for I doubt if he'll come inside the gate,

that is, unless he sees you somewhere round. I'll send him about eight o'clock."

The wagon rolled away; Leo, after a long, wistful look at me, as he saw me turn toward the house with Major Burcham, bounded after it; and I went in, wondering whatpossible cause of feud could exist between the faithful, mildtempered dog and the pompous man at my side.

"Mr. Divine told me that he had bought Leo of Major Burcham's Irishman," said I to myself. "Ah! yes, I see,the Irishman's dog, treated with contempt, possibly with cruelty, by the Irishman's master. Leo remembers and

resents it."

Aunt Vin met me at the door of the sick-room. When she had made me fully acquainted with its routine, I said to her;

"Now, go straight to bed, and leave every care behind,"

"I'm agoin'," replied she, with a long yawn, "I don't need but one such conjunction. I didn't know I was so sleepy till you come in; the very sight of you was omnivorous! Be sure and call me at nine o'clock; then, it'll be time to shift her on to t'other bed." And Aunt Vin took herself off.

Mrs. Burcham appeared not to notice the change of nurses. She lay with her eyes closed, in a half stupor, from which (I had been warned) she roused completely only at intervals. Sometimes she slept,—a troubled, uneasy sleep,-wherefrom it was necessary to waken herpartially, at least-every few moments.

Two hours crept slowly away; twilight began to gather. With it, heavy clouds rolled up from the east; a peal of thunder sounded from afar. Mrs. Burcham woke from a brief slumber with a start and a moan, and the sorrowful lament of David fell brokenly from her lips ;

"My son! my son! oh, my son!"

I heard it with alarm. Delirium was always a dreaded symptom, in the fever. And no question but she was delirious,―for, if she had ever had a son, he must have been dead years ago; I had never heard of him. Indeed, I believed her to have been childless. I laid my hand upon her head, felt her pulse, listened anxiously to her breathing, but could detect no sign of increasing fever or weakness; and I sat down again, a little reassured, just as another rumble of thunder filled the air. It helped to rouse her completely. She opened her eyes and looked at me, intelligently enough. There was no sign of the delirium I had feared.

"It is Miss Frost," said she, feebly.. "You are very kind. Is Aunt Vin resting?"

"Yes; for a little while. She needed rest; and she said she was not at all afraid to leave you with me," replied I, fearing lest she might be disturbed at finding her self in other hands than those of her accustomed and experienced nurse.

"I am very glad that she is resting, I mean. I hope you are making yourself comfortable. There is wine in the closet; it will help to keep up your strength. And there is an easier chair in the parlor, tell Bridget to bring it in for you."

"Do not trouble yourself about me, I am quite comfortable," I answered, much marveling at the change that a few days of sickness had wrought in Mrs. Burcham's manGratitude for kindness and consideration for others were not its most prominent characteristics, formerly. * She insisted, and, to satisfy her, the chair was brought. Then, she closed her eyes, and sank again into stupor.

ner.

The

An hour went by. Darkness was fully come. storm, which had seemed to retreat, for a time, now drew near again; heavy drops of rain fell; flashes of lightning came and went, followed by the loud roll of thunder.

Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was about time for Leo to arrive; and began to wonder how I was to manage

that "lookout" which Mrs. Divine had advised. The bedroom was at the back of the house; one window opened upon a dense orchard, the other, into a small recess or alcove, enclosed on three sides only, and termed in Shiloh a "shed." While I was yet considering the difficulty, I heard a sound in this shed; which, after listening a moment, I knew to be made by my canine friend, shaking the rain from his shaggy coat. Immediately, his huge head and chest appeared framed in the open window, his fore-paws resting on the sill, and, in his mouth a small package carefully wrapped in oiled-skin, to protect it from the rain. Instead of scratching at the main entrance, as is his wont, in his character of messenger, it would seem that the sagacious animal had quietly reconnoitered the premises, until, discovering me sitting alone in the sickroom, he had ventured to make his appearance at the window.

I rose, intending to relieve him of his burden, give him a pat on the head, and silently motion him to depart, when a fearful peal of thunder shook the house, startling Mrs.. Burcham into sudden consciousness. Her eyes opened full upon Leo's dark figure.

"Who is that?" she asked, in alarm.

"It is only Leo-Mr. Divine's dog," I hastened to say, soothingly," he has brought me some slippers that I forgot to bring myself."

The look of fright passed quickly from her eyes, and a soft, mournful expression came there instead. To my utter surprise, she said, in low, faint tones,-but distinct enough, doubtless, to the dog's quick ears,

"Leo! come here!"

He leaped through the window, came to the bedside, and looked down upon her with a benignant, yet an inquisi. tive, face. She feebly lifted her wasted hand and laid it on his great, rough head.

"Oh, Leo! Leo!" she exclaimed, mournfully, "where

is your master?" Two large tears gathered in her eyes, and rolled down on the pillow.

I was amazed and alarmed. The scene was utterly incomprehensible; but I saw that it involved excitement and emotion which could not be otherwise than hurtful to my patient, and I hastened to put an end to it.

"Leo!" I began, somewhat sternly, "it is time for you to go home, sir."

"Oh! no, no," exclaimed Mrs. Burcham, pleadingly,"do not send him away yet! It is so pleasant to have him here once more! Besides, he never likes to go out in a thunderstorm, you know."

It was true. Leo has a very human dislike, amounting to a species of nervous terror, of a thunderstorm. He will face one at the call of duty; but he would much prefer to have duty choose a fairer occasion. Yet I was astonished at Mrs. Burcham's intimate knowledge of his idiosyncrasy.

However, it was no time to question nor argue. I pointed to a dim corner and bade Leo lie down, which he did at once. Then, seeing that it was nearly time for the patient's anodyne, I ventured to anticipate it a little, and to increase the dose by two or three drops, to balance the unexpected excitements of the moment. As she swallowed it, there came another heavy clap of thunder.

"It is a fearful storm!" said she, with a slight shiver. "It was in just such a storm that—”

She checked the words, or they faltered on her tongue, I could not tell which. A spasm of pain crossed her face; then, she closed her eyes and lay quite still, but neither in stupor nor in sleep, I saw plainly. I sat watching her, praying that the anodyne might quickly take effect. My anxiety was too great to allow me to wonder much at the scene which I had just witnessed. I only felt dimly, that here were memories and sorrows at work to which I had no clue; curiously connected with Leo, too; and not in the least explained by that hypothesis of the Irishman's dog

and the Irishman's master which had so satisfactorily ac counted for whatever was strange in the joint behavior of Major Burcham and that dumb, black animal coiled up in yonder corner:—whom, by the way, I was resolved to send quietly home as soon as I could do so without attracting the sick woman's attention. I deeply regretted that he had ever been sent hither on errand of mine.

Little did I imagine that it was God's errand, and not mine, which which had brought Leo there, that night!

Some silent moments passed by, and I trusted that Mrs. Burcham's over-burdened heart was slowly sinking into the soft depths of slumber, when her eyes opened once more. There was no sleep, no forgetfulness in them,-only thought, trouble, wistfulness.

"Miss Frost," said she, quite calmly, "how long do you think I have to live?"

"My dear Mrs. Burcham!" I exclaimed, almost in despair, “pray do not agitate yourself any further, at present! Try to leave all your cares-your life also-in the hands of God, who careth for you, who pitieth you as a father pitieth his own children. Lay yourself in His mercy as in a bed, and there sleep all your cares and fears away!

"As a father pitieth his own children," she repeated, slowly, as if thinking aloud, and paying no heed to the rest my words, "yes, that is it—that is what I must say to him. Miss Frost, please tell my husband I want to see him."

of

"Would it not be better to wait till morning?" I entreated. "You have had too much excitement already; I really ought to forbid any more. Do try to forget all that troubles you, and go to sleep!"

I

"I have tried," she answered, " and I cannot. Besides, may not live till morning,-'the night cometh, in which no man can work.' And I have something to do before I die, Leo has come here on purpose to remind me of it, to rouse me up to it, to help me through it. Let me do it