6*72 THE CATASTROPHE OF TWELVE HOURS. 



over, in an agony of tears, he vowed to do all she could wish. Grate- 

 fully blessing him, she became more composed ; and, during a mo- 

 mentary respite from suffering, she slept. Her repose was, however, 

 short ; and the recurrence of still more severe spasms too plainly 

 shewed that death was approaching with hasty strides. The groans 

 of the father the screams of the girl the lamentations of the sons 

 and the wailing cry of the mother, sounded through the solitary 

 court, and amongst the tenantless and mouldering buildings, as if 

 some unholy sacrifice were proceeding. 



Midnight was at hand, and her struggling and suffering became 

 less intense. A more placid and composed expression of countenance 

 gradually took place of the distorted and writhen features which had 

 recently glared upon her miserable family ; and now " tears such 

 as tender mothers shed," fell upon her children, as embracing them 

 one by one she kissed and blessed them ; and her mother, her fond 

 and doating mother, was long locked in the arms of her dying child. 



The concentration of sorrow was at its height, and all became 

 silent, disturbed only by a sob or groan from one or other of the 

 group. The angel of death was hovering over his victim, and the 

 deep awe with which his approach is ever beheld had silenced even 

 the grandmother, whose wailing had been most pitiable as she hung 

 over her child, vainly imploring aid, when, alas ! none could be 

 found. The dimly lighted apartment, with its bare and blackened 

 walls its gigantic mantelpiece overshadowing the fire, harmonized 

 sadly with the scene of death. A thin and solitary candle, placed 011 

 a stool near the head of the dying woman, served only to picture 

 forth her sunken features and the convulsive heavings of her chest, 

 whilst its dim light threw in strong relief the group around her. 



The struggle was over the " plague" was triumphant and 

 the shudder which marked the departure of life opened anew the 

 floodgates of sorrow which the instant anticipation of death had par- 

 tially closed. Noon had seen her in high health midnight, which 

 was now tolling, found her a blackened mass of inanimate matter. 

 She who, but a short time previously, would have sympathised with 

 the lightest grief of any one individual of her family, now was 

 stretched before them passionless and stirless and the Catastrophe of 

 Twelve Hours was complete ! 



