I only wanted to see your sunny
face once more, and tell you what a comfort you have been to me in this
sickness." This all came at intervals, she was so weak. She afterward
said, "I feel as if I never was acquainted with Christ till now. I tell
my sons to become INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED with Him." I asked her if she
took pleasure in thinking of meeting friends in heaven. With a sweet,
somewhat comical smile, she said, "No, I haven't got so far as that. I
think only of meeting Christ." "For all that," I said, "you will soon
see my father and mother and other kindred souls." Her face lighted up
again. "Why, so I shall!" Her lips were growing white with pain while
this bright smile was on them, and I came away, though I should gladly
have listened to her by the hour, everything was so natural, sound,
and-heavenly. Shopping after it did not prove particularly congenial;
but we must shop, as well as die.

_April 29th._--Your first Dresden letter has just come; yes, it was long
enough, though you did not tell us how the cat did. You speak as if you
were going to Paris, but papa is positive you are not. Yesterday was a
lovely day, though very hot. Dr. Adams came and drove papa to the Park.
Late in the afternoon I went to see Mrs. G., the woman whose husband
is in jail. She is usually all in a muss, but this time was as nice as
could be, the floor clean and everything in order. The baby, a year old,
had learned to walk since I was last there, and came and planted herself
in front of me, and stared at me out of two great bright eyes most of
the time. I had a nice visit, as Mrs. G. seems to be making a good use
of her troubles. After I got home, Dr. and Mrs. C. arrived and we had
dinner and a tremendous thunder shower, after which he went out to make
forty-'leven calls. He was pleased to say that he wanted his wife to see
the lovely family picture we make! It is a glum, cold, lowering morning,
but the C.'s are going to see the Frenches at West Point, and Miss Lyman
at Vassar.

_Monday._--I went to Miss C.'s (the dressmaker) again to-day, and found
her much out of health, and about reducing her business and moving. One
of the old sisters had been reading Stepping Heavenward, and almost ate
me up. I got a pleasant word about it last night, from Mrs. General
Upton, who has just died at Nassau. I have seen Mrs. B. to-day; she did
not open her eyes, but besought me to pray for her release. She can't
last long. The boys are off rolling