Year: 1868

economical of both, for there was only
small stock of fuel and a handful Of
pine nOts in the house. It was painful
to hear the poor COWS at the barn low
ing for food, and to know that it was
impossible to reach them. l might,
perhaps, have gone out on snow-shOes
and managed to get into the barn by
the window in the loft; but fathers
shoes were loaned to neighbor, and,
even if they had been at hand, / should
hardly dare to risk my strength, not yet
renovated after my Sicknes, and, which
was so essential to mothers safety, in
an effort that might fail.


$50 the hours went on, and the day
that was like night wore to a close. In
the evening mother frightened up a
little. She was calm now, and for the
time free from pain. There was an un-
earthly beauty in the large, bright hOl-
low eyes, and the thin cheeks, where
the rose of fever burned. The disease
had worked swiftly. Even this revival
might be only forerunner of death.


"'I want to tell you, DEAR she said ,
what to do in case l should not get
WELL


II hid my face in the quilt, and tried
not to sob, while she went on, in a
sweet, calm, thoughtful way, to tell me
of the things that in my experience l
might forget. ] must not be wastefuI
of food or fuel; ifthe snow-which was
still falling-should cover the chimney
so that ] could not make fire, must
wrap myself and the children in all the
warm things l could 6nd,-there were
some new blankets in the chest in the
chamber, she said, that she had meant
for me. / must get those if needed
them. 'And if l am not here to en-
courage you, my child, she said tender
ly, don't give up hoping. Help can
not be very far off. Some of the neig-
bors will come to us, or father will work
his way through the snow, and get
home. And, Mercy, don't be afraid of
the poor body that | shall leave behind
me. Think of it as the empty house
that have used for little while, and
be sure it can do you no harm


81 promised all she asked, and hid
my tears as well as could. While she
slept and could do nothing for her, I
kept the children quiet with playthings
and stories. ! cooked bread and meat,
and made great kettle of porridge
against the time when we might not be
able to have FIRE; l hunted in the gar
ret for bits of old boards and broken
furniture that might serve for fuel.


"FOr two days the wind held, and
then there fell an awful silence as of the
grave.


Sometimes / read from the Psalms,
or from the Gospel of John, which
mother dearly loved; and though she
did not take much notice, but lay ina
stupor most of the time, the holy words
were comfort and company to me. At
other times l sat in mute grief, watch
ing her painful breathing, and the grad
ual pinching and sharpening of her fea-
lures as the relentless disease worked
upon them. o, it was hard! / don't
think many lives know so much and
such utter misery. In my anxiety and
grief, and the mental bewilderment re-
sulting from loss of sleep, l forget to
reckon the days as they passed.


"But one day, as | sat by mothers
pillow, my mind full of the dread that
seemed now as ifit might any moment
be realized, of the awtulness of being
left alone in that living tomb with the
marble image of what was and yet was
not my mother, the clock struck nine in
the morning. Somewhere the sun was
shining, l thought. Somewhere there
were happy lovers, meTy-makings in
divers places, wedding-bells ringing.


ga faint sound disturbed my reverie.
l started up and listened intentlY but
the noise did not recur, and l dropped
my head again, thinking my fancy had
cheated me.


81 don't know why it was that what
failed to reach my strained ear found its
way to mothers; but all at once, from
having been in a stupid state from
which conId hardly rouse her, she
opened her eyes, and said, What is
that?'


"'Do yuo hear anything1' I asked,
trembling. But before she could an
swer, / too heard a shout.


"Help was at hand! And mother
might yet be saved!


81 burst into tears, and Jem and
David set up loud cry for company.
Those outside heard it, for the next in
slant there was a great halloo. They
were cutting their way through the
drift, they came every minute nearer
and nearer. Pretty soon I heard
voice that set my heart beating and
made me sob again. 1t was Ephraim's.


"'Ars you all alive7' he cried.


"'We are all alive, but mother is
very SICK


81 dent know how long it took to
tunnel that huge snow-drift. l sat
holding mothers hand till there was a
noise at the door. l sprang up then,
and the next instant stood face to face
with Ephraim. And we did not meet