said Rosa. "I send
Katy."

"Never mind two dinners," cried Felix. "Better burn the roast beef
than make _him_ feel worse. I never know him cross afore."

Felix was not obliged to go far. He had hardly got outside of the
gate, when he saw his young mistress coming down the street. Walking
rapidly, he soon met her, and communicated his errand. Faith quickened
her steps, and in a few moments stood by the side of her father.

She found him contemplating the sprigs of arbutus he had picked for
her. The sight and scent of the lovely flowers had carried him back to
the moment when he plucked them, and restored, in a measure, the
tone of mind that prevailed then. It was, therefore, with his usual
sweetness he addressed her, though there was something in his voice
that made the words drop like so many tears upon her heart.

"I have brought you some flowers, my darling," he said. "They are the
first nurslings of spring. Beautiful things! looking up all night and
day, with their starry eyes, to heaven, and drinking the dew of God's
grace. Happy things! they know no sin nor sorrow, and are remembered
only for their perfume and beauty. Take them, Faith. Sweets to
the sweet. Like these flowers, your soul exhales an atmosphere of
fragrance, and they belong to you."

The mutations of Mr. Armstrong's mind were like the changes of an
April day. The softer mood was now prevailing, and as Faith kissed the
flowers, before she put them in her bosom, she felt less unhappy than
in the morning.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Whose part in all the pomp that fills,
The circuit of the summer hills.
Is that his grave is green.
And deeply would their hearts rejoice,
To hear again his living voice.

BRYANT.

The funeral, with the usual celerity with which such things are done
in our country, was to take place on the next day. Too often the haste
appears indecent, and it may be that in some instances the body has
been buried before life deserted it. It would seem that the family
felt constrained by the presence of the corpse, and compelled to
exercise an irksome self-control, and, therefore, desired to hurry it
under ground, as if it would be less likely there to know how soon it
was forgotten.

But in the present case there was no reason why the body should be
longer kept. There could be no doubt that life was extinct. It had
lain too long in the water to admit a ray of hope to the contrary.
The sooner it was placed in its fi