as apparently shown in the of cruel affliction on the head of a sweet and innocent woman was a little dazed about it all and could not be brought to that th squire s might never rise from her bed again with ye he said indignantly to the melancholy village who came in to see him and shake their heads generally over life and its brief � th almighty lord ain t a devil ain t sure of god s good man is own mind he don t make a pretty thing just to break it all for didn t ye all come to me about the five sister an ain t they still an miss too just as fast an firm as the trees � you take my for tl she ain t goin to die why look at me � just on ninety an i ain t dead yet but a of fear and came over him whenever visited him john s sad face told him more than words could express ain t she no better he would ask timidly and and john laying his own hand on the old brown wrinkled one would reply gently no better but we must hope � we must hope always and believe that god will be merciful an if he ain t merciful what u we do persisted once with tears in his poor dim eyes we must submit answered john almost sternly � we must believe that he knows what is wise and good for her � and for us all and we must live out our lives patiently without her � patiently till the blessed end � till that peace which all understanding and looking at him was awed by the pale spiritual serenity of his features and the tragic human grief of his eyes one person in the neighbourhood proved himself a of help and consolation during this time of general anxiety and suspense and this was he was always at hand and willing to be of service he threw his dreams of to the winds and became poet in earnest � poet in sympathy with others � poet in kindly thought � poet in constant delicate ways of solace to the man he had learned to respect above all others and whose love and despair he recognised with more passionate appreciation than any written tragedy he had gone at once to the on s arrival there and had laid himself so to speak at her feet when she had first seen him all oppressed by the weight of her sorrow as she was she had burst out crying he had without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment taken her in his arms and kissed her neither he nor she seemed the least surprised at the of their mutual caress � it came quite naturally it was so new � so fresh said afterwards and from that moment he had himself more or less at the under s orders he wrote letters for her god s good man answered drew up a formal list of and kept accounts went errands for the two trained nurses who were in day and night attendance on the unconscious invalid upstairs and made generally useful and but his fantastic notions were the same as ever he would not as he put it partake of food at the while its mistress was lying ill � nor would he allow any servant in the household to wait upon him he merely came and went quietly to and fro giving his best services to all and never failing to visit every day and tell him all the latest news he even managed to make friends with the great dog who ever since s accident had taken up regular hours of outside her bedroom door regardless of doctor and nurses though he would move his body gently aside whenever they passed in or out showing a perfectly intelligent comprehension of their business every now and again would indulge in a walk abroad with accompanying him as far as the where he would enter laying his broad head s knee with a world of sympathy in his loving brown eyes while half gratified humbly in the shadow of his tail and john found a certain melancholy pleasure in caressing the very dog lo ed and would sit thoughtfully the animal s thick coat while and dr both of whom were now accustomed to meet in his little study every evening discussed the and of what was likely to happen when woke from her long trance of would her awakening be to life or death john listened to their talk himself saying nothing all unaware that they talked merely to cheer him and to try and put the best light they could on the face of affairs in order to give him the utmost hope the weary days rolled on in rain and gloom � christmas came and went with a weight and never before known in st every sunday since the accident had earnestly requested the prayers of his congregation for miss who was seriously ill � and on christmas pay he gave out the same request with a pathetic alteration in the which as he uttered it caused many people te sob as they listened the prayers of this congregation he said � are desired for who has been much beloved among and whose life is now in imminent peril a chill seemed to strike through the church � an icy blast god s good man far colder than the wintry wind � the in front of the altar seemed all at once invested with a terrible � death and death only was the sovereign of the world and when the children s choir rose to give the hark the herald angels sing glory to the new bom king � their voices were and out of tune into tears was indeed in peril she had become suddenly 