"Don't you see," she screamed, pointing to the wall, "there's the Devil
waiting for me? And, oh, there's the mouth of hell where the minister
said I should go! Oh, hold me, hold me, hold me!"
Beatrice walked up to her, took the thin little hands in hers, and
looked her fixedly in the eyes.
"Jane," she said. "Jane, don't you know me?"
"Yes, Miss Granger," she said, "I know the lesson; I will say it
presently."
Beatrice took her in her arms, and sat down on the bed. Quieter and
quieter grew the child till suddenly an awful change passed over her
face.
"She is dying," whispered the doctor.
"Hold me close, hold me close!" said the child, whose senses returned
before the last eclipse. "Oh, Miss Granger, I shan't go to hell, shall
I? I am afraid of hell."
"No, love, no; you will go to heaven."
Jane lay still awhile. Then seeing the pale lips move, Beatrice put her
ear to the child's mouth.
"Will you come with me?" she murmured; "I am afraid to go alone."
And Beatrice, her great grey eyes fixed steadily on the closing eyes
beneath, whispered back so that no other soul could hear except the
dying child:
"Yes, I will come presently.
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