the child pointed to the dark curtain. “There is nothing so beautiful on earth
as it is here. Mother, do you not see them all? Oh, it is happiness indeed.”
But the mother saw nothing of what the child pointed out, only the dark
curtain. She looked with earthly eyes, and could not see as the child saw,-he
whom God has called to be with Himself. She could hear the sounds of
music, but she heard not the words, the Word in which she was to trust.
“I can fly now, mother,” said the child; “I can fly with other happy
children into the presence of the Almighty. I would fain fly away now; but
if you weep for me as you are weeping now, you may never see me again.
And yet I would go so gladly. May I not fly away? And you will come to
me soon, will you not, dear mother?”
“Oh, stay, stay!” implored the mother; “only one moment more; only
once more, that I may look upon thee, and kiss thee, and press thee to my
heart.”
Then she kissed and fondled her child. Suddenly her name was called
from above; what could it mean? her name uttered in a plaintive voice.
“Hearest thou?” said the child. “It is my father who calls thee.” And in a
few moments deep sighs were heard, as of children weeping. “They are my
sisters,” said the child. “Mother, surely you have not forgotten them.”
And then she remembered those she left behind, and a great terror came
over her. She looked around her at the dark night. Dim forms flitted by. She
seemed to recognize some of them, as they floated through the regions of
death towards the dark curtain, where they vanished. Would her husband
and her daughters flit past? No; their sighs and lamentations still sounded
from above; and she had nearly forgotten them, for the sake of him who
was dead.
“Mother, now the bells of heaven are ringing,” said the child; “mother,
the sun is going to rise.”
An overpowering light streamed in upon her, the child had vanished, and
she was being borne upwards. All around her became cold; she lifted her
