144 FOUR-HANDED FOLK. 



Before this she had ceased to go out of the 

 house, and now she took to being wrapped in a 

 shawl. She had the liberty of the house, and 

 was only happy when lying in the sunshine, 

 or held in some one's arms. She rapidly grew 

 worse, and before long could not leave her pil- 

 low, on which she would lie close to the fire, 

 insisting on having company. 



She was not happy unless some one sat by her, 

 on the last day, and put a hand on her or held 

 her hand. This may sound like exaggeration, 

 but every word is true. I never saw more " hu- 

 man nature " than poor Gila manifested in her 

 last hours. If she could have spoken, her wishes 

 would not have been more plain, nor her good- 

 byes better understood. And when she had 

 turned her last loving glance on us, and gone 

 gently to her last sweet sleep, you will not 

 think it strange that a whole family shed tears 

 over her body, and even buried her tenderly in 

 the garden with flowers about her. 



