Lucy (Chapter_15)

were smouldering on the hearth. "Lack a day!" said Becky, as she looked at him, "why whats got into the old man? not even a word to give a body?" Lucy sank into a chair opposite to Richard and joined with out speaking on his sad and solemn countenance. She need not even one word to assure her of the disappointment of her hopes--she sat motionless and silent, afraid of hearing him speak. At last, Richard slowly raised his head and casting up his eyes--"The Lord's will be done," said he, "dark and mysterious are the ways of the Lord--but that they are all right, Miss Lucy, never doubt that. You said yourself Miss Lucy, that if our children were fit for heaven, them there children were--And the Lord thought so too Miss Lucy, and it has been his pleasure to take little Willy to himself." "Willy, is little Willy dead?, exclaimed Lucy starting up and clasping her hands. "He is in heaven Miss Lucy--our blessed Saviour said, suffer little children to come unto me, and not even father or mother should be sorry when they are taken." Lucy, turned to her own little boy, and stooping down to kiss him, "Oh," said she, "I had thought that Willy Latimore would have been the friend and support of my poor orphan Willy--and that dear good young Lady--who pitied me--must I now pity her?" "Poor Lady L," said Richard, the loss of her child--is nothing to her other loss!" "What--what--" exclaimed Lucy and Becky in one breath

"Poor Lady! continued Richard, as composedly as he could, while he drew his hand across his eyes--poor lady--her husband too is gone." "Dead? almost shrieked Lucy-"Yes, said Richard--dead and buried." "Lack a day--lack a day," cried Becky--did ever one hear the like? but do Daddy tell us how it happened, sure enough troubles never come alone." Lucy, took her apron from her eyes, to look the same enquiry, for she could not speak. "Ah Miss Lucy," said Richard, in answer to her look--such happiness as you told us of, was too much for this here earth. I thought as much, while you were telling us all about it-I thought as how such joys couldn't last, in this world of trouble, no more than them warm days in winter. And it was all along of that warm weather, that the distresses came, fer as Becky said, it always makes a green church yard --that is Miss Lucy, such weather as we had week before last, is the unwholesomest of all the year and I have always noticed after such a spell that of hearing of folks and especially children being taken suddenly off." "But

"But pray tell us all the particulars," said Lucy-"Well Miss, I went as I promised to Mrs Latimore's, thinking all the way of offering in the spring to go to work in the young Madam's garden, for I love such work--and delight in flowers, and was thinking I would get a peep into the green house you talked so much about. So miss I went in light of heart, and ran up the steps, but when I took hold of the knocker, I saw it was muffled, and my heart misgave me--and I would not knock but, thinking of the garden gate you mentioned I went to that-It was wide open, swinging back and forwards in the wind-well, I went into the garden, along the gravel walk you spoke of--and there was pots of roses, and geraniums and I know not what, scattered on the benches, some blown over, some laying broken on the ground--all frosted and killed--the glasses of the green house had been left open, just as you said--but all the plants in the house were frosted and killed too--Oh Miss Lucy it was the very picture of dessolation--and not a creature did I see--not a sound did I hear,--but following the path, I found the back buildings and knocking softly at a door--it was opened by an old woman--who nodded her head and pointed

to a seat by the kitchen fire. So then I told her my errand, but she shook her head--and said, her poor mistress was clear out of her senses and it would be a wonder if she lived ever her troubles. She remembered the day you were here, "for it was on that very day," said she, "that my poor master was taken ill, and precious little master died-The child, she said, took cold playing all day in the garden, without his hat or great coat and besides he got his feet wet, and my poor mistress, being young and inexperienced didn't know the danger of letting the children play out in the yard, thinking when the sun was so warm, no harm would come to them-But the minute the nurse called me up that night and I heard Master William breathing, I knew it was the croupe-pretty little soul,--nothing could save him--before morning he was a corpse. The trouble we were all in, partic'lar poor mistress, made us not notice how ill master looked--tho' since, Thomas says he saw him soon after he handed him a glass of cold water, when he come home that day, turn as white as ashes and remembers seeing him shiver as if he had an ague--But at the time and for a day or two after, no one

of cold water, when he come home that day, turn as white as ashes and remembers seeing him shiver as if he had an ague--But at the time and for a day or two after, no one took notice and he was so taken up with mistress, who fell from one fit into another, the day Master William died, that he never thought of himself, till he was so ill he couldn't get out o'bed. When the doctor came, he bled him, but the pleurisy had got such a hold on him, that all the doctors in the world they said couldn't have cured him--and yesterday--yes yesterday--he was laid beside his little son--oh my poor mistress--she will not I take it stay long behind"-- This and a great deal more," said Richard did the old cook tell me. And she says if her mistress does git over it--she will be left in poverty--fer Mr Latimore tho' he had a fine office, hadn't no fartin, and now he is dead, and his salary stopped, not one farthing has his wife and children left them. "Wonderful--wonderful!" said Lucy--"But a few days ago, and this dear young lady, looked the happiest--as sure she is the best lady that ever lived. oh that I could go to her and in her poverty and her distress that I might wait on her and tend her!" "If she gets over it," said Richard--"the cook says she will go to Boston and live with her father, who they expect here very soon