But Dennis was so anxious, and his mother was now failing so rapidly, that he scarcely noted this fact. The warm spring days seemed rather to enervate than to strengthen her. He longed to stay with her constantly, but his daily labor was necessary to secure the comforts needful to an invalid. Every morning he bade her a most tender adieu, and during the day often sent Ernst to inquire how she was. One evening Christine ventured to send Janette on the same errand and impatiently awaited her return. At last she came, appearing as if flushed and angry. "Whom did you see?" asked Christine, eagerly. "I saw Mr. Fleet himself." "Well, what did he say?" "He bite his lip, frown, and say, 'Zere is no answer,' and turn on his heel into ze house." It was now Christine's turn to be angry. "What!" she exclaimed, "does his Bible teach him to forget and forgive nothing? Can it be that he, like the rest of them, believes and acts on only such parts as are to his mood?" "I don't know nothing about him," said the maid, "only I don't want to go zere again." "You need not," was the brief reply. After a long, bitter revery, she sighed: "Ah, well, thus we drift apart. But it is just as well, for apart we must ever be." One morning early in May Mrs. Fleet was very weak, and Dennis left her with painful misgivings. During the morning he sent Ernst to see how she was, and he soon returned, with wild face, crying, "Come home quick!" Breaking abruptly from his startled customer, Dennis soon reached his mother's side. Mr. and Mrs. Bruder were sobbing at the foot of the bed, and the girls were pleading piteously on either side--"Oh, mother! please don't go away!" "Hush!" said Dennis, solemnly. Awed by his manner, all became comparatively silent. He bent over the bed, and said, "Mother, you are leaving us." The voice of her beloved son rallied the dying woman's wandering mind. After a moment she recognized him, smiled faintly, and whispered: "Yes, I think I am--kiss me--good-by. Bring--the children. Jesus--take care--my little--lambs. Good-by--true--honest friends--meet me--heaven. Dennis--these children--your charge--bring them home--to me. Pray for _her_. I don't know--why--she seems very--near to me. Farewell--my good--true--son--mother's blessing--God's blessing--ever rest--on you." Her eyes closed, and she fell into a gentle sleep. "She vake no more in dis vorld," said Mrs. Bruder, in an awed tone. Mr. Bruder, unable to control his feelings any longer, hurried from the room. His wife, with streaming eyes, silently dressed the little girls, and took them home with her, crying piteously all the way for mamma. Pale, tearless, motionless, Dennis sat, hour after hour holding his mother's hand. He noted that her pulse grew more and more feeble. At last the sun in setting broke through the clouds that had obscured it all day, and filled the room with a sudden glory.