"Where is the mother?"
"She is resting, darling Eva."
She gave a little contented smile, and then, in broken words at
intervals, she said--
"Now, I should like to see Fritz. You promised I should see him again;
and now if I die, I think he would like to see me once more."
I went to fetch my brother. He was pacing up and down his room, with the
crucifix clasped to his breast. At first, to my surprise, he seemed very
reluctant to come; but when I said how much she wished it, he followed
me quite meekly into her room. Eva was resuming her old command over us
all. She held out her hand, with a look of such peace and rest on her
face.
"Cousin Fritz," she said at intervals, as she had strength, "you have
taught me so many things; you have done so much for me! Now I wish you
to learn my sentence, that if I go, it may make you happy, as it does
me." Then very slowly and distinctly she repeated the words--"'_God so
loved the world, that he gave his only Son._' Cousin Fritz," she added,
"I do not know the end of the sentence. I have not been able to find it;
but you must find it. I am sure it comes from a good book, it makes me
love God so much to think of it. Promise me you will find it, if I
should die."
He promised, and she was quite satisfied. Her strength seemed exhausted,
and in a few moments, with my arms round her as I sat beside her, and
with her hand in Fritz's, she fell into a deep, quiet sleep.
I felt from that time she would not die, and I whispered very softly to
Fritz--
"She will not die; she will recover, and you will not have killed her;
you will have saved her!"
But when I looked into his face, expecting to meet a thankful, happy
response, I was appalled by the expression there.
He stood immovable, not venturing to withdraw his hand, but with a
rigid, hopeless look in his worn, pale face, which contrasted terribly
with the smile of deep repose on the sleeping face on which his eyes
were fixed.
And so he remained until she awoke, when his whole countenance changed
for an instant to return her smile.
Then he said softly, "God bless you, Eva!" and pressing her hand to his
lips, he left the room.