each other, and mutual love enough to deserve, as they
hope, to meet again hereafter. I assure you I have sometimes come away
from houses unvisited, and unlikely to be visited by death, with a heart
so heavy as I have rarely or never brought from a deathbed."

"I should have thought that would be left for the rector to say,"
observed Hester. "I should have supposed you meant cases of guilt or
remorse."

"Cases of guilt or remorse," continued Mr Hope, "and also of infirmity.
People may say what they will, but I am persuaded that there is
immeasurably more suffering endured, both in paroxysms and for a
continuance, from infirmity, tendency to a particular fault, or the
privation of a sense, than from the loss of any friend upon earth,
except the very nearest and dearest; and even that case is no exception,
when there is the faith of meeting again, which almost every mourner
has, so natural and welcome as it is."

"Do you tell your infirm friends the high opinion you have of their
sufferings?" asked Margaret.

"Why, not exactly; that would not be the kindest thing to do, would it?
What they want is, to have their trouble lightened to them, not made the
worst of;--lightened, not by using any deceit, of course, but by simply
treating their case as a matter of fact."

"Then surely you should make light of the case of the dying too: make
light of it even to the survivors. Do you do this?"

"In one sense I do; in another sense no one can do it. Not regarding
death as a misfortune, I cannot affect to consider it so. Regarding the
change of existence as a very serious one, I cannot, of course, make
light of it."

"That way of looking at it regards only the dying person; you have not
said how you speak of it to survivors."

"As I speak of it to you now, or to myself when I see any one die; with
the added consideration of what the survivors are about to lose. That
is a large consideration certainly; but should not one give them credit
for viewing death as it is, and for being willing to bear their own loss
cheerfully, as they would desire to bear any other kind of loss?
especially if, as they say, they believe it to be only for a time."

"This as looking on the bright side," observed Hester, in a low voice;
but she was overheard by Mr Hope.

"I trust you do not object to the bright side of things," said he,
smiling, "as long as there is so much about us that is really very
dark?"

"What can religion be for," sai