ch of her time and
thoughts was necessarily taken up with the preparations for her
approaching marriage; but in leisure moments she had many sad thoughts
in regard to the coming separation from home and all there whom she so
loved; especially the tender mother who had been, until within a few
months, her dearest earthly friend.

"Mamma dear, dearest mamma, I can hardly endure the thought of leaving
you," she sighed one day with starting tears, as they sat together over
their needlework in Mrs. Travilla's dressing room.

They were quite alone at the moment, Zoe, who had been with them, having
just gone out with her little ones.

"No one can ever take your place in my heart or home," continued Rosie
with almost a sob, "and oh, how I shall miss you--your love, your sweet
motherly counsels, your tender sympathy in all my joys and sorrows--oh,
mamma, mamma! at times the very thought of it all is almost unendurable,
and I am tempted to say to Will that he may come to me if he likes, but
that I can never tear myself away from my dear home and the precious
mother who has been everything to me since I first drew the breath of
life!" and dropping her work she knelt at her mother's feet, lifting to
hers eyes full of tears.

"Dear child," her mother responded in tones tremulous with emotion, and
bending down to press a kiss on the quivering lips, "it gives me a sad
and sore heart to think of it. And yet, daughter dear, we may hope to
see each other very often--to spend weeks and months of every year in
each other's society, and when we are apart to exchange letters daily;
and best of all, to be in a few brief years together in the better land,
never to part again."

"Ah, mamma dear, that last seems a long look ahead. At least--oh, mamma,
I cannot bear the thought of--of death coming between us; and yet we can
hardly hope to go together."

"No, daughter dear, but time is short, as you will realize when you have
seen as many years in this world as I have; and after it will come the
never-ending ages of eternity--eternity, which we are hoping to spend
with our dear ones in the immediate presence of our Redeemer--united,
never to part again."

"Yes, mamma; oh, that is indeed a sweet thought. But," she added with a
heavy sigh, "sometimes I fear I may miss heaven; I seem so far, so very
far from fit for its employments and its joys--so often indulging in
wrong thoughts and feelings--so taken up with earthly cares and
interests."