the gray silk dress she wore to weddings and dinner parties
before her husband died, and beneath it in the trunk was the white
embroidered muslin that was her wedding gown. Yellow with age it was,
and delicate as a spider's web, with frostwork of yellowed broidery
strewn quaintly on its ancient form, and a touch of real lace. Hazel
laid a reverent hand on the fine old fabric, and felt, as she looked
through the treasures of the old trunk, that an inner sanctuary of
sweetness had been opened for her glimpsing.

At last a letter came from the West.

It was addressed to "Miss Radcliffe, Nurse," in Brownleigh's firm, clear
hand, and began: "Dear madam." Hazel's hand trembled as she opened it,
and the "dear madam" brought the tears to her eyes; but then, of course,
he did not know.

He thanked her, with all the kindliness and courtliness of his mother's
son, for her attendance on his dear mother, and told her of many
pleasant things his mother had written of her ministrations. He spoke
briefly of his being laid up lamed in the Indian reservation and his
deep grief that he had been unable to come East to be beside his mother
during her last hours, but went on to say that it had been his mother's
wish, many times expressed, that he should not leave his post to come to
her, and that there need be "no sadness of farewell" when she
"embarked," and that though it was hard for him he knew it was a
fulfillment of his mother's desires. And now that she was gone, and the
last look upon her dear face was impossible, he had decided that he
could not bear it just yet to come home and see all the dear familiar
places with her face gone. He would wait a little while, until he had
grown used to the thought of her in heaven, and then it would not be so
hard. Perhaps he would not come home until next spring, unless something
called him; he could not tell. And in any case, his injured ankle
prevented him making the journey at present, no matter how much he may
desire to do so. Miss Radcliffe's letter had told him that everything
had been done just as he would have had it done. There was nothing
further to make it a necessity that he should come. He had written to
his mother's lawyer to arrange his mother's few business affairs, and it
only remained for him to express his deep gratitude towards those who
had stood by his dear mother when it had been made impossible for him
to do so. He closed with a request that the nurse would give him her