m half, lest he should say something about me,
and it should get out; and so I went on getting worse and worse, and
feeling every day as if I could not keep up, and yet afraid to lie down
for fear grandmamma would suspect me. But this morning it was pleasant
and bright, and something came over me that said I _must_ tell somebody,
and so, as it was cool and pleasant, I walked up to Aunt Roxy's and told
her. I thought, you know, that she knew the most, and would feel it the
least; but oh, Sally, she has such a feeling heart, and loves me so; it
is strange she should."

"Is it?" said Sally, tightening her clasp around Mara's neck; and then
with a hysterical shadow of gayety she said, "I suppose you think that
you are such a hobgoblin that nobody could be expected to do that. After
all, though, I should have as soon expected roses to bloom in a juniper
clump as love from Aunt Roxy."

"Well, she does love me," said Mara. "No mother could be kinder. Poor
thing, she really sobbed and cried when I told her. I was very tired,
and she told me she would take care of me, and tell grandpapa and
grandmamma,--_that_ had been lying on my heart as such a dreadful thing
to do,--and she laid me down to rest on her bed, and spoke so lovingly
to me! I wish you could have seen her. And while I lay there, I fell
into a strange, sweet sort of rest. I can't describe it; but since then
everything has been changed. I wish I could tell any one how I saw
things then."

"Do try to tell me, Mara," said Sally, "for I need comfort too, if there
is any to be had."

"Well, then, I lay on the bed, and the wind drew in from the sea and
just lifted the window-curtain, and I could see the sea shining and hear
the waves making a pleasant little dash, and then my head seemed to
swim. I thought I was walking out by the pleasant shore, and everything
seemed so strangely beautiful, and grandpapa and grandmamma were there,
and Moses had come home, and you were there, and we were all so happy.
And then I felt a sort of strange sense that something was coming--some
great trial or affliction--and I groaned and clung to Moses, and asked
him to put his arm around me and hold me.

"Then it seemed to be not by our seashore that this was happening, but
by the Sea of Galilee, just as it tells about it in the Bible, and there
were fishermen mending their nets, and men sitting counting their money,
and I saw Jesus come walking along, and heard him say to this one and
t