Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness by Selma Lagerlöf

Author:Selma Lagerlöf [Lagerlöf, Selma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 4064066057633
Publisher: e-artnow
Published: 2020-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER V

SISTER EDITH PLEADS WITH DEATH

Table of Contents

The poor little Sister who was lying on her deathbed felt that she was getting weaker and weaker every moment. She was in no pain, but lay struggling against death, as, many a time, when she had been watching by- a sick-bed, she had struggled against sleep.

" Ah ! how sweet is the temptation ; but it will never do for you to overtake me." Such words 'had she addressed to sleep; if, at any time, it had descended on her for a couple of minutes, she had always jumped up quickly from it and returned to her duties.

Now she was thinking that, in some cool room—with a continual draught of pure frosted air that it would be a delight for her lungs to breathe—a bed, deep and broad, was spread, with pillows as soft and puffy as fermenting dough. She knew that this bed was arranged for her, and she longed to sink down in it and sleep off her physical weariness ; but she had a feeling that her sleep would be so sound that she would never wake again. She continued to resist the temptation of rest—that cannot fall to her lot as yet.

When the little Sister gazed round the room, there was a look of reproach in her eyes. She looked sterner than she had ever done before.

"How cruel you are not to help me with the only thing I long for," she seemed to explain. " Have I not gone out of my way many a time to serve you when I was well, cannot you now take the trouble to summon here the man I wish to meet ? "

More often than not she lay with her eyes shut, waiting and listening so intently that not a movement in the little house escaped her. Suddenly she.received the impression that a stranger had entered the outer room, and was waiting to be shown in to her. She opened her eyes and looked imploringly at her mother.

"He is standing, you know, by the kitchen door. Can't you let him in, mother ? "

Her mother got up, went to the hidden door, opened it, and looked into, the bigger room. She came back, shaking her head.

"There is no one there, child," she said; "no one but Sister Mary and Gustavsson."

Then the sick girl sighed and shut her eyes again ; but she had still the feeling that he was sitting right against the door and waiting. If only her ^clothes had been lying, as usual, on a chair at the foot of the bed, she would have put them on, and gone herself to speak to him. But the clothes were not lying there,"and, besides, she feared that her mother would refuse permission for her to get up.

She wondered and wondered how she could manage to get into the outer room. She was certain that the man was there, but that her mother would not let him pass in to

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