w Dinah soothed and comforted and assuaged her anguish
of mind and body, the voice in my heart grew ever louder and
louder. Whilst she lived, I knew my place was beside her; but it
has pleased God to take her away. No tie binds me here now. If I
stay, I shall but eat out my heart in fruitless longing, shut into
these walls, and by no means permitted to sally forth. From a
plague-stricken house I may only go to those smitten with the
distemper. Father, let me go! prithee let me go! Dinah will take
me; she will let me be with her. Ask her; she will tell thee."

As the girl made her appeal to her father, the grave-faced, gentle
woman who had remained with this household for nigh fourteen days
stood quietly by. Dinah Morse had not quitted the house since the
day upon which the hapless Frederick had been stricken down by the
fell disease. For hardly had his remains been borne from the house
before the mother fell violently ill of a wasting fever. At first
there were no special indications of the plague in her malady; but
after a week's time these suddenly developed themselves. From the
first she had declared herself smitten by the distemper, and
whether this conviction helped to develop the germs of the malady
none could say. But be that as it might, the dreaded tokens
appeared upon her body at last, and within three days from that
time she lay dead.

All that the kindness of friends and neighbours could avail had
been done. The Harmer family, in particular, had showed so much
attention and sympathy in this trying time, that Gertrude was often
overcome with shame as she recalled in what uncivil fashion they
had been treated by her mother of late years, and how they were now
returning good for evil, just at a time when so many men were
finding themselves forsaken even by their nearest and dearest in
the hour of their affliction.

The whole experience through which she had passed had made a deep
and lasting impression upon Gertrude. She had already watched two
of the beings nearest and dearest to her fall victims to the dire
disease which was raging in the city and laying low its thousands
daily. It seemed to her that there was but one thing to be done now
by those whose circumstances permitted it, and that was to go forth
amid the sick and smitten ones, and do what lay within human power
to mitigate their sufferings, and to afford them the solace and
comfort of feeling that they were not altogether shut off from the
love