CHAPTER XXI - When the Sun Went Down

by Ethel Turner

　　Such a sunset!

　　Down at the foot of the grass hill there was a flame-coloured sky,with purple, soft clouds massed in banks high up where the dyingglory met the paling blue. The belt of trees had grown black, andstretched sombre, motionless arms against the orange background.All the wind had died, and the air hung hot and still, freightedwith the strange silence of the bush.

　　And at the top of the hill, just within the doorway of the littlebrown hut, her wide eyes on the wonderful heavens, Judy lay dying.She was very quiet now, though she had been talking—talking ofall sorts of things. She told them she had no pain at all.

　　"Only I shall die when they move me," she said.

　　Meg was sitting in a little heap on the floor beside her. She hadnever moved her eyes from the face on the pillow of mackintoshes, shehad never opened her white lips to say one word.

　　Outside the bullocks stood motionless against the sky—Judy saidthey looked like stuffed ones having their portrait taken. Shesmiled the least little bit, but Meg said, "Don't," and writhed.

　　Two of the men had gone on superfluous errands for help; the othersstood some distance away, talking in subdued voices.

　　There was nothing for them to do. The brown man had been talking—arare thing for him.

　　He had soothed the General off to sleep, and laid him in the bunkwith the blue blanket tucked around him. And he had made a billyof hot strong tea, and asked the children, with tears in his eyes,to drink some, but none of them would.

　　Baby had fallen to sleep on the floor, her arms clasped tightlyaround Judy's lace-up boot.

　　Bunty was standing, with a stunned look on his white face, behindthe stretcher. His eyes were on his sister's hair, but he didnot dare to let there wander to her face, for fear of what he shouldsee there. Nellie was moving all the time—now to the fence to strainher eyes down the road, where the evening shadows lay heavily, nowto fling herself face downward behind the hut and say, "Make herbetter, God! God, make her better, make her better! Oh! CAN'T Youmake her better?"

　　Greyer grew the shadows round the little but, the bullocks' outlineshad faded, and only an indistinct mass of soft black loomed acrossthe light. Behind the trees the fire was going out, here and therewere yellow, vivid streaks yet, but the flaming sun-edge, had dippedbeyond the world, and the purple, delicate veil was dropping down.

　　A curlew's note broke the silence, wild, mournful, unearthly. Megshivered, and sat up straight. Judy's brow, grew damp, her eyesdilated, her lips trembled.

　　"Meg!" she said, in a whisper that cut the air. "Oh, Meg, I'mfrightened! MEG, I'm so frightened!"

　　"God!" said Meg's heart.

　　"Meg, say something. Meg, help me! Look at the dark, Meg. MEG,I can't die! Oh, why don't they be quick?"

　　Nellie flew to the fence again; then to say, "Make her better,God—oh, please, God!"

　　"Meg, I can't think of anything to say. Can't you say something,Meg? Aren't there any prayers about the dying in the Prayer Book?—Iforget. Say something, Meg!"

　　Meg's lips moved, but her tongue uttered no word.

　　"Meg, I'm so frightened! I can't think of anything but `For whatwe are about to receive,' and that's grace, isn't it? And there'snothing in Our Father that would do either. Meg, I wish we'd goneto Sunday-school and learnt things. Look at the dark, Meg! Oh, Meg,hold my hands!"

　　"Heaven won't—be—dark," Meg's lips said. Even when speech came,it was only a halting, stereotyped phrase that fell from them.

　　"If it's all gold and diamonds, I don't want to go!" The child wascrying now. "Oh, Meg, I want to be alive! How'd you like to die,Meg, when you're only thirteen? Think how lonely I'll be withoutyou all. Oh, Meg! Oh, Pip, Pip! Oh, Baby! Nell!"

　　The tears streamed down her cheeks; her chest rose and fell.

　　"Oh, say something, Meg!—hymns!—anything!"

　　Half the book of "Hymns Ancient and Modern" danced across Meg's brain.Which one could she think of that would bring quiet into thosefeverish eyes that were fastened on her face with such a frightening,imploring look?

　　Then she opened her lips:

　　"Come unto Me, ye weary,

　　And I will give you rest,

　　Oh, bl—

　　"I'm not weary, I don't WANT to rest," Judy said, in a fretful tone.

　　Again Meg tried:

　　"My God, my Father, while I stray

　　Far from my home on life's rough way,

　　Oh, teach me from my heart to say

　　———————— Thy will be done!"

　　"That's for old people," said the little tired voice. "He won't expectME to say it."

　　Then Meg remembered the most beautiful hymn in the world, and saidthe first and last verses without a break in her voice:

　　"Abide with me, fast falls the eventide,

　　The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.

　　When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,

　　Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!

　　Hold Thou Thy Cross before my closing eyes,

　　Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

　　Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee

　　In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

　　"Oh! and Judy, dear, we are forgetting; there's Mother, Judy, dear—youwon't be lonely! Can't you remember Mother's eyes, little Judy?"

　　Judy grew quiet, and still more quiet. She shut her eyes so shecould not see the gathering shadows. Meg's arms were round her,Meg's cheek was on her brow, Nell was holding her hands, Baby herfeet, Bunty's lips were on her hair. Like that they went with herright to the Great Valley, where there are no lights even for stumbling,childish feet.

　　The shadows were cold, and smote upon their hearts; they couldfeel the wind from the strange waters on their brows; but onlyshe who was about to cross heard the low lapping of the waves.

　　Just as her feet touched the water there was a figure in the doorway.

　　"Judy!" said a wild voice; and Pip brushed them aside and felldown beside her.

　　"Judy, Judy, JUDY!"

　　The light flickered back in her eyes. She kissed him with pale lipsonce, twice; she gave him both her hands, and her last smile.

　　Then the wind blew over them all, and, with a little shudder, sheslipped away.