moon, her silver light threw itself with brightening and
broadening power. By and by Mr. Hildebrand's two or three
helpers disposed of themselves below deck, and nobody was left
but Mr. Hildebrand himself at the helm.

"Now we can sing!" exclaimed Winnie, when one or two turns of
her head had made her sure of this; and to Winthrop's surprise
she struck up the very words part of which had been in his own
remembrance.

"'Jerusalem! my happy home --
"'Name ever dear to me --
"'When shall my labours have an end,
"' In joy and peace in thee!"'

Winnie's voice was as sweet and clear as a bird's, if weakness
left it not much stronger; that of her brother was deep,
mellow, and exceeding fine; it was no wonder that the skipper
turned his head and forgot his tiller to catch the fulness of
every note. When the last had sounded, there was nothing to be
heard but the rippling of water under the sloop's prow; the
sails were steady and full, the moonlight not more noiseless;
the wind swept on with them softly, just giving a silent
breath to their cheeks; the skipper held his tiller with a
moveless hand.

"What next, Winnie?" her brother whispered. The soft gurgle of
the water had been heard for several minutes.

"How fond Karen is of that hymn," said Winifred. "Governor, do
you think I shall live long in this world?"

She was leaning, half lying, upon Winthrop, with his arm round
her. Her voice had put the question in precisely the same tone
that it had given the remark.

"Why do you ask me that, Winnie?"

"Because -- sometimes I think I sha'n't, -- and I want to know
what you think."

"You will live, I am sure, dear Winnie, till God has done for
you all he means to do; -- till he has fitted his child for
heaven; -- and then he will take her."

"I know that," said Winifred with a grateful half look up at
him; -- "but I mean -- you know I am not well quite, and weak,
and I don't think I get any better; -- don't you think that it
won't take a very great while, very likely?"

"How would you feel, Winnie, if you thought that was so?"

"I _do_ think it sometimes -- pretty often," -- said Winnie, "and
it don't make me feel sorry, Governor."

"You think heaven is better than earth."

"Yes, --and then -- that's one good thing of my sickness -- it
don't seem as if I ever could do much if I lived, so it
matters the less."

"Nobody knows how much he does, who does his duty," said
Winthrop.

"Why I can't do anything