Slowly walking back to his lonely house, which had never seemed so lonely, so desolate to him, Mr. Wenck saw little Charles Hummel, who was going in the same direction and homeward. He had been looking for Charley, for he had heard one of the children say that he was in the school-room with the teacher last, and so he took the boy's hand, and they walked along together.
"Are you all prepared with your pieces, Charley?" the minister asked.
"Oh yes, sir, but now we shall not sing them."
"And why will you not sing them, my boy?"
"Because there will not be any celebration—will there, sir?"
"Certainly: why should there not?"
"What, sir! to-morrow night, just the same?"
"Do you think that Sister Benigna would approve of our having no congregation festival?"
"Why, sir, you know—don't you know? I saw them carrying her from the school-room. She—she—"
"Yes, I know all," said the minister: "she is gone home. But then she will know about our celebration: oh yes, just the same: it must be that she will hear all the sweet voices. It seems far away to us where she is: perhaps it has seemed so, but she brings heaven nearer: it is surely but a step to the Better Land."