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THE TRAVELLING COMPANION 45
and died : it was just as if he slept. But John wept ; for nowTTe had no one in the world, neither father nor mother, neither sister nor brother. Poor John'! He knelt down beside the bed, kissed his dead father's hand, and shed very many salt tears ; but at last his eyes closed, and he went to sleep, lying with his head against the hard bed-board.
Then he dreamed a strange dream : he saw the sun and moon curtsy to him, and he beheld his father again, fresh and well, and he heard his father laugh as he had always laughed when he was very glad. A beautiful girl, with a golden crown upon her long beautiful hair, gave him her hand ; and his father said, ' Do you see what a bride you have gained ? She is the most beautiful in the whole world ! ' Then he awoke, and all the splendour was gone. His father was lying dead and cold in the bed, and there was no one at all with them. Poor John !
In the next week the dead man was buried. The son walked close behind the coffin, and could now no longer see the good father who had loved him so much. He heard how they threw the earth down upon the coffin, and stopped to see the last corner of it ; but the next shovel-full of earth hid even that; thence felt Justus it his heart woulo^burstjntojpieces, so sorrowful wasie- Around him they were singing aTpsalhry~lTsOTrride'6rso beautifully, and the tears came into John's eyes ; he wept, and that did him good in his sorrow. The sun shone magnificently on the green trees, just as if it would have said,' You shall no longer be sorrowful, John ! Do you see how beautifully blue the sky is ? Your father is up there, and prays to the Father of all that it may be always well wit&-yeu.'
' I will always be good,* said John, f then I shall go to heaven to my father ; and what joy that will be when we see each other again ! How much I shall then have to tell vhim ! and he will show me so many things, and explain ^o me so much of the glories of heaven, just as he taught le here on earth. Oh, how joyful that will be ! '
He pictured that to himself so plainly, that he smiled, while the tears were still rolling down his cheeks. The little birds sat up in the chestnut trees, and twittered, ' Tweet-weet ! tweet-weet! ' They were joyful and merry, though |
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