"Not more than He giveth me strength to bear; and His consolations are not
small.

"My dear children, I have tried to hide this from you lest it should mar
your happiness. Do not let it do so; it is no cause of regret to me. I
have lived my three-score years and ten, and if by reason of strength they
should be four-score, yet would their strength be labor and sorrow. I am
deeply thankful that our Father has decreed to spare me the infirmities of
extreme old age, by calling me home to that New Jerusalem where sin and
sorrow, pain and feebleness, are unknown."

"But to see you suffer, mother!" groaned her son.

"Think on the dear Hand that sends the pain--so infinitely less than what
He bore for me; that it is but for a moment; and of the weight of glory it
is to work for me. Try, my dear children, to be entirely submissive to His
will."

"We will, mother," they answered; "and to be cheerful for your sake."

A shadow had fallen upon the brightness of the hitherto happy home--a
shadow of a great, coming sorrow--and the present grief of knowing that
the dear mother, though ever patient, cheerful, resigned, was enduring
almost constant and often very severe pain.

They watched over her with tenderest love and care, doing everything in
their power to relieve, strengthen, comfort her; never giving way in her
presence to the grief that often wrung their hearts.

Dearly as Mr. Travilla and Elsie had loved each other before, this
community of sorrow drew them still closer together; as did their love
for, and joy and pride in, their beautiful child.

The consolations of God were not small with any of our friends at Ion and
the Oaks; yet was it a winter of trial to all.

For some weeks after the above conversation, Mr. Dinsmore and Rose called
every day, and showed themselves sincere sympathizers; but young Horace
and little Rosebud were taken with scarlet fever in its worst form, and
the parents being much with them, did not venture to Ion for fear of
carrying the infection to wee Elsie.

By God's blessing upon skilful medical advice and attention, and the best
of nursing, the children were brought safely through the trying ordeal,
the disease leaving no evil effects, as it so often does. But scarcely had
they convalesced when Mr. Dinsmore fell ill of typhoid fever, though of a
rather mild type.

Then as he began to go about again, Rose took to her bed with what proved
to be a far more severe and lasting attack of the