sit with the family,
though his feeble step and sunken eye contrasted strangely with the
proud bearing which he exhibited but a few weeks before.

Susan devoted herself to his care, and his attachment for her seemed to
increase daily. While her father was busy with the labors of the farm,
and her mother was occupied with household cares, she talked with him,
read to him, sung to him, and in every way strove to make the time pass
pleasantly, and to woo back to his veins the tide of health.

For a time there was an encouraging prospect of success, but the
prospect was soon overcast. After the first rallying, he remained
stationary for a time, and then began, almost imperceptibly, to decline.
The cough, that grew more and more distinct and hollow, and profuse
night sweats, awoke the most anxious solicitude on the part of his
loving friends. Susan had, from the first, feared that he would not
recover; but she had given no expression to her fears. Her father had
entertained the most confident hopes, till the symptoms above noticed
forced upon him the conviction that his brother was passing to the tomb.
The faithful physician could not lessen that painful conviction. If the
air of the country and careful nursing could not raise the patient, the
case was hopeless. The soft breezes of autumn, and the ministerings of
pure affection, seemed to be in vain.

"Brother," said Richard, one morning, "I should be glad to have you sit
with me to-day, if your business will permit. If you should suffer a
little loss thereby, it will be abundantly made up to you before long."

This was the first allusion he had made to the probable result of his
disease. A tear stood in every eye, but no word was spoken, except in
reply to his request.

"I will make arrangements in course of half an hour," said Henry, "that
will allow me to be with you."

He did so, and from that hour was seldom absent from his brother's side.

"What has become of Harry Ford?" said Richard as they were sitting in
the warm sunlight in the piazza, where they used to sit together long
years ago. Autumn was creeping on apace, but the air was still bland and
balmy. Harry was one of their early and most intimate playmates--a fine,
cheerful, open-hearted boy, whose parents were the practical advocates
of "the let-alone, do-nothing policy," in regard to education. Still, to
the surprise of many, Harry conducted himself well in boyhood, and gave
promise of becoming a worthy