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Show 2·18 ROEBUCK. Jlaying 1ait1 her on a bc<1, her n1other sat Lesitle her. 'Vith her Rtrong 'vill slte drove back tho nutdnes~ 'vhich she felL to be creeping over her brain, in order that Bhe 1night 'vanl oir death, 'vhich, she feare<.l, was stcaliug into tho he~rt of her daughter. Alone through the J.ark :trHl dreary ,yatches of a terrible' n~ght., she. susta~nc<l .t~1~t awfnl conflict. The dying gn·l sometunes, 1n dchnnm, uttered 'vortls that cleft th · ,'oul of the lonely 1vateher at lwr bedside. Som(·tirnes, ~n rational1non1ents, ·he 'vhi~perotl snch <1e~p:tir, such p1ty for her 1nother, sn h aifcction for her absent father nnd hrot her, that the 1niserable 1nother wn vcre<l between Ina<ln s~ nna death. At 1eno-th Eliz:t Rt.:ute<l up, and staring 'vith all the dr a(lf'ul feelin g~ of tltat xugh~ concentrated in her eyes, she cric,l, "it i8 over,'' anJ ie1l. ba ·k upon her pillow. Then a 1nore l>laciJ cx:prc,'~lOn settled upon h }r £tee, an<l she died. The Inother at fi n:;t reCused to belie\re that all w:ts over. She f:tncic<l that a lip·ht breath , till came from those lifele~s lips. She laid her hand over the pulscle ·s heart and stood fondly \vailino· to feel the moLion of lilc. \Vhilc thus she stood n el~ange came over her own features. Still feeliug in vain for the pult-~:tLion o.f .her daughter's heart, her pall itl 1eatnrc~ bcc:amc r1g1u ~nd ~hou relaxed to an u nmea11 i ng ~"i mpor. "I can't finc.liL-I can't find it ''-she repeated, nwving her hand::;; about over the body of her chil(l. Presently she '\'alkecl to the door-tlt nn out upon the ro:td, and f;hc :-;tool there a f-·w Jninnt(\:-1 ju :-;ilence. Suddenly ~1te burst into n loud l:ll1 q·h, nn<l erie<l-" I k11ow ';' hero it is. ALraha1lt't> goL.,iL. I'll go for ALr:1hnm." She 1\'alko<.~ rapi<.liy awny through tho tlarkne.'B. Dy chance, or irorn Bome recollcetiou thnL her hw;:;band had p~sBecl that way the night before, sho followed Lis ROEBUCK. 240 rcoo- i mont. She ke1)t on its track dnrin!u ! the rrmai n-der of the night, in the 1norning a1Hl throughout the day. On tihC 'venL, without footl or drink or rest. Now an<l th n , he Htopp d and looked Lewi hl '1' tl, a~ if she had iorgotton her CJ\·raucl. Then she woul(l HL:trL, ~ ayi no-, "I'll go for .Abrahmn-hc'H got it." Thus onward she Htro<.le, drawn by the insane t:tncy that hc1 husLnncl Gould restore that n1y terious spring of life 'vhich had cca. cd to vibrate in the bosorn of hce <1anghter, though Hhc hacllo. tall rational recollection of that ,vhi ·h she had lo."t and for which she ·earch d. "Abraha1n's got it-l'll go for Abrahmn ;" this fragment of thoncrht ~nrvived the 'vrock of her intellect, ~ ::mel was driCLing her tow~r<ls her husband. At evening she cruno upon tho regiment '\There it had ha1tecl JUovin ~ abont among the 1nen, ~he took no notice of a11y one until Hhe saw her hn. bmHl. ]{unnin o· to hi1n, she s<·izc l his hmul and aU mpted ~ o lead hirn n.lonoo-' 1vhile she snid, "Co1no, Abr:tham-I knowe<l you h:Hl it. Bring it horne. Eliza's waiLing for it. She is lying· on the be<l. She looks ·o pretty." She laughed alond, aud then began t0 talk rapiilly an<l incoh rcntly, n1aking no n11nsion to her daughter ot· to her hu banu's return homo. !laving fulfilled the pnrpo e ,vhich ha<l kept her 'vmH.1ering 1nind parLia~1y fixed during the day, she lo ... i all control of her wd(l imagination. In vain her di 'irossed hnsb~n<.l cn<1 avoretl to learn frotn her tho object of her JOurney :uHt the rational explanation of the 'vord~ wiLl~ 'vhicl~ Hho hacl greeted hiu1. vVhon her son, heanng of her nniv[ll, \Vent to u1ect her, B11C fell upon hi:-3 neck, cx- c1 a 1· 1n·1 ng, "1ny tu. ravc tu, oy. " 1"'1 l eI 1 l1cr· t·'"1 ll"~- r:·1 mblcd ao-ain jnto unint \llirl'iblo Jnar,es. Ilcr husband nnd s~n 'vero afllicte<.l b~Lon<l expression. They fenrod, - 11 * |