“A friend of mine who had long struggled with a dangerous fever,
approached that crisis on which his life depended, when sleep,
uninterrupted sleep might ensure his recovery;--his wife, scarcely
daring to breathe, sat by him; her servants, worn out by watching,
had all left her; it was past midnight,--the room door was open for
air; she heard in the silence of the night a window thrown open below
stairs, and soon after footsteps approaching; in a short time, a man
came into the room--his face was covered with a black crape: she
instantly saw her husband’s danger; she pointed to him, and, pressing
her finger upon her lip to implore silence, held out to the robber her
purse and her keys: to her great surprise he took neither; he drew
back, and left the room,--whether he was alarmed, or struck by this
courage of affection cannot now be known; but, without robbing a house
sanctified by such strength of love--he departed.”