Alas ！ I do my utmost. They are
  clothed and fed ； and， still better ， they are loved and educated.
  Could you but see ， sweet saint！ the peace and harmony that dwells amongst
  us， you would glorify God with the warmest feelings of gratitude ， to
  whom， in your last hour， you addressed such fervent prayers for our
  happiness.'" Thus did she express herself ； but O Wilhelm！ who can do
  justice to her language ？ how can cold and passionless words convey the
  heavenly expressions of the spirit？ Albert interrupted her gently. "This
  affects you too deeply， my dear Charlotte. I know your soul dwells on
  such recollections wlth intense delight ； but I implore—— " "O Albert！
  " she continued ， "I am sure you do not forget the evenings when we three
  used to sit at the little round table ， when papa was absent ， and the
  little ones had retired. You often had a good book with you ， but seldom
  read it ； the conversation of that noble being was preferable to everything，
  —— that beautiful ， bright ， gentle ， and yet ever-toiling woman.
  God alone knows how I have supplicated with tears on my nightly couch ，
  that I might be like her."
  I threw myself at her feet， and， seizing her hand ， bedewed it
  with a thousand tears. "Charlotte ！" I exclaimed ， "God's blessing and
  your mother's spirit are upon you." "Oh ！ that you had known her ，"
  she said， with a warm pressure of the hand. "She was worthy of being
  known to you." I thought I should have fainted： never had I received
  praise so flattering. She continued ， "And yet she was doomed to die
  in the flower of her youth， when her youngest child was scarcely six
  months old. Her illness was but short ， but she was calm and resigned
  ； and it was only for her children ， especially the youngest， that
  she felt unhappy. When her end drew nigh， she bade me bring them to her.
  I obeyed. The younger ones knew nothing of their approaching loss ， while
  the elder ones were quite overcome with grief. They stood around the bed
  ； and she raised her feeble hands to heaven， and prayed over them ；
  then， kissing them in turn ， she dismissed them ， and said to me ，
  'Be you a mother to them.' I gave her my hand. 'You are promising much，
  my child，' she said： 'a mother's fondness and a mother's care ！ I have
  often witnessed ， by your tears of gratitude ， that you know what is
  a mother's tenderness ： show it to your brothers and sisters ， and be
  dutiful and faithful to your father as a wife ； you will be his comfort.'
  She inquired for him. He had retired to conceal his intolerable anguish，
  —— he was heartbroken ， "Albert， you were in the room. She heard some
  one moving： she inquired who it was， and desired you to approach. She
  surveyed us both with a look of composure and satisfaction， expressive
  of her conviction that we should be happy ，—— happy with one another."
  Albert fell upon her neck ， and kissed her ， and exclaimed， "We are
  so， and we shall be so ！" Even Albert ， generally so tranquil， had
  quite lost his composure； and I was excited beyond expression.
  "And such a being ，" She continued ， "was to leave us ， Werther！
  Great God ， must we thus part with everything we hold dear in this world？
  Nobody felt this more acutely than the children ： they cried and lamented
  for a long time afterward ， complaining that men had carried away their
  dear mamma."
  Charlotte rose. It aroused me ； but I continued sitting， and held
  her hand. "Let us go，" she said： "it grows late." She attempted to withdraw
  her hand： I held it still. "We shall see each other again，" I exclaimed
  ： "we shall recognise each other under every possible change ！