h,
and those who watched by her had not the heart to wish her back to life
again.

CHAPTER XLII. A New Year's Dawn

And the murky planets, I perceived, were but cradles for the
infant spirits of the universe of light.... And in sight
of this immeasurability of life no sadness could endure....
And I exclaimed, Oh! How beautiful is death, seeing that
we die in a world of life and of creation without end! And I
blessed God for my life upon earth, but much more for the
life in those unseen depths of the universe which are
comprised of all but the Supreme Reality, and where no
earthly life or perishable hope can enter. Richter

For many weeks Erica had scarcely a conscious interval. Now and then she
had been dimly aware that Brian was in the room, or that Aunt Jean, and
Mrs. MacNaughton, and her many secularist friends were nursing her; but
all had been vague, dream-like, seen through the distorting fever-mist.
On night, however, she woke after a sleep of many hours to see things
once more as they really were. There was her little room with its
green-paneled walls, and its familiar pictures, and familiar books.
There was Aunt Jean sitting beside the fire, turning over the pages of
an "Idol-Breaker," while all the air seemed to be ringing and echoing
with the sound of church bells.

"Auntie," she said, "what day is it?"

Aunt Jean came at once to her bedside.

"It is New Year's day," she said; "it struck twelve about five minutes
ago, dear."

Erica made no comment though the words brought back to her the sense of
her desolation brought back to her, too, the remembrance of another New
Year's day long ago when she had stood beside her father on the deck of
the steamer, and the bells of Calais had gayly pealed in spite of her
grief. She took the food her aunt brought her, and promised to go to
sleep once more.

"I shall have to wake up again in this misery!" she thought to herself.
"Oh, if one could only sleep right on!"

But God sometimes saves us from what we have most dreaded; and when at
sunrise Erica woke once more, before any recollection returned to her
mind, she became conscious of One who said to her, "Lo, I am with you
always! Behold, I make all things new!"

Streaks of golden light were stealing in between the window curtains.
She lay quite still, able to face life once more in the strength of that
Inner Presence; able to endure the well-known sights and