ld die."

"Die?" It sounded to Dotty like a word heard in a dream. She only knew
that people must die before they went to heaven, and when they died they
were very, very cold.

[Illustration: DOTTY IN THE SWING.--Page 189.]

One night, when she went with the milk, Mrs. Gray was weeping. She
asked Dotty if she would like to see little Charlie "once more."

Dotty entered the darkened room with a strange feeling of awe. There he
lay, so still she hardly dared to breathe. Darling, darling Charlie!

But when she had touched the little hot hand and kissed the sweet wasted
face, her heart grew lighter. What had made them think he was going to
heaven? He did not look any more like an angel now than he had always
looked. His face was not as white as the pillow; no, indeed; and he was
not cold; his lips were warmer than hers.

"He used to have three chins once," whispered Dotty, "darling Charlie!"

"You love my little Charlie--don't you, darling?" said Mrs. Gray; and
then she clasped Dotty in her arms and sobbed over her; but Charlie did
not seem to notice it.

"Yes, 'm, I do love him," said Dotty; "Prudy says he's the cunningest
boy there is in this town."

And then she softly kissed Mrs. Gray's cheek, though she had never
kissed her before, and did not know why she was doing it now.

"When he gets well, won't you let him come to our house and play
croquet? We play it now with marbles, a teenty-tonty game, and the
wickets are made of hairpins spread out wide."

Dotty spoke very low, and Charlie did not pay the least attention; but
Mrs. Gray sobbed still more, and held Dotty closer in her arms,
saying,--

"_Don't_ talk so, dear!"

"How sorry you do feel to have him so sick! He won't grow up, I s'pose,
if he can't play. When he stays in bed it makes him grow littler and
littler! Why, how little his neck is! It looks like a dandelion stem!"

"Don't, _don't_, dear child! Every word you say strikes right to my
heart!"

Dotty looked up in Mrs. Gray's face with surprise. What had she said
that was wrong? Perhaps she ought not to have talked about dandelions;
she would not do it again.

"Dotty," said Mrs. Gray, looking sorrowfully towards the bed, "when
fathers and mothers are not very wise, and do not know very well how to
take proper care of their families, sometimes the Saviour calls their
little children away."

Dotty knew what she meant now. She meant that Charlie was really going
to heaven.

"O, Mrs. Gray,"