rms--eh, dear o' me!"

Some of the neighbours thought this poor girl's grief excessive. Nancy
indeed, who buried her own exceedingly ancient parent comparatively
recently, bade her remember that she was not the only one who knew
what it is to lose a mother. It is not, as a rule, considered quite
decent to speak in other than cheerful tones of a bereavement which
has occurred more than a year ago,--unless, of course, you are taking
a general survey of your troubles, in which case it is allowable to
include it as a proof the more that you have "supped sorrow." But Mary
set etiquette at defiance. Out of the fulness of her heart her mouth
spake. To all corners she must needs tell her loneliness and her
sorrow.

One day, however, she received me with a bright face and a certain air
of mysterious joy.

"Mrs. Francis, I scarce know how to tell ye, but it seems as if th'
Lord Hissel sent me a bit o' comfort. Ye see, nobry had no feelin' for
me here in village; they all towd me to resign mysel', an' that, an'
it were wicked o' me to be ill-satisfied wi' th' A'mighty's will. But,
ye see, I wouldn't seem able to give ower frettin'--I raly couldn't.
Well but, last neet--I haven't towd nobry, because I didn't want to
have 'em laughin', ye know, and, o' course, I dunnot set mich store by
dreams; but still, it seemed to comfort me."

She looked at me appealingly, and, being assured of my sympathy,
continued--

"Well, last neet I were very lonesome when I geet into bed, an' I
began o' thinkin' o' my mother, an' wonderin' where hoo was. An' 'Eh,
mother,' I says out loud, 'wheer _are_ ye, an' are ye thinkin' o' me,
an' are ye in heaven?' An' I geet agate o' cryin' an' axin' mysel wheer
was heaven, an' was hoo raly theer. Well, at last I dozed off, an' I
had a dream. I thought I saw my mother, in her cap an' apron, an' wi'
her sleeves rolled up--just same as hoo used to look when hoo was busy
about th' house. An' I thought hoo coom along, lookin' fro' one side
to t'other, as if hoo were seechin' soombry; an' I said, 'Here I am,
mother.' An' hoo stood a moment, an' smiled. An' then"--sinking her
voice and speaking hurriedly and excitedly--"I looked up at sky (we
was out o' doors i' my dream), an' then I saw it all full o' light,
and rays coomin', goldy rays, same as--same as ye see sometimes on a
Christmas card; an' they coom down, an' gathered all about my mother,
an' lapped her round. An' then I see her goin' up, up--reet into th'