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What is it Miss Eva?I dont understand. I cant tell you; but, when I saw those poor creatures on the boat, you know, when you came up and I,some had lost their mothers, and some their husbands, and some mothers cried for their little childrenand when I heard about poor Prue,oh, wasnt that dreadful!and a great many other times, Ive felt that I would be glad to die, if my dying could stop all this misery. I would die for them, Tom, if I could, said the child, earnestly, laying her little thin hand on his. Tom looked at the child with awe; and when she, hearing her fathers voice, glided away, he wiped his eyes many times, as he looked after her. Its jest no use tryin to keep Miss Eva here, he said to Mammy, whom he met a moment after. Shes got the Lords mark in her forehead. Ah, yes, yes, said Mammy, raising her hands; Ive allers said so. She wasnt never like a child thats to livethere was allers something deep in her eyes. Ive told Missis so, many the time; its a comin true,we all sees it,dear, little, blessed lamb! Eva came tripping up the verandah steps to her father. It was late in the afternoon, and the rays of the sun formed a kind of glory behind her, as she came forward in her white dress, with her golden hair and glowing cheeks, her eyes unnaturally bright with the slow fever that burned in her veins. St. Clare had called her to show a statuette that he had been buying for her; but her appearance, as she came on, impressed him suddenly and painfully. There is a kind of beauty so intense, yet so fragile, that we cannot bear to look at it. Her father folded her suddenly in his arms, and almost forgot what he was going to tell her. Eva, dear, you are better now-a-days,are you not? Papa, said Eva, with sudden firmness Ive had things I wanted to say to you, a great while. I want to say them now, before I get weaker. St. Clare trembled as Eva seated herself in his lap. She laid her head on his bosom, and said, Its all no use, papa, to keep it to myself any longer. The time is coming that I am going to leave you. I am going, and never to come back! and Eva sobbed. O, now, my dear little Eva! said St. Clare, trembling as he spoke, but speaking cheerfully, youve got nervous and low-spirited; you mustnt indulge such gloomy thoughts. See here, Ive bought a statuette for you! No, papa, said Eva, putting it gently away, dont deceive yourself!I am not any better, I know it perfectly well,and I am going, before long. I am not nervous,I am not low-spirited. If it were not for you, papa, and my friends, I should be perfectly happy. I want to go,I long to go! Why, dear child, what has made your poor little heart so sad? You have had everything, to make you happy, that could be given you. I had rather be in heaven; though, only for my friends sake, I would be willing to live. There are a great many things here that make me sad, that seem dreadful to me; I had rather be there; but I dont want to leave you,it almost breaks my heart! What makes you sad, and seems dreadful, Eva? O, things that are done, and done all the time. I feel sad for our poor people; they love me dearly, and they are all good and kind to me. I wish, papa, they were all free. |
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