swered my prayer," she added, as she resigned the child once
more to her sister's care.

Then folding her hands over her heart, and lifting her eyes towards
heaven with a look of sweet solemnity, and, in a voice so deep,
bell-like, and beautiful that it scarcely seemed a human one, she said:

"Out of the Depths have I called to Thee, and Thou hast heard my voice."

And with these sublime words upon her lips she once more dropped away
into sleep, stupor, or exhaustion--for it is difficult to define the
conditions produced in the dying by the rising and falling of the waves
of life when the tide is ebbing away. The beautiful eyes did not close,
but rolled themselves up under their lids; the sweet lips fell apart,
and the pearly teeth grew dry.

Old Mrs. Jones, who had been busy with a saucepan over the fire, now
approached the bedside, saying:

"Is she 'sleep?"

"I do not know. Look at her, and see if she is," replied the weeping
sister.

"Well, I can't tell," said the nurse, after a close examination.

And neither could Hippocrates, if he had been there.

"Do you think she can possibly live?" sobbed Hannah.

"Well--I hope so, honey. Law, I've seen 'em as low as that come round
again. Now lay the baby down, Hannah Worth, and come away to the window;
I want to talk to you without the risk of disturbing her."

Hannah deposited the baby by its mother's side and followed the nurse.

"Now you know, Hannah, you must not think as I'm a hard-hearted ole
'oman; but you see I must go."

"Go! oh, no! don't leave Nora in her low state! I have so little
experience in these cases, you know. Stay with her! I will pay you well,
if I am poor."

"Child, it aint the fear of losin' of the pay; I'm sure you're welcome
to all I've done for you."

"Then do stay! It seems indeed that Providence himself sent you to us
last night! What on earth should we have done without you! It was really
the Lord that sent you to us."

"'Pears to me it was Old Nick! I know one thing: I shouldn't a-come if I
had known what an adventur' I was a-goin' to have," mumbled the old
woman to herself.

Hannah, who had not heard her words, spoke again:

"You'll stay?"

"Now, look here, Hannah Worth, I'm a poor old lady, with nothing but my
character and my profession; and if I was to stay here and nuss Nora
Worth, I should jes' lose both on 'em, and sarve me right, too! What call
have I to fly in the face of society?"

Hannah made no answer, but