Mostly Mary

nd love could suggest to relieve her sufferings; but in spite of everything, the child grew

is sister. "She has a very high fever and is liable to become delirious.

red as the babies were held

hem to see you very often. Try

gelatines over which she spent more time than she did on the meals for the family; Liza hurried with her other duties so as to be able to devote more time to the babies and leave Aunt Mandy free to help Sister Julia; Tom sat by day and night on the top step of the stairs, ready to run errands,-a task which, by the way, he had always disliked. Even Debby, who had known the little girl less than two months, almost sobbed

b,-that it would be far easier to lose b

ery life as she has done by her own winning ways. So, if she is taken from us, we shall miss her far more than we should either, or even both, of the twins. I doubt whether Berta or Beth could ever quite fill the void which her

ed to Sister Florian to ask the prayers of the Sisters and pupils, and, of course, I

one to her. Try to get a

lia seized the chance to h

, in this kind of illness, and that is t

ch something the way I saw boys doing to

e up your mind that you are going t

about our Lord-that they gave Him a bitter, bitter drink when He was hanging on the cross and said, 'I thirs

in spite of the pain and the bad dreams, you must say to

men were waiting to stick long knives into her. Sometimes, she knew those about her for a few minutes, but the greater part of the time she was not conscious. Sister Madeline and Sister Austin came in from Maryvale to see her; Sister Florian with a companion called several ti

e has just le

ke-to see h

not try to talk to me, dear child. I am glad you are awake so that I can tell you how much all your little friends at the convent

go to-Confessio

ade their first Co

ow?-I k

shall ask you questions, and you will just answer them," and Father Lac

ain began to wander; and when Sister Julia returned, she was babbling of those tell-tale

iest. "I greatly fear that she will not be with us

t say anyth

thing for you to express your opi

poken of his small niece and repeated her quaint remarks to amuse his little patients; but I understand it all now. If she does not recover, more than half of his life will go out with hers. And the poor father and mother! They have already lost two little boys, yet they

ould be a great blow. I find her so well instructed that, if the Doctor thinks she will not recover, I shall allow her to make her First Communion.[1] I have not mentioned the matter to her, however. Spe

n about the sick child, sadly shook their heads, and quietly went away. In the aftern

since your visit yesterday. I have little hope that she will become so before-the end. I have known from the first that she

I had read a Gospel over her. I feel that our Divine Lord permitted it so that she might make her first Confession for which she was preparing when she became ill. He may permit the

happiness awaiting her, Mary gave no sign that she understood. Then the priest anointed her and raised the Blessed Sacrament in ben

him knelt Sister Julia, her eyes never wavering from his haggard, gray face as she watched for the least sign from him that something was needed. Her lips moved in prayer as the beads slipped through her fingers. At the foot of the bed knelt Mr. Selwyn, his arm supporting his wife

his eyes on the still, white face. Suddenly, the little eyelids fluttered open, the big blue eyes looked straight into Mr. Selwyn's, then rested for an instant on the Doctor, while a wan little smile flitted across the ch

grees, the wonder increased, and the doubt disappeared, and two great tears of relief rolled down th

next room where, some minutes later, the Doctor joined them. Mr. Selwyn stepped out into the h

ting to envelope her. It would be many and many a long day before she would be able to play with the babies and ro

ere made caused Mary q

er so many times that I was going to

dly blame us for that, however, when Uncle Frank and three of the

ose doctors some day just to prove to them that God