instincts of his nature; but this was clearly more than they were
competent to sustain for any length of time. Neither the tottering
frame, nor the feeble mind was strong enough to meet the shock
which came so unexpectedly upon them. The consequence may be easily
anticipated. On the following day he was able to be up only for an hour;
yet he was not sick, nor did he complain of any particular pain. His
only malady appeared to consist in that last and general prostration of
bodily and intellectual strength, by which persons of extreme old age,
who have enjoyed uninterrupted health, are affected at, or immediately
preceding their dissolution. His mind, however, though wandering and
unsteady, was vigorous in such manifestations as it made. For instance,
it seemed to be impressed by a twofold influence,--the memory of his
early life,--mingled with a vague perception of present anxiety, the
cause of which he occasionally was able to remember, but as often tried
to recollect in vain.

On the second day after his discovery he was unable to rise at all; but,
as before, he complained of nothing, neither were his spirits depressed.
On the contrary they were rather agitated--sometimes into cheerfulness,
but more frequently into an expression of sorrow and lamentation, which
were, however, blended with old by-gone memories that were peculiarly
reflecting to those who heard them. In this way he went on, sinking
gradually until the day previous to the auction. On that morning, to
their surprise, he appeared to have absolutely regained new strength,
and to have been gifted with something like renovated power of speech.

"I want to get up," said he, "and it's only Tom an' Dora that I'll allow
to help me. You're all good, an' wor always good to grandfather, but Tom
was my best son, and signs on it--everything thruv wid him, an' God will
prosper an' bless him. Where's Dora?"

"Here, grandfather."

"Ay, that's the voice above all o' them that went like music to my
heart; but well I know, and always did, who you have that voice from;
ay, an' I know whose eyes--an' it's them that's the lovely eyes--Dora
has. Isn't the day fine, Dora?"

"It is, grandfather, a beautiful day."

"Ay, thank God. Well then I want to go out till I look--take one look at
the ould places; for somehow I think my heart was never so much in them
as now."

It is impossible to say how or why the feeling prevailed, but the fact
was, that the whole family were im