BELLADONNA BKRRIES 273 



An hour later, Simon, who was re- turning from 

 the mill with his donkey, found two little children 

 seated at the foot of the hedge, crying aloud and 

 clasping each other. At their feet a lamb was lying 

 and bleating plaintively. And the younger was say- 

 ing to the other: "Joseph, get up; we will go 

 home." The elder tried to rise, but his legs, seized 

 with a convulsive trembling, could not support him. 

 "Joseph, Joseph, speak to me," said the poor little 

 one; "speak to me." And Joseph, his teeth chat- 

 tering, looked at his brother with eyes so big they 

 frightened him. "There is one more apple in the 

 basket ; would you like it ? I will give you all of it, ' ' 

 went on the little fellow, his cheeks bathed in tears. 

 And the elder trembled and then became rigid, by 

 fits and starts, and stared fixedly with eyes grow- 

 ing ever larger and larger. 



It was then that Simon passed. He put the two 

 children on the donkey, took the basket, and, fol- 

 lowed by the lamb, hastened to the village. 



When the unhappy mother saw Joseph, her dear 

 Joseph, so well a few hours before, so rejoiced at 

 taking his brother for a walk, and now uncon- 

 scious, dying, it was a scene to melt the heart. 

 "My God, my God!" cried she, crazed with grief, 

 "take me and leave my son! Oh, my Joseph! Oh, 

 my poor Joseph!" And, covering him with kisses, 

 she burst into cries of despair. 



The doctor was summoned; the basket in which 

 were still some of the black IM-ITICS mistaken for 

 cln-mes cxplaim-.l to him the cause of the sad event. 

 "hradly nightshade, great (io<l!" he exclaimed un- 



