heart-throbs sink and swell
With a tender love she can never tell,
Though she murmurs the words
Of all the birds,
Words she had learned to murmur well?
Now she thinks she'll go to sleep!
I can see the shadow creep
Over her eyes in soft eclipse
Over her brow, and over her lips.
Out to her little finger-tips!
Softly sinking--down she goes!
Down--she--goes!--down--she--goes!
See! she is hushed in sweet repose."

"As the doctor gazed on this lovely scene, and heard the beautifully
touching words so fitly spoken, instead of smiling, he frowned and
sighed, for his heart was troubled.

"Coming forward, he grumbled out, 'A family party, I see.'

"'Yes,' said the father, rising and smiling; 'and no one but yourself
would find a welcome.'

"'So much the better,' growled the doctor. 'Nurse, light the gas.'

"'We have not lit it yet,' said the young mother, pointing to the two
wax lights in a distant corner, 'because they tell me the eyes of
infants are very weak and tender.'

"The doctor took no notice of this, only nodded to the nurse; and she,
standing in mortal fear that he would cut her head off immediately if
she hesitated, obeyed his order.

"The mother looked at her little child, who was still peacefully
sleeping, and then shaded her eyes with her hand from the sudden blaze
of light, thinking that though the doctor seemed very cruel, he must be
doing what was right. Poor young mother!

"'I only need this last test before I tell you what it means,' said the
doctor. 'Here, give me the child.'

"The father tenderly laid the little Eva in his arms, though quite at a
loss to imagine what experiment was to be tried. The light was certainly
too strong to be let suddenly into a darkened room, he thought; but the
doctor knew best. It was strange that only the noble-looking gentleman,
Mr. Vernon, seemed to divine the meaning of the rough but kind-hearted
man, but he knew only too well; he was _sadly sure_. I will tell you
why, presently.

"And now the tender head of the sleeping child lay helplessly against
the physician's rough coat, encircled by his arm.

"Suddenly he dashed some cold water, that stood near, into her face.

"Little Eva awoke, and opened her dark blue eyes immediately under the
bright stream of light. She did not cry; she did not shrink; calmly she
looked up,