with the doll-dressing.

Mary could not bear to do this while the knell was vibrating on her
ear, and the two coffins being borne across the threshold; so she
gathered the orphans within her embrace as she sat on the floor, and
endeavoured to find out how much they understood of what was passing,
and whether they had any of the right thoughts. It was rather
disappointing. The little sisters had evidently been well and
religiously taught, but they were too childish to dwell on thoughts
of awe or grief, and the small minds were chiefly fixed upon the
dolls, as the one bright spot in the dreary day. Mary yielded, and
worked and answered their chatter till twilight came on, and the
rival Mary came up to put them to bed, an operation in which she gave
her assistance, almost questioning if she were not forgotten, but she
learnt that her father was still in the house, the nurse believed
looking at papers in Mr. Henry's room with the other gentlemen.

'And you will sit by us while we go to sleep. Oh! don't go away!'

The nurse was thankful to her for so doing, and a somewhat graver
mood had come over Minna as she laid her head on her pillow, for she
asked the difficult question, 'Can mamma see us now?' which Mary
could only answer with a tender 'Perhaps,' and an attempt to direct
the child to the thought of the Heavenly Father; and then Minna
asked, 'Who will take care of us now?'

'Oh, will you?' cried Ella, sitting up; and both little maids,
holding out their arms, made a proffer of themselves to be her little
children. They would be so good if she would let them be--