know. You asked him to keep me; he said so--I _heard_ him
say so; and you gave me my clothes; and you're beautiful; and you're
good; and I love you! O! I love you ever so much!"

As Gerty spoke with a voice full of excitement, a strange look passed
over Miss Graham's face, a most inquiring and restless look, as if the
tones of the voice had vibrated on a chord of her memory. She did not
speak, but, passing her arm around the child's waist, drew her closer to
her. As the peculiar expression passed from her face, and her features
assumed their usual calmness, Gerty, as she gazed at her with a look of
wonder, exclaimed, "Are you going to sleep?"

"No.--Why?"

"Because your eyes are shut."

"They are always shut, my child."

"Always shut!--What for?"

"I am blind, Gerty; I can see nothing."

"Not see!" said Gerty; "can't you see anything? Can't you see me now?"

"No," said Miss Graham.

"O!" exclaimed Gerty, drawing a long breath, "_I'm so glad_."

"_Glad!_" said Miss Graham, in the saddest voice that ever was heard.

"O yes!" said Gerty, "so glad you can't see me!--because now, perhaps,
you'll love me."

"And shouldn't I love you if I saw you?" said Emily, passing her hand
softly and slowly over the child's features.

"Oh, no!" answered Gerty, "I'm so ugly! I'm glad you can't see how ugly
I am."

"But just think, Gerty," said Emily, in the same sad voice, "how would
you feel if you could not see the light, could not see anything in the
world?"

"Can't you see the sun, and the stars, and the sky, and the church we're
in? Are you in the dark?"

"In the dark all the time--day and night in the dark."

Gerty burst into a paroxysm of tears. "Oh!" exclaimed she, as soon as
she could find voice amid her sobs, "It's too bad! it's too bad!"

The child's grief was contagious; and, for the first time for years,
Emily wept bitterly for her blindness.

It was but for a few moments, however. Quickly recovering herself, she
tried to compose the child also, saying, "Hush! hush! don't cry; and
don't say it's too bad! It's not too bad; I can bear it very well. I'm
used to it, and am quite happy."

"I shouldn't be happy in the dark; I should _hate_ to be!" said Gerty.
"I _an't_ glad you're blind; I'm really _sorry_. I wish you could see me
and everything. Can't your eyes be opened, any way?"

"No," said Emily; "never; but we won't talk about that any more; we will
talk about you. I want to know what makes you think