, and led her on, and shielded her,
and gave her such comfort as a man by strength and silence may give a
woman when she has need of him; and as I supported her and aided her, I
thought of my dear wife, and prayed God that there might be found some
soul of fire and snow--since to me it was denied--to do as much as this
for her in some hour of her unknown need.

But when I had led the woman out into the lighter space, and turned to
look upon her, lo, it was none other. It was she herself. It was my
wife. It was no man's beloved but my own....

So, then, crying,

"_Helen!_"

And "Forgive me, Helen!" till the dark place rang with her dear name, I
bowed myself and sunk before her, and could not put forth my hand to
touch her, for I thought of how we parted, and it seemed my heart would
break.

But she said,

"Why, my dear Love! Oh, my poor Love! Did you think I would remember
_that_?"

And I felt her sacred tears upon my face, and she crept to me--oh, not
royally, not royally, like a wife who was wronged, but like the
sweetest woman in the world, who clung to me because she could not help
it, and would not if she could....

But when we turned our footsteps toward the light, and came out
together, hand in hand, there was our little boy, at play upon the bed
of crimson moss, and smiling like the face of joy eternal.

So his mother held out her arms, and the child ran into them. And when
we came to ourselves, we blessed Almighty God.

Perceiving that inquiry will be raised touching the means by which I
have been enabled to give this record to the living earth, I have this
reply to make:

That is my secret. Let it remain such.

THE END.

THE FAMILY GIFT SERIES.

1 The Swiss Family Robinson. With 200 Engravings.
2 Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Memoir. 100 Illusts.
3 Robinson Crusoe. Memoir and many Engravings.
4 Sandford and Merton. With 100 Engravings.
5 Famous Boys, and How they became Great Men.
6 Fifty Celebrated Women. With Portraits, &c.
7 The Gentlemen Adventurers. W. H. G. KINGSTON.
8 Evenings at Home. With many Illustrations.
9 The Adventures of Captain Hatteras.
By JULES VERNE. With Coloured Plates.
10 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
By JULES VERNE. With Coloured Plates.
11 The Wonderful Travels. By the same. Col. Plates.
12 The Moon Voyage. JULES VERNE. Coloured Plates.
13 Getting On in the World