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thegrowinggirlalreadyseesthatlifeisatask；butshestillsingsasshefulfillsit。
by…and…byetheburdenbeesheavier；sheisawife；sheisamother！
shemusteconomizethebreadofto…day；havehereyeuponthemorrow；takecareofthesick；andsustainthefeeble；shemustact；inshort；thatpartofanearthlyprovidence；soeasywhengodgivesushisaid；sohardwhenheforsakesus。sheisstillstrong；butsheisanxious；shesingsnolonger！
yetafewyears；andallisovercast。thehusbandshealthisbroken；hiswifeseeshimpineawaybythenowfirelesshearth；coldandhungerfinishwhatsicknesshadbegun；hedies；andhiswidowsitsonthegroundbythecoffinprovidedbythecharityofothers；pressinghertwohalf…nakedlittleonesinherarms。shedreadsthefuture；sheweeps；andshedroopsherhead。
atlastthefuturehase；thechildrenaregrownup；buttheyarenolongerwithher。hersonisfightingunderhiscountrysflag；andhissisterisgone。bothhavebeenlosttoherforalongtime鈥斺�攑erhapsforever；andthestronggirl；thebravewife；thecourageousmother；ishenceforthonlyapooroldbeggar…woman；withoutafamily；andwithoutahome！sheweepsnomore；sorrowhassubduedher；shesurrenders；andwaitsfordeath。
death；thatfaithfulfriendofthewretched；ise：nothideousandwithmockery；assuperstitionrepresents；butbeautiful；smiling；andcrownedwithstars！thegentlephantomstoopstothebeggar；itspalelipsmurmurafewairywords；whichannouncetohertheendofherlabors；apeacefuljoyesovertheagedbeggarwoman；and；leaningontheshoulderofthegreatdeliverer；shehaspassedunconsciouslyfromherlastearthlysleeptohereternalrest。
liethere；thoupoorway…weariedwoman！theleaveswillservetheeforawinding…sheet。nightwillshedhertearsofdewoverthee；andthebirdswillsingsweetlybythyremains。thyvisitherebelowwillnothaveleftmoretracethantheirflightthroughtheair；thynameisalreadyforgotten；andtheonlylegacythouhasttoleaveisthehawthornsticklyingforgottenatthyfeet！
well！someonewilltakeitup鈥斺�攕omesoldierofthatgreathumanhostwhichisscatteredabroadbymiseryorbyvice；forthouartnotanexception；thouartaninstance；andunderthesamesunwhichshinessopleasantlyuponall；inthemidstofthesefloweringvineyards；thisripecorn；andthesewealthycities；entiregenerationssuffer；succeedeachother；andstillbequeathtoeachthebeggarsstick！
thesightofthissadpictureshallmakememoregratefulforwhatgodhasgivenme；andmorepassionateforthosewhomhehastreatedwithlessindulgence；itshallbealessonandasubjectforreflectionforme。
ah！ifwewouldwatchforeverythingthatmightimproveandinstructus；ifthearrangementsofourdailylifeweresodisposedastobeaconstantschoolforourminds！butoftenestwetakenoheedofthem。
manisaneternalmysterytohimself；hisownpersonisahouseintowhichheneverenters；andofwhichhestudiestheoutsidealone。eachofusneedhavecontinuallybeforehimthefamousinscriptionwhichonceinstructedsocrates；andwhichwasengravedonthewallsofdelphibyanunknownhand：
knowthyself。
CHAPTER XII
theendoftheyear
december30th；p。m。
iwasinbed；andhardlyrecoveredfromthedeliriousfeverwhichhadkeptmeforsolongbetweenlifeanddeath。myweakenedbrainwasmakingeffortstorecoveritsactivity；mythoughts；likeraysoflightstrugglingthroughtheclouds；werestillconfusedandimperfect；attimesifeltareturnofthedizzinesswhichmadeachaosofallmyideas；andifloated；sotospeak；betweenalternatefitsofmentalwanderingandconsciousness。
sometimeseverythingseemedplaintome；liketheprospectwhich；fromthetopofsomehighmountain；opensbeforeusinclearweather。wedistinguishwater；woods；villages；cattle；eventhecottageperchedontheedgeoftheravine；thensuddenlythereesagustofwindladenwithmist；andallisconfusedandindistinct。
thus；yieldingtotheoscillationsofahalf…recoveredreason；iallowedmymindtofollowitsvariousimpulseswithouttroublingmyselftoseparatetherealfromtheimaginary；iglidedsoftlyfromonetotheother；andmydreamsandwakingthoughtssucceededcloselyupononeanother。
now；whilemymindiswanderinginthisunsettledstate；see；underneaththeclockwhichmeasuresthehourswithitsloudticking；afemalefigureappearsbeforeme！
atfirstsightisawenoughtosatisfymethatshewasnotadaughterofeve。inhereyewasthelastflashofanexpiringstar；andherfacehadthepallorofanheroicdeath…struggle。shewasdressedinadraperyofathousandchangingcolorsofthebrightestandthemostsombrehues；andheldawitheredgarlandinherhand。
afterhavingcontemplatedherforsomemoments；iaskedhername；andwhatbroughtherintomyattic。hereyes；whichwerefollowingthemovementsoftheclock；turnedtowardme；andshereplied：
〃youseeinmetheyearwhichisjustdrawingtoitsend；ietoreceiveyourthanksandyourfarewell。〃
iraisedmyselfonmyelbowinsurprise；whichsoongaveplacetobitterresentment。
〃ah！youwantthanks；〃criedi；〃butfirstletmeknowwhatfor？
〃wheniweledyouring；iwasstillyoungandvigorous：youhavetakenfrommeeachdaysomelittleofmystrength；andyouhaveendedbyinflictinganillnessuponme；already；thankstoyou；mybloodislesswarm；mymuscleslessfirm；andmyfeetlessagilethanbefore！youhaveplantedthegermsofinfirmityinmybosom；there；wherethesummerflowersoflifeweregrowing；youhavewickedlysownthenettlesofoldage！
〃and；asifitwerenotenoughtoweakenmybody；youhavealsodiminishedthepowersofmysoul；youhaveextinguishedherenthusiasm；sheisbeemoresluggishandmoretimid。formerlyhereyestookinthewholeofmankindintheirgeneroussurvey；butyouhavemadehernearsighted；andnowshehardlyseesbeyondherself！〃thatiswhatyouhavedoneformyspiritualbeing：thenastomyoutwardexistence；seetowhatgrief；neglect；andmiseryyouhavereducedit！〃forthemanydaysthatthefeverhaskeptmechainedtothisbed；whohastakencareofthishomeinwhichiplacedallmyjoy？shallinotfindmyclosetsempty；mybookcase；stripped；allmypoortreasureslostthroughnegligenceordishonesty？wherearetheplantsicultivated；thebirdsifed？allaregone！myatticisdespoiled；silentandsolitary！〃asitisonlyforthelastfewmomentsthatihavereturnedtoaconsciousnessofwhatsurroundsme；iamevenignorantwhohasnursedmeduringmylongillness！doubtlesssomehireling；whowillleavewhenallmymeansofrepenseareexhausted！〃andwhatwillmymasters；forwhomiamboundtowork；havesaidtomyabsence？atthistimeoftheyear；whenbusinessismostpressing；cantheyhavedonewithoutme；willtheyevenhavetriedtodoso？perhapsiamalreadysupersededinthehumblesituationbywhichiearnedmydailybread！anditisthou…thoualone；wickeddaughteroftime鈥斺�攚hohastbroughtallthesemisfortunesuponme：
strength；health；fort；work鈥斺�攖houhasttakenallfromme。ihaveonlyreceivedoutrageandlossfromthee；andyetthoudaresttocla