Barbara continued to spend a great deal of time with her niece who was otherwise thriving in the company of the other toddlers in the Nursery. Now that she was starting to walk she had to be watched closely, when not restrained in her crib.
~~~
Now Emily requested that Barbara be allowed to visit. Looking at her, Judith understood and had Barbara sent for.
Emily ask Judith to stay in the room, “because I feel you are my sister, too.” she explained before turning her gaze.
“Barbara, I know you had decided not to go on this adventure until you understood it would give you the opportunity to make a new home for all of us. Now it seems that I may not be able to join you later. You know, I might have chosen not to go anyway, as the life of quiet contemplation—when not being besieged with noisy orphans—appeals to me strongly. I cannot say that I had a vocation as a child but you know how much I've always loved the nuns.”
She smiled beatifically at Barbara.
“But that is not the important thing I brought you in to talk about. You know I made Sister Evangeline Emily's godmother. I did not mean that to be a slight to you, as I wanted to reserve for you the position of her actual mother, were anything to happen to me. And, in fact, that has come to pass. Therefore I ask that you bring Emilene with you to Kansas and treat her as your own daughter, much as you always have.”
Shifting her gaze, Emily continued.
“Judith, I know you will help my sister in any way you can because that is your nature. I hope that each of you meets someone to love you the way Papa loved Mama before he was killed. I do remember what a happy family is and I hope you both can find that in the future.”
By now tears were streaming down everyone's face.
“Please be sure Emilene knows how much I love her and that I will be watching down on her.”
Taking a few deep breaths, Emily went on.
“I have one last request to make of all of you. You are not to mourn me in any way. No black, no half-morning.” She waved her arm weakly to stop the objections spilling forth.
“I haven’t been unaware, these past two years as I selfishly cocooned myself in a total fog, that you’ve been mourning me. I’m so sorry I couldn’t find a way through the clouds in my mind to come back to you sooner. You’ve loved and protected me my entire life and I abandoned you when you were hurting, too.
“I’m sorry.
“But you need to make a new start into a new life and don’t need to be draped in weeds, casting a pall on the adventure of a lifetime on which you are setting off.”
As she talked, her breath became progressively more labored and she was now gasping for air.
“I don’t want any of you to be sad. You might as well have lost me two years ago, so you should be out of mourning by now. I’ll be watching to be sure you follow my wishes.
“I love you both so much!”
She held up her arms first to Judith and then to Barbara for a farewell hug.
Spying Mother Evangeline and Sister Teresa Rose standing at the doorway, she beckoned to them.
“I cannot thank you enough for everything you've done for me sisters. Please give me your blessing before I go.” Tears streaming, each woman did so.
Father Michael came in a moment later.
“Emily, I understand you sent for me?”
“Yes, Father,” she smiled up at him. “I wish you to anoint me with the sacrament of the Prayers for the Sick.”
Aware of the gravity of the situation, he had already prepared himself and was wearing the ritual garb. He anointed her with holy water and sacred oils saying the blessings over her. And she breathed her last.
The weight of grief filled the room as sobs rent the air.
~~~
A private ceremony was held for Emily the next day and she was buried in a corner of the Sisters’ plot by their mutual agreement. Until she was gone, no one had realized how much a part of the fabric of the place Emily had become in her brief time with them, and how her mere presence had provided a sense of peace and love as she went quietly about her duties.
~~~
Sister Teresa Rose was absolutely devastated at losing Emily. She blamed herself.
Barbara did her best to console the forlorn sister, saying over and over again that she had been exposed from the time she picked up the infant and that no one understood why she had never caught the measles as a youngster.
“It's hard to believe she was only thirteen years old; she was so mature. But I never knew until the end that she had such a wonderful sense of humor!” cried Sister
Barbara lit up. “Oh! She finally come back to us at the end! She did have a terrific sense of humor and a great sense of fun. As she told me, I have indeed been mourning the loss of my sister for two years now and you have given her back to me. She may not be with me anymore physically, but at least I can hold her in my memory again.”
And the two women wept on each other’s shoulders. Amazingly, Emily's and Sister’s precautions had prevented any further cases of measles in the orphanage, and certainly none of the babies had been exposed. Mother Evangeline also had to remind Sister Teresa Rose that she had done her very best and had nearly succumbed to exhaustion
