There was sorrow in the house, there was sorrow in the heart; for the youngest child, a little boy of four years of age, the only son, his parents’ present joy and future hope, was dead.  Two daughters they had, indeed, older than their boy ­the eldest was almost old enough to be confirmed ­amiable, sweet girls they both were; but the lost child is always the dearest, and he was the youngest, and a son.  It was a heavy trial.  The sisters sorrowed as young hearts sorrow, and were much afflicted by their parents’ grief; the father was weighed down by the affliction; but the mother was quite overwhelmed by the terrible blow.  By night and by day had she devoted herself to her sick child, watched by him, lifted him, carried him about, done everything for him herself.  She had felt as if he were a part of herself:  she could not bring herself to believe that he was dead ­that he should be laid in a coffin, and concealed in the grave.  God would not take that child from her ­O no!  And when he was taken, and she could no longer refuse to believe the truth, she exclaimed in her wild grief, ­

“God has not ordained this!  He has heartless agents here on earth.  They do what they list ­they hearken not to a mother’s prayers!”

She dared in her woe to arraign the Most High; and then came dark thoughts, the thoughts of death ­everlasting death ­that human beings returned as earth to earth, and then all was over.  Amidst thoughts morbid and impious as these were there could be nothing to console her, and she sank into the darkest depth of despair.

In these hours of deepest distress she could not weep.  She thought not of the young daughters who were left to her; her husband’s tears fell on her brow, but she did not look up at him; her thoughts were with her dead child; her whole heart and soul were wrapped up in recalling every reminiscence of the lost one ­every syllable of his infantine prattle.

The day of the funeral came.  She had not slept the night before, but towards morning she was overcome by fatigue, and sank for a short time into repose.  During that time the coffin was removed into another apartment, and the cover was screwed down with as little noise as possible.

When she awoke she rose, and wished to see her child; then her husband, with tears in his eyes, told her, “We have closed the coffin ­it had to be done!”

“When the Almighty is so hard on me,” she exclaimed, “why should human beings be kinder?” and she burst into tears.

The coffin was carried to the grave.  The inconsolable mother sat with her young daughters; she looked at them, but she did not see them; her thoughts had nothing more to do with home; she gave herself up to wretchedness, and it tossed her about as the sea tosses the ship which has lost its helmsman and its rudder.  Thus passed the day of the funeral, and several days followed amidst the same uniform, heavy grief.  With tearful eyes and melancholy looks her afflicted family gazed at her.  She did not care for what comforted them.  What could they say to change the current of her mournful thoughts?

It seemed as if sleep had fled from her for ever; it alone would be her best friend, strengthen her frame, and recall peace to her mind.  Her family persuaded her to keep her bed, and she lay there as still as if buried in sleep.  One night her husband had listened to her breathing, and believing from it that she had at length found repose and relief, he clasped his hands, prayed for her and for them all, then sank himself into peaceful slumber.  While sleeping soundly he did not perceive that she rose, dressed herself, and softly left the room and the house, to go ­whither her thoughts wandered by day and by night ­to the grave that hid her child.  She passed quietly through the garden, out to the fields, beyond which the road led outside of the town to the churchyard.  No one saw her, and she saw no one.

It was a fine night; the stars were shining brightly, and the air was mild, although it was the 1st of September.  She entered the churchyard, and went to the little grave; it looked like one great bouquet of sweet-scented flowers.  She threw herself down, and bowed her head over the grave, as if she could through the solid earth behold her little boy, whose smile she remembered so vividly.  The affectionate expression of his eyes, even upon his sick bed, was never, never to be forgotten.  How speaking had not his glance been when she had bent over him, and taken the little hand he was himself too weak to raise!  As she had sat by his couch, so now she sat by his grave; but here her tears might flow freely over the sod that covered him.

“Wouldst thou descend to thy child?” said a voice close by.  It sounded so clear, so deep ­its tones went to her heart.  She looked up, and near her stood a man wrapped in a large mourning cloak, with a hood drawn over the head; but she could see the countenance under this.  It was severe, and yet encouraging, his eyes were bright as those of youth.

“Descend to my child!” she repeated; and there was the agony of despair in her voice.

“Darest thou follow me?” asked the figure.  “I am Death!”

She bowed her assent.  Then it seemed all at once as if every star in the heavens above shone with the light of the moon.  She saw the many-coloured flowers on the surface of the grave move like a fluttering garment.  She sank, and the figure threw his dark cloak round her.  It became night ­the night of death.  She sank deeper than the sexton’s spade could reach.  The churchyard lay like a roof above her head.

The cloak that had enveloped her glided to one side.  She stood in an immense hall, whose extremities were lost in the distance.  It was dusk around her; but before her stood, and in one moment was clasped to her heart, her child, who smiled on her in beauty far surpassing what he had possessed before.  She uttered a cry, though it was scarcely audible, for close by, and then far away, and afterwards near again, came delightful music.  Never before had such glorious, such blessed sounds reached her ear.  They rang from the other side of the thick curtain ­black as night ­that separated the hall from the boundless space of eternity.

“My sweet mother! my own mother!” she heard her child exclaim.  It was his well-known, most beloved voice.  And kiss followed kiss in rapturous joy.  At length the child pointed to the sable curtain.

“There is nothing so charming up yonder on earth, mother.  Look, mother! ­look at them all!  That is felicity!”

The mother saw nothing ­nothing in the direction to which the child pointed, except darkness like that of night. She saw with earthly eyes.  She did not see as did the child whom God had called to himself.  She heard, indeed, sounds ­music; but she did not understand the words that were conveyed in these exquisite tones.

“I can fly now, mother,” said the child.  “I can fly with all the other happy children, away, even into the presence of God.  I wish so much to go; but if you cry on as you are crying now I cannot leave you, and yet I should be so glad to go.  May I not?  You will come back soon, will you not, dear mother?”

“Oh, stay!  Oh, stay!” she cried, “only one moment more.  Let me gaze on you one moment longer; let me kiss you, and hold you a moment longer in my arms.”

And she kissed him, and held him fast.  Then her name was called from above ­the tones were those of piercing grief.  What could they be?

“Hark!” said the child; “it is my father calling on you.”

And again, in a few seconds, deep sobs were heard, as of children weeping.

“These are my sisters’ voices,” said the child.  “Mother, you have surely not forgotten them?”

Then she remembered those who were left behind.  A deep feeling of anxiety pervaded her mind; she gazed intently before her, and spectres seemed to hover around her; she fancied that she knew some of them; they floated through the Hall of Death, on towards the dark curtain, and there they vanished.  Would her husband, her daughters, appear there?  No; their lamentations were still to be heard from above.  She had nearly forgotten them for the dead.

“Mother, the bells of heaven are ringing,” said the child.  “Now the sun is about to rise.”

And an overwhelming, blinding light streamed around her.  The child was gone, and she felt herself lifted up.  She raised her head, and saw that she was lying in the churchyard, upon the grave of her child.  But in her dream God had become a prop for her feet, and a light to her mind.  She threw herself on her knees and prayed: ­

“Forgive me, O Lord my God, that I wished to detain an everlasting soul from its flight into eternity, and that I forgot my duties to the living Thou hast graciously spared to me!”

And as she uttered this prayer it appeared as if her heart felt lightened of the burden that had crushed it.  Then the sun broke forth in all its splendour, a little bird sang over her head, and all the church bells around began to ring the matin chimes.  All seemed holy around her; her heart seemed to have drunk in faith and holiness; she acknowledged the might and the mercy of God; she remembered her duties, and felt a longing to regain her home.  She hurried thither, and leaning over her still sleeping husband, she awoke him with the touch of her warm lips on his cheek.  Her words were those of love and consolation, and in a tone of mild resignation she exclaimed, ­

“God’s will is always the best!”

Her husband and her daughters were astonished at the change in her, and her husband asked her, ­

“Where did you so suddenly acquire this strength ­this pious resignation?”

And she smiled on him and her daughters as she replied, ­

“I derived it from God, by the grave of my child.”