You must wait until a little later in the day." She spoke sadly, for it was a deception that she was practicing upon her child, when she promised to gratify her wishes at a later hour.
"Never mind," observed Ella.

"Do not trouble yourself, my dear mother, I do not want it very badly." The little girl defined the cause of her mother's not acceding to her request at that moment, and she had no desire to cause her additional pain, by again asking for anything to moisten her parched lips, or remove the dry and bitter taste that the fever had caused.
Mrs.Wentworth had at last found out that Ella was sick .-- Not from any complaint of the child, for the little girl remained suffering in silence, and never hinted that she was unwell .-- But she had become so weak that one morning, on endeavoring to rise from the bed, she fell back and fainted from exhaustion, and on her mother's chafing her forehead with water for the purpose of reviving her, discovered that Ella had a hot fever.

She was very much alarmed, and would have called a doctor, but knowing no medical man who would attend her child without remuneration, she was necessitated to content herself with what knowledge she had of sickness.

This had caused the money she had remaining in her possession to be quickly expended.
The little girl bore her illness uncomplainingly, and although each day she sunk lower and felt herself getting weaker, she concealed her condition, and answered her mother's questions cheerfully.

She was a little angel that God had sent to Mrs.Wentworth.She was too young to appreciate the extent of her mother's wretchedness, but she saw that something was wrong and kept silent, and she lay there that day sick.
There was no hope for the child.