Miss Ludington's Sister

to describe as anything less than sheer idolatry. Her experience was such as a goddess's might be who should descend from heaven

e. The instinct of maternity, never gratified in her by the possession of children, asserted itself toward this radiant girl, whose being was so much closer to hers than even a child's could be, whose life w

her own beauty and a lover's admiration of it. She had transferred to Ida all sense of per

nd which she did not grudge the servants the privilege of rendering. The happiness which flooded her heart at this time was beyond des

a, as a being something more than earthly in the circumst

y lovers, no doubt, this feeling is but the delusion of a fond fancy, having no basis in any real superiority on the part of the lo

o were beloved by the goddesses of Olympus, and in whose hearts r

en accords to an accepted lover. But far from claiming the privileges which he might apparently have enjoyed, it seemed to him presum

ow wholly passed away. But a certain pensiveness remained. Her smiles were the smiles of affection not of gaiety, and there was alwa

rdered a pony chaise for her special use, and when Paul arranged a croquet set on the vil

as any girl must have been, for they were the richest and most beautiful fabrics

ent, but Ida's toilet became her most absorbing preoccupation. On her account she became a close student o

h and braid her shining hair, stealthily kissing it the while; to array her in sheeny satins and airy muslins; to hang jewels upon her neck, and clasp br

diamonds. When one day Miss Ludington took the gems from the box in which they had been hidden away for half a lifetime, and hung them

. It was to you that mother gave them. I only return you your own. When you left the w

irl was fain

to come there on a visit, at that time, he would doubtless have been struck with the fact that a young girl was the central figure of the household, around whom its other members revolved; but it is probable that this fact, in itself not

s employ many years, and supposed she knew all about the family, thought it strange that she could recall no young lady relative answering to Ida's description. But as she found that her most ingenious efforts entirely failed to extract any information on the subject from Miss Ludington, Paul, or

t, Ida's sweet face, and gracious, considerate ways, having alread

Ludington received a letter from Dr. Hull, in which that gentleman said

so great a truth as that immortality is not individual, but personal. She considered herself to be most fortunate in that her death had not been a barren one, as most deaths are; but that in dying, she h

uite a long one, consisted of further quot

eir wonder that it had not been made years before. It appeared that, since intercourse between the two worlds had first begun, it had been the constant effort of the spirits to teach this truth to men; but the stupid refusal of the latter to comprehend had till now baffled every

e contents of a cup of wine, and care

even the most casual observer as a unit of being-a single person-was accounted a marvel by the angels. If men had believed all the members of a family to have but one soul amo

anished from the earth, are keeping their dear dead company in heaven. And far more congenial company to them are these past selves than their present selves would be, who, through years and changes since their separation, have often grown out of sympathy with the departed, as they will find

curiosity, to see again the young lady who had succeeded to his friend's earthly life in so wonderful a manner, and to learn, what, if any, were the later developments in her case. He was preparing a book u

together in the gloaming on the piazza. As Paul from time to time, duri

y her death has been the only cloud upon it. And yet it would be strange indeed if she were not happy. As she says, she did not die a barren death, but in giving birth. And it was no t

d unknown path that Ida trod that night back to our world will, doubtless, in future times, become a beaten and lighted way. This woman through whom she lives again did not die of her own choice; but I do not find it incredible that many women will hereafter

had observed that Ida's fa

d. "You do not like

p. "It affects me very strangely to think about it much. I would l

scuss the events of that wonderful night at Mrs. Legrand's. After having had the circumst

ded as something abnormal and uncanny, and mingled with this was, perhaps, a certain sacred shamefacedness, at the thought t