ose uncomforted. The house was still and
dark when he went in. His mother had thought that he had gone to bed,
and Jem that he was sitting in the study as he often did, and he was
fast asleep when David lay down beside him, and no one knew the pain and
dread that was in his heart that night.

But when he rose in the morning, and went down-stairs, and heard the
cheerful noise of the children, and saw his mother going about her work
as she always did, all that had happened last night seemed to him like a
dream. By and by his father came among them, no graver than in other
days, and quite as well as he had been for a long time, and everything
went on as usual all day, and for a good many days. Nobody seemed
afraid. His mother was watchful, and perhaps a little more silent than
usual, but that was all. As for his father, the worst must have been
past that night, as he had said, for there was no cloud over him now.
He was cheerful always--even merry, sometimes, when he amused himself
with little Polly and the rest. He was very gentle with them all, more
so than usual, perhaps, and David noticed that he had Violet and Jem
alone with him in the study now and then. Once when this happened with
Jem, David did not see him again all day, and afterwards--a long time
afterwards--Jem told him that he had spent that afternoon in the
hay-loft above old Don's crib.

At such times he used to wonder whether their father spoke to them as he
had spoken to him that night, when he told him how "Death might be
drawing near." But they never spoke to one another about it. And,
indeed, it was not difficult during those cheerful quiet days, to put
such thoughts out of their minds. The people came and went, looking
grave sometimes, but not as though they had any particular cause for
fear. The minister went out almost every fine day with David or his
mother, or with Jem if it was Saturday, for the children were growing
almost jealous of one another, as to opportunities for doing things for
papa, and Jem must have his turn, too.

How kind all the people were! Surely there never was anything like it
before, the children thought. Some among them whom they had not much
liked, and some whom they had hardly known, came out in a wonderful way
with kind words and kinder deeds, and if kindness and thoughtfulness,
and love that was almost reverence, would have made him well, he would
soon have been in his old place among them again. His place