THE GOOD MISS KENDRICKS. 19

gotten in the distress caused by this letter. Leonard
had hitherto said nothing of illness, and now they
knew indeed that he must be ill to give up thus
his pastoral duties. Dorothy roused herself in the
sad thought of her brother’s illness, and with a pro-
phetic feeling, which she would not, however, avow
to herself, that he came home to die. Blind as she
was, she arranged the pillows for him on the sofa
which she had hitherto occupied, with a zeal and
activity of self-forgetfulness that made Joanna see
the truth of her own maxim, that with every mis-
fortune there came some compensating blessing.
Leonard returned, and even Dorothy perceived how
great was the change in him: he was far gone in
consumption, and the most inexperienced eye could
see that he had not long tolive. But that short time
was as the tarriance of an angel, and left a blessing
behind it. The words of love and consolation which
fell from his lips were spoken in the spirit of his
divine Master: ‘ Let not your hearts be troubled ;
ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's
house are many mansions ; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
The influence of the dying brother was good upon
both sisters, but most especially on Dorothy; she
never left her brother night nor day; she sat with
his hand in hers, like Mary at the feet of Christ, lis-
tening to his blessed words of salvation; whilst
Joanna, like Martha, though without her dissatisfied
heart, waited upon them both.
‘ Joanna feared greatly the effect which her brother's
death would have on Dorothy, but the effect was
different from what she expected. Whilst he lived,
her very breath seemed to hang upon his; but when