ad
loved one another, and how God had cared for them always, and how happy
they had been, and how, even in the parting that was before them, God's
time was best, and she was not afraid.

And she was _not_ afraid! Looking into those triumphant eyes, glad with
the brightness of something that she could not see, how could she be
afraid? "For neither life nor death, nor principalities nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord," she murmured, comforting him with her words. He
was dying! He was leaving her and their children alone, with God's
promise between them and poverty, and nothing else. Nothing else! Is
not that enough? Think of it! God's promise!

"I am not afraid!" She said the words over and over again. "Why should
I be afraid? There are things far worse than poverty to bear. `Our
bread shall be given us, and our water sure.' I might be afraid for our
children without you, had they the temptations of wealth to struggle
with. Their father's memory will be better to them than lands or gold.
Put it all out of your thoughts, dear love. I am not afraid."

Afterwards the doubt might come--the care, the anxiety, the painful
reckoning of ways and means, to her who knew that the roof that covered
them and the daily bread of her children, depended on the dear life now
ebbing so fast away. But now, seeing--not Heaven's light, indeed, but
the reflection of its glory on his face, she no more feared life than he
feared death, now drawing so near. The children came in, at times, and
looked with sad, appealing eyes from one face to the other to find
comfort, and seeing her so sweet and calm and strong, went out to
whisper to one another that mamma was not afraid. All through these
last days of suffering the dying father never heard the voice of
weeping, or saw a token of fear or pain. Just once, at the very first,
seeing the sign of the coming change on his father's face, David's heart
failed him, and he leaned, for a moment, faint and sick upon his
mother's shoulder. But it never happened again till the end was near.
Seeing his mother, he grew calm and strong, trying to stand firm in this
time or trouble that she might have him to lean on when the time of
weakness should come. The others came and went, but David never left
his mother's side. And she watched and waited