CHAPTER X.

ONE morning early, a few days before Gratia's death, as her aunt was seated beside her bed, watching her countenance, she suddenly opened her eyes, and reaching out her thin, pale hand, said, in her natural tone, "Aunt Mary, I want to kiss you once more." Her aunt, being greatly affected by the request, did not go to her at once, and she said again"Aunt Mary Jane, I want to have you come here; I want to kiss you once more, for the last time." Her aunt went to her, and bent over her to receive indeed from those fevered lips the last, last token of her love. After she had kissed her, she said, "Will you call my mother? I want to see my mother."

"Your mother is not dressed yet, dear Gratia," she replied: "try and go to sleep again, and I will call her when you awake."

"I want to see her now, Aunt Mary Jane, for the last time,"—she immediately repeated in an earnest tone;" and I want to see all the family. I want to bid them all good-by for the last time."

Her aunt left the room to call her mother, and when she entered it, the plaintive voice of her dying child fell upon her ear, with the words, "Good-by, dear mother! Good-by! Farewell, my mother!"

She continued to plead so earnestly to see all the family, that they were called. As each one entered the room, she repeated, "Good-by! Good-by!' She then asked especially to see the baby, and with a look of ardent love, of deep, deep tenderness, her eyes rested upon little Annie, as she softly said, "Dear

little sister!" Her father said to her, "Shall I take the baby out?" "Not while she is quiet." When he carried her away, Gratia's eyes followed wistfully after them, and again she softly said, "Good-by, my little sister! Good-by,. my dear father!" Not seeing, by her bedside, the coloured girl who had been brought up in her father's family, and who had taken much care of her, and to whom she was warmly attached, she inquired, "Where is Laura? I want to bid her good-by."

As her mother approached the bed, she said, "I am dying, mother." Her mother replied, "Gratia is safe in Christ." She raised her full black eyes, and, with the most perfect confidence and childish simplicity, exclaimed, "The Lord is my Shepherd-how happy am I! Mother, will you pray with me?" After prayer, she asked, "May I pray, mother?" She then uttered her last audible prayer, full

of resignation and of sincere faith. So fervent, so pure, so elevating, and so mature! The following are her exact words:

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“O Lord, forgive all my sins! Bless my dear father and mother and little sister, and keep them alive, and bless all; let thy kingdom come.―― O Lord, bless me, and give me pa

tience

and may I be encircled in

the arms of my Saviour.-

May we all meet in heaven and sing glory-.

and when I leave, may I be enfolded in the arms of my Saviour, and sing glory, glory, glory forever and

glory

forever

through Jesus Christ the dear Redeemer.--Amen."

She spoke this slowly, but very distinctly, making a long pause between some of the sentences.

Never again was her dear mother permitted to converse with her.

A short season of suffering followed,

when the angel came and gently bore away her infant spirit to the presence of her loved Redeemer.

"We watched her breathing through the night, Her breathing, soft and low,

As in her breast the wave of life
Kept heaving to and fro.

"So silently we seem'd to speak,
So slowly moved about,

As we had lent her half our powers
To eke her being out.

"Our very hopes belied our fears,
Our fears our hopes belied-

We thought her dying, when she slept,
And sleeping, when she died.

"For when the morn came dim and sad,
And chill with early showers,
Her quiet eye-lids closed she had
Another morn than ours."

So passed away the life of this precious lamb! Many children attended her