scarcely necessary to add that the request of Miss Goldie will be most
willingly complied with, and without the necessity of any tax on the public. Nor
is there much occasion to repeat how much the author conceives himself obliged
to his unknown correspondent, who thus supplied him with a theme affording such
a pleasing view of the moral dignity of virtue, though unaided by birth, beauty,
or talent. If the picture has suffered in the execution, it is from the failure
of the author's powers to present in detail the same simple and striking
portrait exhibited in Mrs. Goldie's letter.
    ABBOTSFORD, April 1, 1830.
 

                                  Postscript.

Although it would be impossible to add