The unsealing hand of Death was opening the mouth of a dumb prophet.
A pause followed, and he spoke again.
"I will tell you one thing now that Jesus says: he is unchangeable; what he says once he says always; and I mention it now, because it may not be long before you are specially called to mind it.

It is this: _'Let not your heart be troubled.'_" "But he said that on one particular occasion, and to his disciples--did he not ?" said Mary, willing, in her dread, to give the conversation a turn.
"Ah, Mary!" said her father, with a smile, "_will_ you let the questioning spirit deafen you to the teaching one?
Ask yourself, the first time you are alone, what the disciples were not to be troubled about, and why they were not to be troubled about it .-- I am tired, and should like to go to bed." He rose, and stood for a moment in front of the fire, winding his old double-cased silver watch.

Mary took from her side the little gold one he had given her, and, as was her custom, handed it to him to wind for her.

The next moment he had dropped it on the fender.
"Ah, my child!" he cried, and, stooping, gathered up a dying thing, whose watchfulness was all over.

The glass was broken; the case was open; it lay in his hand a mangled creature.