noon
God -- bless -- missis . Dick -- take me -- home -- to -- mother ! '' And with a gentle sigh , in the arms of the brother he loved , Joe fell into a deep sleep , a sleep from which we all feared he would no more awake on earth , and we watched him , fearing almost to move . Dick held him in his arms all that morning , and presently towards noon the doctor took the little wrist , and found the pulse still feebly beating ; a smile lit up his good , kind face , and he whispered to me , `` There is hope . '' `` Thank God ! '' I whispered back , and ran away into my own room to sob out grateful prayers of thanksgiving to Heaven for having spared the life so nearly lost to us . When I went back , Joe had just begun to awaken , and was looking up into his beloved Dick 's face , murmuring : `` Why , it 's Dick .