His lips, slightly
apart, emitted the softly drawn regular breath of profound slumber, and
the smile which some pleasant thought had conjured up before he closed
his eyes still lingered round his mouth. Katherine longed to kiss him,
but feared to break his profound and restful slumbers. She passed to
Charlie. His attitude was quite different. He had thrown the clothes
from his chest, and his pinky white throat was bare; one little hand lay
open on the page of a picture-book at which he had been looking when
sleep overtook him; the other was under his soft round cheek; his sweet
and still baby face was grave if not sad. He looked like a little angel
who had brought a message to earth, and was grieved and wearied by the
sin and sorrow here below. Katherine's heart swelled with tenderest love
as she gazed upon him, and unconsciously she bent closer till her lips
touched his brow. Then a little hand stole into hers, and, without
moving, as though he had expected her, he opened his eyes and whispered,
"Will you come and kiss me every night, as grannie did?"
"I will, my darling, every night."
"Will grannie _never_ come and kiss me again?"
"Never, Charlie! She will never come to either of us in this life." A
big tear fell on the boy's forehead.
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