No one of us was allowed to stay in the sick-room but Nannie, and she
had promised to let us know the minute the change came; so we five and
Max were waiting in the schoolroom, longing and yet just dreading what
Nannie might have to tell us.
It was a glorious afternoon: the sun had just gone down, and from where
we sat--close together--we could see through the windows the sky, all
rose-colour and gold, with long streaks here and there of the most
exquisite pale blue and green; and soft, white, fleecy clouds that kept
changing their shape every minute. When I was little and heard that
anybody we knew was dead, I used to sit in one of our schoolroom
windows and watch the sunset, to see the angels taking the soul up to
heaven,--- I thought that was the way it went up; I could almost always
make out the shape of an angel in the clouds, and I'd watch with all my
eyes till every speck of it had melted away, before I'd be willing to
leave the window. Of course I really know better than that now, but this
afternoon as we all sat there so sad and forlorn, looking at the skies,
there came in the clouds the shape of a most beautiful large angel,
all soft white, and with rosy, outspread wings, and I couldn't help
wondering if God was sending an angel for papa's soul, or if he would
let mamma come for it--she loved him so dearly!
Betty saw the angel, too, for she nudged my elbow and whispered softly,
"Oh, Jack, look!"
Just then we heard a step outside, the door flew open, and Nannie came
in; her face was pale, but her eyes were wide opened and shining, and
when she spoke her voice rang out joyfully: "Oh, my dears, my dears!"
she cried, stretching out her arms to us, "God is good to us,--papa is
asleep! He will live!" Then, before anybody could say a word, she got
very white, and threw out her hand for the back of Fee's chair; Phil
sprang to catch her, but like a flash Max was before him.
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