you do your part by keeping still."

But there came a day soon when everything was still around the
once happy little brown house--when oniy whispers were heard
from white lips; and thoughts were fearfully left unuttered.

On the morning of one of these days, when Mrs. Pepper felt she
could not exist an hour longer without sleep, kind Mrs. Beebe
came to stay until things were either better or worse.

Still the cloud hovered, dark and forbidding. At last, one
afternoon, when Polly was all alone, she could endure it no longer.
She flung herself down by the side of the old bed, and buried her
face in the gay patched bed-quilt.

"Dear God," she said, "make me willing to have anything"--she
hesitated--"yes, anything happen; to be blind forever, and to have
Joey sick, only make me good."

How long she staid there she never knew; for she fell asleep--the
first sleep she had had since Joey was taken sick. And little Mrs.
Beebe coming in found her thus.

"Polly," the good woman said, leaning over her, "you poor, pretty
creeter, you; I'm goin' to tell you somethin'--there, there, just to
think! Joel's goin' to get well!"

"Oh, Mrs. Beebe!" cried Polly, tumbling over in a heap on the
floor, her face, as much as could be seen under the bandage, in a
perfect glow, "Is he, really?"