Year: 1871

mother stood by her little
child. She was very sad and
Ss6Js her tears flowed, for she was
S%9 afraid that it would die. 1t
was pale and its little eyes were
closed. The child breathed heayi-
~ and the mother looked still more
sadly upon it.


There was a knock at the door
and a poor old man entered, wrapt
up in a large cloak which kept him
warm, for it was winter. Snow and
ice covered the earth, and the wind
blew sharp and cut ones face.


AS the old man was shivering
with cold, and the child seemed to
sleep for awhile, and the mother
went and placed something to drink
near the fire that it might be warm
ed for him. And the old man was
sitting by the cradle and placed his
cold hand upon the heart of the
little child.


Out there in the deep snow sat
an old woman in long black gar
ments, and said: ''Death has been
in thy house. I saw him leave it
with thy little child; and he brings
never back what he has taken"


''Tell me only which way he was
taken," said the mother; "show me
the way and 1 will find himr'


II know it." said the woman;
'but 1 will not tell you unless you
sing all the songs to me which you
have sung to your little child. I
love those songs. have heard
them all. am Night, and 1 saw
your tears while you were singing"


II will sing them ali" said the
mother; ''but do not keep me now;
let me 90 after him and bring back
my childr'


But Night had no pity, and the
mother wrung her hands and wept
and gave her songs to her. There
were many songs-but still more
tears, The night said: $50 down
to yonder dark pine wood; hither
saw death take thy child"


Deep in the woods the way cross
ed, and she did not know what di-
rection to take. There, however,
stood a thorn bush, which had nei-
ther leaves nor flowers, for it was
winter; the ieicies hung upon its
branches.


"Hast thou not seen Death come
this way with my childY' said the
/ mother.


Il have" said the thorn bush;
''but 1 will not tell you unless you
press me to your heart, for l am
freezing to DEATH


And she pressed the thorn bush
to her bosom that it might become
warm again and tell her. The
thorns cut deep into her breast and
her blood flowed in large drops
But the thorn bush produced leaves
and flowers in the cold winter night,
so warm is the heart of the bereav-
ed mother! And the thorn bush
told her the way she should go.


She came to a wide lake upon
which was no boat. 1t was not fro
zen enough to be walked over, nor
shallow enough to be gone through;
and yet she had to pass it if she
would find her child. Then she
laid herself down to drink it out,
for though she knew this impOssi-
BILE to man, she believed some mir
acle would come to her assistance.


"No," said the lake, ''that will
not do; but let us see if we agree :
I love to gather pearls, and thy two
/ eyes are the purest pearls ever
saw. Weep them out into me and
will carry thee over to the great
house where Death nurses his trees
and flowers, every one of which is a
human life"


"Oh, what would not give to
come to my childp' said the weep
ing mother, and her eyes fell into
the lake and were transformed into
two precious pearls. And the lake
lifted her up as if in a swing and
carried her to the opposite shore.


There stood a magnificent house
many miles large, but the mother
could not see it; she had wept out
her eyes.


"Where shall 1 find Death" shC
cried; ahe has taken my child, and
I want itr'


''He has not yet arrived" said al
, old, gray woman, who was going
around there to keep watch Ovel
the house of Death; show did yoI
find thy way, and who was viii


theeY'


"God was with me- replied she
"He is merciful, viii you not be so
!; Tell me, where is my childT'


Il know it not" said the old wo
: man, sand you cannot see. Man!
n flowers and trees have withered las
= night, and Death will soon be her


to transplant them. Each human


hniner los its free or anrrnr of lie