uiet until he saw the humble procession approaching the
house. Then, hurrying with his little charge to the open window, he
looked out. Side by side walked Mary and Ella, and as Alice's eyes
fell upon the former, she uttered a cry of joy, and almost sprang from
Billy's arms. But Mary could not come; and for the next half hour Mrs.
Bender corked her ears with cotton, while Billy, half distracted,
walked the floor, singing at the top of his voice every tune he had
ever heard, from "Easter Anthem" down to "the baby whose father had
gone a hunting," and for whom the baby in question did not care two
straws.

Meantime the bodies were about to be lowered into the newly made
grave, when Mrs. Johnson felt her dress nervously grasped, and looking
down she saw Mary's thin, white face uplifted towards hers with so
earnest an expression, that she gently laid her hand upon her head,
and said, "What is it, dear?"

"Oh, if I can,--if they only would let me look at them once more. I
couldn't see them at the house, my eyes were so dark."

Mrs. Johnson immediately communicated Mary's request to the sexton,
who rather unwillingly opened the coffin lid. The road over which they
had come, was rough and stony and the jolt had disturbed the position
of Frank, who no lay partly upon his mother's shoulder, with his cheek
resting against hers. Tenderly Mary laid him back upon his own
pillow, and then kneeling down and burying her face in her mother's
bosom, she for a time remained perfectly silent, although the
quivering of her frame plainly told the anguish of that parting. At
length Mrs. Johnson gently whispered "Come, darling, you must come
away now;" but Mary did not move; and when at last they lifted her up,
they saw that she had fainted. In a few moments she recovered, and
with her arms across her sister's neck, stood by until the wide grave
was filled, and the bystanders were moving away.

As they walked homeward together, two women, who had been present at
the funeral, discussed the matter as follows:--

"They took it hard, poor things, particularly the oldest."

"Yes, though I didn't think she cared as much as t'other one, until
she fainted, but it's no wonder, for she's old enough to dread the
poor-house. Did you say they were staying at widder Bender's?"

"Yes, and how in this world widder Bender, as poor as she pretends to
be, can afford to do it, is more than I can tell."

"Are you going to the other funeral this afternoon?