ked unusually bright and happy, and her words had an earnestness of
expression which I had never noticed before. At the time I knew but
little of the different ways in which death approaches, and was not
aware that with the very aged the lamp of life often burns with renewed
brightness just before it goes out forever. After a short silence,
grandma spoke again, saying, "Have you ever read Bunyan's Pilgrim's
Progress, Walter?" I replied that I had, and she continued: "You may
remember that when an order was sent for one of the pilgrims to make
ready to cross the 'dark river', the messenger gave him this token that
he brought a true message, 'I have broken thy golden bowl and loosed thy
silver cord.' I think I have the same token, Walter. I feel that the
golden bowl is well-nigh shattered, and the silver cord of my life is
loosening, and soon the last strand will be severed, and to me it is
rather a matter of joy than of sorrow. I know in whom I have believed,
and all is peace. Continue, my child, as you have begun in life, and
should you be spared to old age you will never regret following my
advice. And now I must go to rest, for I am weary, and would sleep." Her
words awed me deeply; but surely, thought I, grandma cannot die while
she seems so well and so like herself. The words she had spoken so
agitated my mind that it was long after I retired to rest, before I
slept, and when at length slumber stole over my senses, I dreamed that
a being beautiful and bright stood at my bedside, who was like Grandma
Adams, only decrepitude and age had all disappeared, and a beauty and
brightness, such as I am unable to describe, had taken their place. A
smile rested upon her countenance, as she seemed in my dream, for a
moment, to raise her hands above my head in blessing, when she
disappeared from my view, and I awoke. But even while I dreamed, the
angel of death came with noiseless step, and severed the last strand in
the cord of grandma's life, and who shall say that her spirit was not
permitted to hover for a moment, in blessing, over the youth so dear
to her, before taking its final leave of earth.

Upon going to her mother's room the next morning, my aunt found that
she had passed from the sleep of repose to the deeper sleep of death.
Thinking that possibly life still lingered, they immediately summoned
the physician, but after one glance at the still features, he addressed
my aunt, saying, "Your mother has been a long time spa