100 THE CARNATION. 



bell toll for me, then rejoice — rejoice — rejoice ; for 

 I shall be in glory.' The word ' rejoice' was each 

 time accompanied with a clap of the hands — the 

 word ' glory' was uttered m a tone of rapturous ex- 

 ultation — and then the hands fell, and the soul was 

 gone in a moment. 



Thus she entered into her joy of the Lord, at 

 the age, as she used to say, of twenty-eight. ' For 

 though it is eighty-six years since I came u)to the 

 world, you know I was dead till the voice came, 

 *' Awake ! thou that sleepest, arise from the dead, 

 and Christ shall give thee light." Yes, I was dead 

 in trespasses and sins, and I will only number ray 

 days from that whereon He quickmed me.' 



I had anticipated much solace from discoursing 

 with her of my dumb boy's state, when he should 

 be taken away ; she died fourteen hours before 

 him ; and he called her, playfully, ' Bad blind 

 woman,' for not wailing for him. I stifled the 

 selfish feeling of disappointment, and feasted on the 

 assurance of their glorious meeting, when the eyes 

 of the blind arc indeed opened, and the ears 

 of the deaf unstop}>cd, and the tongue of the dumb 

 makes melody in heaven. It is so realizing to 

 witness the short and sprighily step wherewith 

 some of God's children spring from time into eter- 

 nity. The bursting of a bud into the sudden ex- 

 pansion typifies it sweetly ; but I must not antici- 

 pate the Evening Primrose. For this month it 



