girl understand the
sincerity and frankness of her lovers nature, to doubt what he said, or in
any manner to distrust the motive. That moment was the happiest of her
short and innocent life!

But the welcome tidings had reached the deacon, and ere Roswell had an
opportunity of making any other explanations but those which assured Mary
that he had come back all that she wished him to be, both of them were
summoned to the bed-side of the dying man. The effect of the excitement on
the deacon was so very great as almost to persuade the expectant legatees
that their visit was premature, and that they might return home, to renew
it at some future day. It is painful to find it our duty to draw sketches
that shall contain such pictures of human nature; but with what justice
could we represent the loathsome likeness of covetousness, hovering over a
grave, and omit the resemblances of those who surrounded it? Mary Pratt,
alone, of all that extensive family connection, felt and thought as
Christianity, and womanly affection, and reason, dictated. All the rest
saw nothing but the possessor of a considerable property, who was about to
depart for that unknown world, into which nothing could be taken from
this, but the divine and abused spirit which had been fashioned in the
likeness of God.

"Welcome, Gar'ner--welcome home, ag'in!" exclaimed the deacon, so heartily
as quite to deceive the young man as to the real condition of his owner; a
mistake that was, perhaps, a little unfortunate, as it induced him to be
more frank than might otherwise have been the case. "I couldn't find it in
my heart to give you up, and have, all along, believed that we should yet
have good news from you. The Gar'ners are a reliable family, and that was
one reason why I chose you to command my schooner. Them Daggetts are a
torment, but we never should have known anything about the islands, or the
key, hadn't it been for one on 'em!"

As the deacon stopped to breathe, Mary turned away from the bed, grieved
at heart to see the longings of the world thus clinging to the spirit of
one who probably had not another hour to live. The glazed but animated
eye, a cheek which resembled a faded leaf of the maple laid on a cold and
whitish stone, and lips that had already begun to recede from the teeth,
made a sad, sad picture, truly, to look upon at such a moment; yet, of all
present, Mary Pratt alone felt the fullness of the incongruity, and alone
bethought her of t