THE PARTING SCENE. 19 



" Oh, I'll put it in a box, and give it nice green leaves, as 

 many as it can eat. and " 



* t 



Poor Rachel's voice was not strong enough to complete the 

 list of luxuries she would have promised her prisoner in lieu of 

 liberty ; but, as if already bribed to quietude, the insect, which 

 had hitherto been describing circles round the rose, stood 

 still near its centre. Delighted to find his little nurseling 

 well enough (for the first time in four days) to notice and seem 

 amused by any thing, the father separated the white rose from 

 the other flowers, and placing it on a table at the foot of 

 the bed, inverted a tumbler over it. 



"There, sweet one/' said he, "your Lady-bird is safe/' 

 The child was satisfied, and went to sleep again, thinking of 

 her pleasure in letting it fly to-morrow. 



When that morrow came, no daylight was allowed to pene- 

 trate through the darkened window of the chamber where the 

 Lady-bird still occupied its crystal prison, for the little child 

 who was to have bid it fly her innocent spirit had taken its 

 own flight home was beholding the face of her Father 

 in heaven, while he who had been her father on earth was 

 kissing the pale lips through which that spirit had departed- 

 besieging, as it were, in bitter bereavement the doors of that- 

 day prison house from whence the captive was just set free. 

 * 



* * -K- -X- * 



The funeral was over : the chief the only mourner stood 



c 



