k: "Alas for him who lives alone in the world, for
only his dogs will weep for him when he dies!"

The other stories of this volume, "The Mother-in-Law," "The Judas of the
Household" and "I Believe in God," all contain many charming scenes. In
the last a young girl is educated by an infidel father, and after his
death marries Diego, a village lad. She becomes a mother, but still
retains in her heart the seeds of atheism sown there by her father. Her
child, a girl, becomes ill, and a doctor is sent for from Bilbao.

"The doctor was long in coming, and Ascensita was devoured by impatience
and uncertainty. He arrived at last, and examined the child attentively,
observing a deep silence, which caused the poor mother the most
sorrowful anxiety.

"'Will the daughter of my heart recover?' Ascensita asked him in tears.
'For God's sake, speak to me frankly, for this uncertainty is more cruel
than the death of my daughter.'

"'Senora,' answered the doctor, 'God alone can save the child.'

"Ascensita fell senseless by the side of the cradle containing her
dying child. When she returned to herself Diego alone was at her side.
The unhappy mother placed her ear to the child's lips, and perceived
that it still breathed.

"'Diego,' she exclaimed, 'take care of the child of my soul!' and flying
down the stairs hastened to a hermitage near by, and falling on her
knees before the Virgin of Consolation exclaimed in grief, 'Holy Virgin!
pity me! Save the child of my heart! And if she has flown to heaven
since I left her side to fall at thy feet, beg thy holy Son to restore
her to life, as He did the maid of Galilee!'

"A woman who was praying in a corner of the temple arose weeping with
joy and grief, and hastened to clasp the unhappy mother in her arms and
call her daughter. It was her husband's mother, Agustina, who had also
gone to the temple to pray for the restoration of the child.

"'Mother,' exclaimed Ascensita, 'I believe in God! I believe in God and
hope in His mercy!'

"'My daughter, no one believes in it in vain,' answered Agustina,
bursting into tears. And both again knelt and prayed."

The mother's prayer was heard and the child recovered.

In the _Popular Narrations_, Trueba works up themes already popular
among the people, but clothes them in his own words and varies them to
suit his own taste. He says in the preface: "The task which I undertook
some time ago, and still continue, consists in collecting the
narrat