Touchusgently，gentleTime!We’venotproudorsoaringwings，Ourambition，ourcontent，Liesinsimplethings；HumblevoyagersareweO’erlife’sdimunsoundedsea；Touchusgently，gentleTime!BARRYCORNWALL。NotmanydaysafterJohnBarton’sfuneralwasover，allwasarrangedrespectingJem’sappointmentatToronto；andthetimewasfixedforhissailing。Itwastotakelacealmostimmediately；yetmuchremainedtobedone；manydomesticpreparationsweretobemade；andonegreatobstacle，anticipatedbybothJemandMary，toberemoved。ThiswastheoppositiontheyexpectedfromMrsWilson，towhomtheplanhadneveryetbeennamed。Theyweremostanxiousthattheirhomeshouldcontinueevertobehers，yettheyfearedthatherdisliketoanewcountrymightheaninsuperableobjectiontothis。AtlastJemtookadvantageofaneveningofunusualplacidity，ashesatalonewithhismotherjustbeforegoingtobed，tobroachthesubject；andtohissurprisesheaccededwillinglytohispropositionofheraccompanyinghimselfandhiswife。“Tobesure’Mericaisalongwaytoflitto；beyondLondonagoodbitIreckon；andquiteinforeignparts；butI’veneverhadnoopinionofEngland，eversincetheycouldbesuchfoolsastotakeupaquietchaplikethee，andclaptheeinprison。Whereyougo，I’llgo。PerhapsinthemIndiancountriesthey’llknowawell-behavedladwhentheyseehim；ne’erspeakawordmore，lad，I’llgo。Theirpathbecamedailymoresmoothandeasy；theresentwasclearandpracticable，thefuturewashopeful；theyhadleisureofmindenoughtoturntothepast。“Jem!“saidMarytohim，oneeveningastheysatinthetwilight，talkingtogetherinlowhappyvoicestillMargaretshouldcometokeepMarycompanythroughthenight，“Jem!you’veneveryettoldmehowyoucametoknowaboutmynaughtywayswithpooryoungMrCarson。“Sheblushedforshameattheremembranceofherfolly，andhidherheadonhisshoulderwhilehemadeanswer。“Darling，I’malmostloathtotellyou；yourauntEsthertoldme。““Ah，Iremember!buthowdidsheknow？IwassoputaboutthatnightI
didnotthinkofaskingher。Wheredidyouseeher？I’veforgottenwhereshelives。“Marysaidallthisinsoopenandinnocentamanner，thatJemfeltsuresheknewnotthetruthrespectingEsther，andhehalfhesitatedtotellher。Atlengthherelied，“WheredidyouseeEstherlately？When？Tellme，love，foryou’venevernameditbeforeandIcan’tmakeitout““Oh!itwasthathorriblenight，whichislikeadream。“AndshetoldhimofEsther’smidnightvisit，concludingwith，“Wemustgoandseeherbeforeweleave，thoughIdon’trightlyknowwheretofindher。““DearestMary——’“What，Jem!“exclaimedshe，alarmedathishesitation。“YourpoorauntEstherhasnohome：——she’soneofthemmiserablecreaturesthatwalkthestreets。“AndheinhisturntoldofhisencounterwithEsther，withsomanydetailsthatMarywasforcedtobeconvinced，althoughherheartrebelledagainstthebelief。“Jem，lad!“saidshe，vehemently，“wemustfindherout，——wemusthuntherup!“sheroseasifshewasgoingonthesearchthereandthen。“Whatcouldwedo，darling？“askedhe，fondlyrestrainingher。“Do!Why!whatcouldwenotdo，ifwecouldbutfindher？She’snonesohappyinherways，thinkye，butwhatshe’dturnfromthem，ifanyonewouldlendherahelpinghand。Don’tholdme，Jem，thisisjustthetimeforsuchashertobeout，andwhoknowsbutwhatImightfindhercloseathand。““Stay，Mary，foraminute；I’llgooutnowandsearchforherifyouwish，thoughit’sbutawildchase。Youmustnotgo。Itwouldbebettertoaskthepoliceto-morrow。ButifIshouldfindher，howcanImakehercomewithme？Oncebeforesherefused，andsaidshecouldnotbreakoffherdrinkingways，comewhatmight““Youneverwillpersuadeherifyoufearanddoubt，“saidMary，intears。
“Hopeyourself，andtrusttothegoodthatmustbeinher。Speaktothat，——shehasitinheryet，——oh，bringherhome，andwewillloveherso，we’llmakehergood。““Yes!“saidJem，catchingMary’ssanguinespirit；“sheshallgotoAmericawithus；andwe’llhelphertogetridofhersins。I’llgonow，mypreciousdarling，andifIcan’tfindher，it’sbuttryingthepoliceto-morrow。
Takecareofyourownsweetself，Mary，saidhe，fondlykissingherbeforehewentout。Itwasnottobe。Jemwanderedfarandwidethatnight，butnevermetEsther。
Thenextdayheappliedtothepolice；andatlasttheyrecognisedunderhisdescriptionofher，awomanknowntothemunderthenameofthe“Butterfly，“
fromthegaietyofherdressayearortwoago。Bytheirhelphetracedoutoneofherhaunts，alowlodging-housebehindPeterStreet。Heandhiscompanion，akind-heartedpoliceman，wereadmitted，suspiciouslyenough，bythelandlady，whousheredthemintoalargegarret，wheretwentyorthirtypeopleofallagesandbothsexeslayanddozedawaytheday，choosingtheeveningandnightfortheirtradesofbeggary，thieving，andprostitution。“IknowtheButterflywashere，“saidshe，lookinground。“Shecamein，thenightbeforelast，andsaidshehadnotapennytogetaplaceforshelter；andthatifshewasfarawayinthecountryshecouldstealasideanddieinacopse，oraclough，likethewildanimals；butherethepolicewouldletnoonealoneinthestreets，andshewantedaspottodiein，inpeace。It’saqueersortofpeacewehavehere，butthatnighttheroomwasuncommonempty，andI’mnotahard-heartedwomanIwishIwere，I
couldha’madeagoodthingoutofitaforethisifIwereharder，soIsentherup，——butshe’snotherenow，Ithink。““Wassheverybad？“askedJem。“Aye!noughtbutskinandbone，withacoughtotearherintwo。“Theymadesomeinquiries，andfoundthatintherestlessnessofapproachingdeath，shehadlongedtobeoncemoreintheopenair，andhadgoneforth，——where，nooneseemedtobeabletotell。Leavingmanymessagesforher，anddirectionsthathewastobesentforifeitherthepolicemanorthelandladyobtainedanycluetoherwhereabouts，JembenthisstepstowardsMary’shouse；forhehadnotseenherallthatlongdayofsearch。Hetoldherofhisproceedingsandwantofsuccess；
andbothweresaddenedattherecital，andsatsilentforsometime。Afterawhiletheybegantalkingovertheirplans。Inadayortwo，Marywastogiveuphouse，andgoandliveforaweekorsowithJobLegh，untilthetimeofhermarriage，whichwouldtakeplaceimmediatelybeforesailing；
theytalkedthemselvesbackintosilenceanddeliciousreverie。MarysatbyJem，hisarmroundherwaist，herheadonhisshoulder；andthoughtoverthesceneswhichhadpassedinthathomeshewassosoontoleaveforever。SuddenlyshefeltJemstart，andstartedtoowithoutknowingwhy；shetriedtoseehiscountenance，buttheshadesofeveninghaddeepenedsomuchshecouldreadnoexpressionthere。Itwasturnedtothewindow；shelookedandsawawhitefacepressedagainstthepanesontheoutside，gazingintentlyintotheduskychamber。Whiletheywatched，asiffascinatedbytheappearance，andunabletothinkorstir，afilmcameoverthebright，feverish，glitteringeyesoutside，andtheformsankdowntothegroundwithoutastruggleofinstinctiveresistance。“ItisEsther!“exclaimedthey，bothatonce。Theyrushedoutside；and，fallenintowhatappearedsimplyaheapofwhiteorlight-colouredclothes，faintingordead，laythepoorcrushedButterfly-theonceinnocentEsther。Shehadcomeasawoundeddeerdragsitsheavylimbsoncemoretothegreencoolnessofthelairinwhichitwasborn，theretodie，toseetheplacefamiliartoherinnocence，yetonceagainbeforeherdeath。Whethershewasindeedaliveordead，theyknewnotnow。JobcameinwithMargaret，foritwasbedtime。HesaidEsther’spulsebeatalittleyet。TheycarriedherupstairsandlaidheronMary’sbed，notdaringtoundressher，lestanymotionshouldfrightenthetremblinglifeaway；butitwasallinvain。Towardsmidnight，sheopenedwidehereyesandlookedaroundontheoncefamiliarroomJobLeghkneltbythebed，prayingaloudandferventlyforher，buthestoppedashesawherrousedlook。Shesatupinbedwithasuddenconvulsivemotion。“Hasitbeenadream，then？“askedshe，wildly。Thenwithahabit，whichcamelikeinstincteveninthatawfuldyinghour，herhandsoughtforalocketwhichhungconcealedinherbosom，and，findingthat，sheknewallwastruewhichhadbefallenhersincelastshelayaninnocentgirlonthatbed。Shefellback，andspokewordnevermore。Sheheldthelocketcontainingherchild’shairstillinherhand，andonceortwiceshekisseditwithalongsoftkiss。Shecriedfeeblyandsadlyaslongasshehadanystrengthtocry，andthenshedied。TheylaidherinonegravewithJohnBarton。Andtheretheyliewithoutname，orinitial，ordate。Onlythisverseisinscribeduponthestonewhichcoverstheremainsofthesetwowanderers。Psalmciii。v。9——“ForHewillnotalwayschide，neitherwillHekeepHisangerforever。“Iseealonglowwoodenhouse，withroomenoughandtospare。Theoldprimevaltreesarefelledandgoneformanyamilearound；onealoneremainstoovershadowthegable-endofthecottage。Thereisagardenaroundthedwelling，andfarbeyondthatstretchesanorchard。ThegloryofanIndiansummerisoverall，makingtheheartleapatthesightofitsgorgeousbeauty。Atthedoorofthehouse，lookingtowardsthetown，standsMary，watchingthereturnofherhusbandfromhisdailywork；andwhileshewatches，shelistens，smiling，“Claphands，daddycomes，WithhispocketfullofplumsAndacakeforJohnnie。“ThencomesacrowofdelightfromJohnnie。Thenhisgrandmothercarrieshimtothedoor，andgloriesinseeinghimresisthismother’sblandishmentstoclingtoher。“Englishletters!’Twasthatmademesolate!““Oh，Jem，Jem!don’tholdthemsotight!Whatdotheysay？““Why，somegoodnews。Come，giveaguesswhatitis。““Oh，tellme!Icannotguess，“saidMary。“Thenyougiveitup，doyou？Whatdoyousay，mother？“JaneWilsonthoughtamoment。“WillandMargaretaremarried？“askedshe。“Notexactly，——butverynear。Theoldwomanhastwicethespiritoftheyoungone。Come，Mary，giveaguess!“Hecoveredhislittleboy’seyeswithhishandsforaninstant，significantly，tillthebabypushedthemdown，sayinginhisimperfectway，“Tan’tsee。““Therenow!Johnniecansee。Doyouguess，Mary？““They’vedonesomethingtoMargarettogiveherbackhersight!“exclaimedshe。“Theyhave。Shehadbeencouched，andcanseeaswellasever。SheandWillaretobemarriedonthetwenty-fifthofthismonth，andhe’sbringingheroutherenextvoyage；andJobLeghtalksofcomingtoo，——nottoseeyou，Mary，——noryou，mother，——noryou，mylittlehero“kissinghim，“buttotryandpickupafewspecimensofCanadianinsects，Willsays。Allthecomplimentistotheearwigs，yousee，mother!““DearJobLegh!“saidMary，softlyandseriously。
TheEnd