ings on the dressing table; she detached
one seal from the chain of his watch. She then repaired to the wardrobe
and examined its contents. One of her capacious pockets was soon filled
with the finest cambric handkerchiefs, all of which she first took the
precaution to open and hold up to the light, rejecting those which were
not of the finest texture. The silk stockings were the next articles
that were coveted; they were unfolded one by one, and her skinny arm
passed up, that the feet might be extended by her shrivelled hands, to
ascertain whether they were darned or not--if so, they were rejected.

The wardrobe was on the opposite side of the bed, and on that side the
curtains had not been closed. The dying man had still enough sight left
to perceive the employment of his attendant. What must have been his
feelings! He uttered a deep groan, which startled the old hag, and she
repaired to the bedside, to examine the state of her charge.

Again he pointed with his finger to his mouth, and again she returned to
her employment, without having rendered the assistance which he
required. His eyes followed, and his finger still pointed. Having
ransacked every drawer, and secured all that she dared take, or that her
pockets could contain, she rang the bell for the servants of the house;
then pulling out her handkerchief, ready to put to her eyes in token of
sympathy, she sat down on her easy chair to await their coming.

In the meanwhile, the eyes of the unfortunate man gradually turned
upward; his vision was gone, but his agonising thirst continued to the
last; and when the retainers of the family came in, he was found dead,
with his finger still pointing in the same direction.

With ordinary minds, there is something so terrible in death, something
so awful in the dissolution of the elements of our frame, something so
horrible in the leap into the dark abyss, that it requires all the
powers of a fortified spirit, all the encouragement of a good
conscience, and all the consolations of religion and of faith, to enable
us to muster any degree of resolution for the awful change. But if
aught can smooth the pillow--can chase away from the terrified spirit
the doubt and depression by which it is overwhelmed, it is the being
surrounded and attended by those who are devoted and endeared to us.
When love, and duty, and charity, and sympathy hover round the couch of
the departing, fainting hope is supported by their presenc