In the morning her mother asked after her: "Is she well ?" Hester turned cold; she opened her lips, but the words refused to come.
The mother lay languidly looking, musing, waiting; suddenly she turned white and gasped out: "Oh, my God! what is it?
is she sick ?" Then the poor aunt's tortured heart rose in rebellion, and words came: "No--be comforted; she is well." The sick woman put all her happy heart in her gratitude: "Thank God for those dear words! Kiss me.

How I worship you for saying them!" Hester told this incident to Hannah, who received it with a rebuking look, and said, coldly: "Sister, it was a lie." Hester's lips trembled piteously; she choked down a sob, and said: "Oh, Hannah, it was a sin, but I could not help it.

I could not endure the fright and the misery that were in her face." "No matter.

It was a lie.

God will hold you to account for it." "Oh, I know it, I know it," cried Hester, wringing her hands, "but even if it were now, I could not help it.