cold rushed through the great hall, and the blind
mother could feel that it was Death that came.

"How hast thou been able to find thy way hither?" he asked. "How
couldst thou come quicker than I?"

"I am a mother," said she.

And Death stretched out his long hand towards the fine little flower,
but she held her hands fast around his, so tight, and yet afraid that
she should touch one of the leaves. Then Death blew on her hands, and
she felt that it was colder than the cold wind, and her hands fell
down powerless.

"Thou canst not do anything against me!" said Death.

"But that _Our Lord_ can!" said she.

"I only do His bidding!" said Death. "I am His gardener, I take all
His flowers and trees, and plant them out in the great garden of
Paradise, in the unknown land; but how they grow there, and how it is
there I dare not tell thee."

"Give me back my child!" said the mother, and she wept and prayed. At
once she seized hold of two beautiful flowers close by, with each
hand, and cried out to Death, "I will tear all thy flowers off, for I
am in despair."

"Touch them not!" said Death. "Thou say'st that thou art so unhappy,
and now thou wilt make another mother equally unhappy."

"Another mother!" said the poor woman, and directly let go her hold of
both the flowers.

"There, thou hast thine eyes," said Death; "I fished them up from the
lake, they shone so bright; I knew not they were thine. Take them
again, they are now brighter than before; now look down into the deep
well close by; I shall tell thee the names of the two flowers thou
wouldst have torn up, and thou wilt see their whole future life--their
whole human existence: and see what thou wast about to disturb and
destroy."

And she looked down into the well; and it was a happiness to see how
the one became a blessing to the world, to see how much happiness and
joy were felt everywhere. And she saw the other's life, and it was
sorrow and distress, horror, and wretchedness.

"Both of them are God's will!" said Death.

"Which of them is Misfortune's flower? and which is that of
Happiness?" asked she.

"That I will not tell thee," said Death; "but this thou shalt know
from me, that the one flower was thy own child! it was thy child's
fate thou saw'st,--thy own child's future life!"

Then the mother screamed with terror, "Which of them was my child?
Tell it me! save the innocent! save my child from all that misery!
rather take it away! take it into