192 CALVIN: A STUDY OF CHARACTER. 



piest hours of his life had been spent. It 

 was a last look. He turned and walked 

 away, laid himself down upon the bright 

 spot in the rug, and quietly died. 



It is not too much to say that a little shock 

 went through the neighborhood when it was 

 known that Calvin was dead, so marked was 

 his individuality ; and his friends, one after 

 another, came in to see him. There was no 

 sentimental nonsense about his obsequies ; it 

 was felt that any parade would have been 

 distasteful to him. John, who acted as un- 

 dertaker, prepared a candle-box for him, 

 and I believe assumed a professional de- 

 corum ; but there may have been the usual 

 levity underneath, for I heard that he re- 

 marked in the kitchen that it was the " dry- 

 est wake he ever attended." Everybody, 

 however, felt a fondness for Calvin, and 

 regarded him with a certain respect. Be- 

 tween him and Bertha there existed a great 

 friendship, and she apprehended his nature : 

 she used to say that sometimes she was 

 afraid of him, he looked at her so intelli- 



