st he meets that
mighty invisible power by which a beloved life--a life he would give his
own blood to save--melts and dissolves like smoke before his eyes.

"Oh, Mara, Mara," he groaned, "this is too dreadful, too cruel; it is
cruel."

"You will think so at first, but not always," she said, soothingly. "You
will live to see a joy come out of this sorrow."

"Never, Mara, never. I cannot believe that kind of talk. I see no love,
no mercy in it. Of course, if there is any life after death you will be
happy; if there is a heaven you will be there; but can this dim,
unsubstantial, cloudy prospect make you happy in leaving me and giving
up one's lover? Oh, Mara, you cannot love as I do, or you could not"--

"Moses, I have suffered,--oh, very, very much. It was many months ago
when I first thought that I must give everything up,--when I thought
that we must part; but Christ helped me; he showed me his wonderful
love,--the love that surrounds us all our life, that follows us in all
our wanderings, and sustains us in all our weaknesses,--and then I felt
that whatever He wills for us is in love; oh, believe it,--believe it
for my sake, for your own."

"Oh, I cannot, I cannot," said Moses; but as he looked at the bright,
pale face, and felt how the tempest of his feelings shook the frail
form, he checked himself. "I do wrong to agitate you so, Mara. I will
try to be calm."

"And to pray?" she said, beseechingly.

He shut his lips in gloomy silence.

"Promise me," she said.

"I have prayed ever since I got your first letter, and I see it does no
good," he answered. "Our prayers cannot alter fate."

"Fate! there is no fate," she answered; "there is a strong and loving
Father who guides the way, though we know it not. We cannot resist His
will; but it is all love,--pure, pure love."

At this moment Sally came softly into the room. A gentle air of womanly
authority seemed to express itself in that once gay and giddy face, at
which Moses, in the midst of his misery, marveled.

"You must not stay any longer now," she said; "it would be too much for
her strength; this is enough for this morning."

Moses turned away, and silently left the room, and Sally said to Mara,--

"You must lie down now, and rest."

"Sally," said Mara, "promise me one thing."

"Well, Mara; of course I will."

"Promise to love him and care for him when I am gone; he will be so
lonely."

"I will do all I can, Mara," said Sally, soothingly; "so