fell into a deep sleep.

When I awoke my dark thoughts were vanishing away like a bad dream in
the morning. The rain had ceased, the gas had been put out, and I could
see by the glow on the peonies of the wall-paper that the sun was
shining with a soft red light through the holland blinds of my windows.

I heard the sparrows chirping on the sills outside; I heard the milkman
rattling his cans; I heard the bells of a neighbouring church ringing
for early communion.

I closed my eyes and held my breath and listened to the sounds in my own
room. I heard the kettle singing over the fire; I heard somebody humming
softly, and beating a foot on the floor in time to the tune and then I
heard a low voice (it was Emmerjane's) saying from somewhere near my
bed:

"I dunno but what she's awake. Her breathing ain't a-goin' now."

Then I turned and saw the nurse sitting before the fire with something
on her lap. I knew what it was. It was my child, and it was asleep. In
spite of my dark thoughts my heart yearned for it.

And then came the great miracle.

My child awoke and began to cry. It was a faint cry, oh! so thin and
weak, but it went thundering and thundering through me. There was a
moment of awful struggle, and then a mighty torrent of love swept over
me.

It was Motherhood.

My child! Mine! Flesh of my flesh! Oh God! Oh God!

All my desire for my baby's death to save it from the pains of life was
gone, and my heart, starved so long, throbbed with tenderness. I raised
myself in bed, in spite of my nurse's protest, and cried to her to give
me my baby.

"Give her to me. Give her to me."

"By-and-by, by-and-by," said the nurse.

"Now, now! I can wait no longer."

"But you must take some food first. Emmerjane, give her that glass of
milk and water."

I drank the milk just to satisfy them, and then held out my arms for my
child.

"Give her to me--quick, quick!"

"Here she is then, the jewel!"

Oh! the joy of that moment when I first took my baby in my arms, and
looked into her face, and saw my own features and the sea-blue eyes of
Martin! Oh the rapture of my first eager kiss!

I suppose I must have been rough with my little cherub in the fervour of
my love, for she began to cry again.

"There! there!" said the nurse. "Be good now, or I must take baby away."

But heaven had taught me another lesson, and instantly, instinctively, I
put my baby to my breast. Instantly and instinctively, too, my baby
turne