Page:A New England Tale.djvu/79

68 the room, when the poor creature expired.

In the last struggle she grasped Jane's hand, and as her fingers released their hold, and the arm fell beside her, Jane raised it up, and gently laying it across her body, and retaining the hand for a moment in her own, she said, "Poor Phillis! how much hard work you have done with this hand, and how many kindnesses for me. Your troubles are all over, now."

"You take upon you to say a great deal, Jane," replied her aunt. "Phillis did not give me satisfying evidence of a saving faith."

"But," said Jane, as if she did not quite comprehend the import of her aunt's remark, "Phillis was very faithful over her little."

"That's nothing to the purpose, Jane," answered Mrs. Wilson.

Jane made no reply, unless the tear she dropped on her old friend might be deemed one, and Mrs. Wilson added,

"Now, child, you must get the things together, to lay her out." Then saying, that Phillis's sickness had been a bill of cost to her, and quite overlooking her long life of patient and profitable service, she gave the most sordid directions as to the selection of provisions for the last wants of the poor menial. Jane went out of the room to execute her orders.

She had scarcely gone, when Mrs. Wilson heard the window carefully raised, and some one said, "Here I am, Jane; go softly and slip the bolt of