Hertha was obliged to leave the week-day-school in a great measure to the care of her sister Maria and Olof E. But she still continued her holiday-school; and its Conversation-lessons constituted one of Yngve's greatest enjoyments. But he only took part in them by speaking merely now and then a word. If his interest in any subject under discussion induced him to do more, or if he became animated in conversation, an affectionate, and at the same time beseeching and commanding glance from Hertha forbad it. Sometimes with affectionate pleasantry she would present him with an occupation better suited to his strength, by placing before him a basket filled with fresh flowers and fruits of the season, which it was always a pleasure for Yngve to distribute among the young people, and it was beautiful to see the little flock of life-enjoying youth surrounding Yngve's chair with looks of reverence and love.

Hertha looked on with an expression in which tender joy contended with sorrow. For she could not disguise from herself that the hand which now so kindly distributed fruits and flowers, and then pressed hers so warmly-that this feverish hand would before long lie stiff and cold in the grave. At this thought a dagger seemed to pierce her heart, and she repressed with difficulty a convulsive sigh. Yet she did repress it.

When winter came, with its clear days and fresh snow, and the bulfinch sang in the trees, glistening with crystals of ice, again Yngve's strength revived, and with it his hope of life. He so thoroughly enjoyed the glorious winter of his native land, and all those home-comforts which few countries possess in equal measure with our own rural homes. He was now able sometimes to sit with his father-in-law over his evening pipe by the crackling pine-log fire, and the Chief Director was never unfriendly towards Yngve, and appeared always glad to see him. Yngve sometimes even playfully assisted Aunt Nella to entangle her skein, under pretence of bringing it into order; in a word, he was now occasionally the life-enjoying Yngve of former days. But it was only the blazing-up of the lamp before it became extinguished for ever. Towards spring his

She understood it,

strength visibly and rapidly declined, and an unusual depression at times took hold upon his mind. Hertha saw that "a struggle was going forward in his soul." because she herself was passing through a silent conflict, and that for his sake. And they conquered together. Yngve submitted himself to his doom in loving obedience, and seemed thenceforward only more fully to enjoy all which that beautiful life had still to offer him-above all, Hertha's love. The weaker he became, the more he loved to have her sitting by his side, and to rest his head upon her shoulder.

Thus they sate one day towards the close of May, when the fruit trees opened their blossoms to the warm sun, and the soft vernal wind, entering through the open windows of the Idunahall, sported with the leaves of the plants which stood there. Yngve enjoyed these delicious vernal breezes. A branch of newly-opened apple-blossom lay on Hertha's lap, and his hand played with it as he admired its beauty.

The contrast between ever-flourishing and blossoming nature and the dying man was great, and Hertha, otherwise so watchful over herself, could not prevent her tears from falling. One fell on Yngve's hand; he raised it to his lips and said:

"How beautiful, my Hertha! to know that Nature is blood of our blood, flesh of our flesh, and life of our life; that it will rise again and be transfigured with us beyond the grave, through Him who has life in Himself!—a new Heaven is not without a new Earth! Iduna and her fruits are imperishable truth! Iduna is an immortal thought!"

Hertha could not answer, but she knew that he understood her thoughts, and that he who reconciled her to life will now reconcile her to death by his death. She bowed her head to his, and kissed his forehead. It felt so extraordinarily damp and cold.

“How are you, my Yngve?" whispered she.

"Well!" he replied; "very well, just now!" And he seemed to sink into a soft slumber.

Hertha embraced him supportingly. His head sunk to her breast, and seemed heavy; she no longer heard him breathe.

She thus sat immoveably, and her sisters entering, found her sitting almost as rigid, almost as cold as him whom she held in her arms clasped to her bosom.

The three bore Yngve silently to his room, and laid him on his bed. He slept-slept deeply-and the kisses of his wife could not wake him more.

THE ANGEL OF DEATH,

Ye sons of Adam of frail earth's shaping,
Crumbling again into the same!

Ye are mine; ye are Death's; there is no escaping
Since sin into the world first came.

I stand in the east,

And the western clime;

And a thousand voices
Ye guests of Time

I bring ye, the Lord of Heaven's commands,
From air and fire, from seas and lands.

Ye plan and build as the small bird buildeth
Her nest in the summer's verdant bower;
She singeth in joy, and the forest shieldetb
The home of her love one little hour;

But where is the wild bird,

And where are her halls,
When the tempest raves
And the strong tree falls!

WE frequently see a family stand for a great number of years, unmoved by the changes or tempests of time, and growing in calm security, when suddenly a storm comes, which, within a few months or weeks, carries off its members or changes its circumstances, so that it is, as it were, obliterated from the earth, and is mentioned there no more. It is the Angel of Death which has gone forth thither. Such are occasionally the devastations of a tempest, which in a few hours mows down, like corn, both the old and the young trees of the forest, which had otherwise stood unremoved for years.

Such a dispensation of Providence swept over Hertha's family. After Yngve's decease one death followed another in

rapid succession. First died Yngve's mother, or, more correctly speaking, peacefully went to sleep a few days after her son's departure, thankful and rejoicing to be able to follow him. Very shortly the Chief Director had an attack of apoplexy, in consequence of the violent agitation of mind caused by the then position of the great lawsuit, in which he was compelled to pay down a large sum of money. He recovered, it is true, in some measure; but paralysed in the lower limbs, and after a severe struggle with death, because he would not die, but live, and continue as formerly alone to govern the pecuniary affairs of the family without taking counsel with any one. He felt himself, so he declared, as strong and capable, as regarded his powers of mind, as he ever had been, and he felt convinced that he should perfectly recover his health, and live many years. He took after his grandfather, he said, who had lived to be a hundred years of age. With this prospect before him he concentrated all his attention and all his care still more exclusively upon himself, seeming to consider his restoration to health as the only important thing in the world. Nevertheless he was not altogether regardless of the anxious charge which his daughters had in him, and he attached himself especially to Hertha, with a kind of childish confidence; and she, from the hour in which she saw in this despotic father, a weak, ailing child, felt once mere that she could love him-could watch over him with love. She thanked God for this renewed sentiment of filial affection, and took little thought of all the weary watching and wearing anxiety of mind which, together with her own heart's silent sorrow, more and more undermined her strength. And though her father occasionally acknowledged her devoted affection, and appeared contented if he only saw her in his room, he still merely thought of her with regard to himself, and his selfishness seemed only to increase as his powers decreased. One day, towards the close of summer, a wasp had flown into his chamber, and they sought to drive it out through the window.

"Let it be!" said he impatiently, "it won't sting me !”