Paula the Waldensian - Eva Lecomte

father appealingly.
"Let her sing," he said, "but leave it to the nightingales to sing alone.
There are so few of them."
"And won't you let the crows sing along with her too, if we care to?"
"There are too many crows," said my father, shaking his head.
"You are right, father, and your daughter Catalina is one of the number,
for she's only a poor sick crow. But sometimes, father, you know the crows
envy the nightingales."
The comparison made my father laugh heartily, and he let himself be
persuaded by his elder daughter--that elder daughter whose voice was so like
that of that dear wife of his, now forever silent.
"Well, crows and nightingales let them sing together," he said; and
embracing all three of us, he bid us goodnight. He disappeared, but not
without turning for a moment to Paula with the remark, "Good-night, my
little Alpine nightingale."
And Paula, who did not seem to comprehend a single word of this
conversation, answered gravely, "Good-night, uncle."
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