The Argosy — page 59: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Our First Term at Oxjord. 49 who look to have the hardest faces have the gentlest hearts. And Charley's dying, sir. He was took worse again this evening at five o'clock, and I hardly thought he’d have lasted till now. The doctor has been, and thinks he'll go off quietly.” Quietly perhaps in one sense, but it was a restless death-bed. He was not still a minute ; but he was quite sensible and calm. Waking up out of a doze when I went in, he held out his hand. ‘Tt 1s nearly over, sir.” I was sure of that, and sat downin silence. There could be no mis- taking his looks. “IT have just had a strange dream,” he whispered, between his laboured breath ; and his eyes were wet with tears, and he looked curiously agitated. “I thought I saw mother. It was in a wide place, all hght and sunshine, too beautiful for anything but Heaven. Mother was looking at me; I seemed to be outside in dulness and darkness, and not to know how to get in. Others that I’ve known in my lifetime, and who have gone on before, were there, as well as mother; they all looked happy, and there was a soft strain of music, like nothing I ever heard in this world. All at once, as I was wondering how I could get in, my sins seemed to rise up before me in a great cloud ; I turned sick, thinking of them ; for I knew no sinful person might enter there. Then I saw One standing on the brink ! it could only have been Jesus ; and he held out his hand to me and smiled, ‘I am here to wash ovt your sins,’ he said, and I thought he touched me with his finger ; and oh, the feeling of delight that came over me, of repose, of bliss, for I knew that all earth’s troubles were over, and I had passed into rest and peace for ever.” Nanny came up, and gave him one or two spoonfuls of wine. “IT don’t believe it was a dream,” he said, after a pause. “I think it was sent to show me what it is I am entering on; to uphold me through the darksome valley of the shadow of death.” “Mother said she should be watching for us, you know, Charley,” said the child. A restless fit came over him again, and he stirred uneasily. When it had passed, he was still for awhile and then looked up at me. “Tt was the new Heaven and the new Earth,.sir, that we are told of in the Revelation. Would you mind, sir—just those few verses—- reading them to me for the last time ?” Nanny brought the Bible, and put the candle on the stand, and I read what he asked for—the first few verses of the twenty-first chapter. The little girl kneeled down by the bed and joined her hands together. “ That’s enough, Nanny,” I whispered. ‘‘ Put the candle back.” “ But I did not tell all my dream,” he resumed 5)‘ not \quitedall’ As (CO) I passed over into Heaven, I thought I looked down here a ain. I VOL. XV. Com ets OOKS