Year: 1870

pa


A girl Of eight or nine years with lon
towy hair and frecklcd face, dropped he
doll and started wildly at her sick mother


"Where is he p


"In the corn field over by the orchard
You must be spry, or may be / shan
live till lie gets here, and there is some
thing l must say to him" ss2tsnrE-


The child sped with the fleetncss Of
frightened deer. Mr. Fuller laid dowi
his hoe when he saw her coming, ant
went forward to meet her. She was hal
choking with suppressed sobs, and will
difficulty could articulate the message
but he heard enough to comprehend it
import, and FASTENED to the house.


Edward" murmured faint voice a.
he entered. Hf -rEs.t.


What is it Lucy? Are you mucl
worse?'


Yes, am going to leave you. bfce
the icy hand of death already setting up
on my vitals, and shall look upon youl
Kind face but little while longer, foi
darkness is even now obscuring my Wis
ion"


at is nearly sunset, Lucy, and there
is cloud in the west; probably that is
why you. cannot see Take courage, i,
may not he SO bad as you fear; your
countenance has not changed since morn
ing, and the doctor thought then that
You was getting on famonsly."


Il understand myself much better
than the doctor understands me know
that am dying. Hold out to me no false
alluring hopes, and do not deceive your
self, l have one request to make of you
before | go, and when you have promis
ed solemnly to comply with it shall die
happy" s.sA A.' ~aii'2


"What is it Lucy ?' .r .,.r


81 must sleep few minutes to gain
strength for the important conversation
| contemplate. Put a teaspoonful ofthat
st-cohee into my parched mouth
Now, dear, send Isaac with Roam and the
thorough brace spring wagon after Rosa
mond Wilder l must see her."


Edward Fuller would have dispatched
his right arm to the moon without ask
ing any questions, if any one he loved
should have suggested such thing un-
der such circumstances. If he had
thought about il at all he would have
been considerably satisfied at his wifes
singular caprice in summouing Miss
Wilder, for she was by no means an init
mate friend in the family But he only
proceeded to send Off the boy, whom he
found in the barn shed making a hen
coop, with all possible alacrity, and re-
turned to his dying Lucy


Her eyes were closed, and she seemed
to be in gentle slumber. The nurse
came in with some Cruel and placed it on
the table. She gazed mournfully upon
the pale face for mement, and then left
the room to attend to household duties.
Agatha, crying on the lounge, was sent
for the cows, as Isaac would hardly get
back in season, it Icing full mile and
n half to Mr.. Wildcr's. Mr.. Fuller's eyes
moistened, thinking Of the desolation of
his home when she who had been the
sharer Of his joys and sorrows should be
no more. She had been true wife, a
fond and devoted mother, and a model
horsekeepcr. He had never thought tina,
she could leave him thus! 1t was very
startling! Very dreadful!


When supper was ready the nurse call.
ed him and took his place in the sick
room Neither Isaac nor Agatha had
yet returned. and he was obliged to eat
alone lie was not only very gloomy
and wretchcd, but hungry, and made quick
unrE nf tho c,con,inu Ha piacks and thn
tea cake, declaring to himself at each
mouthful that they were not half SO good
as Lucy's, Indeed, he could think Of no
one who could hold candle to her in
the way of cooking. without it was little
Betscy Shepherd, who staid with them s
few days in the spring, when Isaac was
sick with the measles. She had a natu
raj talent for making everything taste
good. Surely nobody but Lucy could
make such bread as the little winsome
thing turned ont Of the big wooden bow!
with her pretty hands. He happened to
be going through the kitchen and saw heI
do it. lie had to DO about the house O
good deal bccarsc Of the children being
sick, aud saw her do great many things
and she was amazingly handy" 1t was
n pity that she was only seventeen, but
then she was growing older all the time.
Lucy was only seventeen when he mar
ricd her. Those pies Bctsey made
How he wished he had one of them now,
when he needed so much consolation to
enable him to go through the trying
scene before him. Poor Lucy. He hoped
she was prepared for the change, and
would be very happy in the spirit world.
What miserable tea he was drinking 1T
must have been what was left after break.
fast warmed over. He wondered il hc
should have time to milk before Lucy's
last moments commenced.


He heard wagon and was surprised
when it turned into the yard, for he fail
ed to understand how Isaac could get
round so quickly. Old Roam was wiser