nd she his only child. He
furnished it beautiful, every room like a best parlor,--carpets and
sofys and lace curt'ins,--there was nothing too good. But her own room
was all pansies,--everything made to order, with that pattern and
nothing else. It's a sight to see to-day, fifty years since 't was all
fresh and new.

"One day--my dear young ladies, the ways of the Lord are very strange by
times, but we must truly think that they _are_ his ways, and so better
than ours,--one day Miss Wealthy was looking for her sweetheart at the
usual time of his coming, about three o'clock in the afternoon. The
morning had been fine, but the weather seemed to be coming up bad, Mary
thought; and old Mr. Bond thought so, too, for he came out on the piazza
where Mary was sorting out garden-herbs, and said, 'Daughter, I think
Victor will drive to-day. There is a squall coming up; it isn't a good
day for the water.'

"And it wasn't, Mary said; for an ugly black cloud was coming over, and
under it the sky looked green and angry.

"But Miss Wealthy only laughed, and shook her yellow curls back,--like
curling sunbeams, Mary said they was, and said, 'Victor doesn't mind
squalls, Father dear. He has been in gales and hurricanes and cyclones,
and do you think he will stop for a river flaw? See! there is the boat
now, coming round the bend.' And there, sure enough, came the white
sailboat, flying along as if she was alive, old Mary said. Miss Wealthy
ran out on the lawn and waved her handkerchief, and they saw the young
man stand up in the boat and wave his in return. And then--oh, dear! oh,
dear me!--Mary said, it seemed as if something black came rushing
across the water and struck the boat like a hand; and down she went, and
in a moment there was nothing to see, only the water all black and
hissing, and the wind tearing the tree-tops."

"Oh! but he could swim!" cried Hildegarde, pale and breathless.

"He was a noble swimmer, my dear!" said Martha, sadly. "But it came too
sudden, you see. He had turned to look at his sweetheart, poor young
gentleman, and wave to her, and in that moment it came. He hadn't time
to clear himself, and was tangled in the ropes, and held down by the
sail. Oh, don't ask me any more! But he was drowned, that is all of it.
Death needs only a moment, and has that moment always ready. Eh, dear!
My poor, sweet lady!"

There was a pause; for Rose was weeping, and Hildegarde could not speak,
though her eyes were dry and