Mary looked up in her face, and knew all the moment their eyes met.
Nellie went straight over to the baby, and took him on her lap, and then drew Dolly to her knee.
"You've been crying," said Dolly, looking anxiously in her face.
"Yes," answered Nellie quietly; "but I want to tell you all something. Come, Netta and Isabel, darlings, come close to me."
"Is mamma worse?" asked Isabel.
"No, dear children, she is better; she is gone to be with Jesus."
"Gone?" said Dolly, with such a wail that Nellie's calmness almost gave way.
"Yes," she said, steadying her voice again; "her spirit is gone to heaven to be with God. By-and-by, you shall go in and kiss her dear face once more; but she will not know anything about it, because her spirit is away, quite happy with God."
Netta and Isabel hid their faces against Nellie's dress, and she drew them closer to her, while she went on softly:
"We must all die some day, you know, dears, unless, indeed, the Lord Jesus should come first and fetch us all away; but if not that, we must all die; and dear mamma told me to tell you that she wants you all to come to be where she is. How do you think you can get there?"