d Eva.

"_I cannot_," said St. Clare, rising, "I _cannot_ have it so! The
Almighty hath dealt _very bitterly_ with me!" and St. Clare pronounced
these words with a bitter emphasis, indeed.

"Augustine! has not God a right to do what he will with his own?" said
Miss Ophelia.

"Perhaps so; but that doesn't make it any easier to bear," said he, with
a dry, hard, tearless manner, as he turned away.

"Papa, you break my heart!" said Eva, rising and throwing herself into
his arms; "you must not feel so!" and the child sobbed and wept with
a violence which alarmed them all, and turned her father's thoughts at
once to another channel.

"There, Eva,--there, dearest! Hush! hush! I was wrong; I was wicked. I
will feel any way, do any way,--only don't distress yourself; don't sob
so. I will be resigned; I was wicked to speak as I did."

Eva soon lay like a wearied dove in her father's arms; and he, bending
over her, soothed her by every tender word he could think of.

Marie rose and threw herself out of the apartment into her own, when she
fell into violent hysterics.

"You didn't give me a curl, Eva," said her father, smiling sadly.

"They are all yours, papa," said she, smiling--"yours and mamma's; and
you must give dear aunty as many as she wants. I only gave them to our
poor people myself, because you know, papa, they might be forgotten when
I am gone, and because I hoped it might help them remember. . . . You
are a Christian, are you not, papa?" said Eva, doubtfully.

"Why do you ask me?"

"I don't know. You are so good, I don't see how you can help it."

"What is being a Christian, Eva?"

"Loving Christ most of all," said Eva.

"Do you, Eva?"

"Certainly I do."

"You never saw him," said St. Clare.

"That makes no difference," said Eva. "I believe him, and in a few days
I shall _see_ him;" and the young face grew fervent, radiant with joy.

St. Clare said no more. It was a feeling which he had seen before in his
mother; but no chord within vibrated to it.

Eva, after this, declined rapidly; there was no more any doubt of the
event; the fondest hope could not be blinded. Her beautiful room was
avowedly a sick room; and Miss Ophelia day and night performed the
duties of a nurse,--and never did her friends appreciate her value more
than in that capacity. With so well-trained a hand and eye, such perfect
adroitness and practice in every art which could promote neatness
and comfort, and keep out of sight ev