At length the four years, which were to terminate the labors of the holy man, were drawing to their close. It was Saturday, the 8th of June, and with that calm serenity and imperturbable peace with which saints die, Columba, attended by Diermit, one of his monks, proceeded to examine if there was a sufficient supply of corn in the granary to supply his dear children with bread until the new harvest should be reaped. Having discovered that there was, he blessed the barn, and being quite satisfied that all his obligations to the brethren were now fulfilled, he revealed to Diermit, with an injunction of secrecy, that his hour was come, and that he should be called out of life before the next day had dawned. The monk thereupon besought him to impart his benediction to the monastery; he complied, standing on the summit of an adjoining eminence. He then returned to his poor cell, and continued transcribing a portion of the Holy Scripture [1] until the bell summoned all to choir, when, closing the last page with the appropriate verse, "Inquirentes autem Dominum non deficient omni bono"-- "They who seek the Lord shall not want any good," (Ps. 33,) he said, "_Let Bailhen_ (his successor in the abbacy) _finish the rest_," and then proceeded to the church with the rest of the community. The devotions being ended, he returned to his cell, and there reclining on his rocky couch, delivered some instructions to Diermit to be communicated to the brethren. At midnight, the tolling of the bell summoned the monks again to prayer, and the holy abbot, the first to respond to the call, was already in the church and in earnest prayer, before any one had arrived. Diermit was the first who appeared, and he found the saint, his strength rapidly declining, quite absorbed in God as he lay before the altar. In an instant all the monks were assembled about him, and bitterly bewailed their loss. The holy man had still sufficient strength left to recognize them, and looking upon them, "his brow" irradiated by "heaven's own smile," he, with Diermit's help, raised his right hand, and thus imparted to them his saintly benediction. Soon after, on Sunday morning, the 9th of June, he passed to a glorious immortality.