OWN LITTLE PRECIOUS MIGNONETTE,

I have a love for this sheet of paper, because it will be in your hands
when I cannot touch them nor see them,--how often they have ministered
to me just where I am writing this! just where you will find it. I know
_you_ will find it, Faith--I know where you will go as soon as I am out
of sight,--but dear child, do not let any sight or association in this
room make you anything but glad: they are all very dear to me. That
first day when you came in here to see me--and all the days that
followed,--and all the sweet knowledge I gained of my little
Mignonette, while she was learning other things. Faith, I can even
forgive Dr. Harrison his questions that day, for the delight it was to
me to shield you. Dear child, you must let me do that now whenever I
can,--it is one of the griefs of this separation that I cannot do it
all the time.

I must go back to our Bible verses!--Do you remember that first
'ladder' we went up together? 'The Lord God is a sun and a shield; the
Lord will give grace and glory.'--In that sunlight I shall think of you
as abiding,--I will remember that you are covered by that shield. I
know that the Lord will keep all that I have committed to him!

Now darling, if I could leave you 'messages,' I would; but they must
wait till I come and deliver them myself. Take, in the mean while, all
possible love and trust; and all comfort from the cause of my absence,
from our mutual work, from my expected coming home now and then--from
the diamonds on your finger and what they betoken! The diamonds stay
with you, Faith, but their light goes with me.

My child, I have too much to say to write any longer!--I shall be drawn
on too far and too long,--it is not far from daybreak now. Take the
best possible care of your self, and 'be strong and of a good courage,'
and 'the Lord that made heaven and earth, bless thee out of Zion'!

Precious child, you do not know how deeply I am

Always your own--

ENDECOTT."

The first lines of the letter wrung some tears from Faith's eyes, but
afterwards the effect of the whole was to shake her. She sat down on
the couch with the letter fast in her hand, and hid her head; yet no
weeping, only convulsive breaths and a straitened breast. Faith was
wonderful glad of that letter! but the meeting of two tides is just
hard to bear; and it wakened everything as well as gladness. However,
in its time, that struggle was over too; and she went down to Mr