One night，when her husband listened，as he often did，to her breathing，he quite believed that she had at length found rest and relief in sleep.He folded his arms and prayed，and soon sunk himself into healthful sleep，therefore he did not notice that his wife arose，threw on her clothes，and glided silently from the house，to go where her thoughts constantly lingered(linger v.逗留，闲荡，拖延，游移)—to the grave of her child.She passed through the garden，to a path across a field that led to the churchyard.No one saw her as she walked，nor did she see any one，for her eyes were fixed upon the one object of her wanderings.It was a lovely starlight night in the beginning of September，and the air was mild and still.She entered the churchyard，and stood by the little grave，which looked like a large nosegay(nosegay n.(尤指有香味的)花束)of fragrant flowers.She sat down，and bent her head low over the grave，as if she could see her child through the earth that covered him—her little boy，whose smile was so vividly before her，and the gentle expression of whose eyes，even on his sickbed，she could not forget.How full of meaning that glance had been，as she leaned over him，holding in hers the pale hand which he had no longer strength to raise！As she had sat by his little cot，so now she sat by his grave，and here she could weep freely，and her tears fell upon it.
有一天晚上，她的丈夫像往常一样安静地听着她的呼吸，深信她已经得到了休息和安慰。因此他就合着双手祈祷，于是慢慢地他自己就坠入昏沉的睡梦中去了。他没有注意到他妻子已经起了床，穿上了衣服，并且轻声地走出了屋子。她笔直地向她朝思暮想着的那个地方——埋葬着她的孩子的那座坟墓——走去。她穿过住宅的花园，走过田野——这儿有条小路通往城外，她沿着这条小路来到教堂的墓地。谁也没有看到她，她也没有看到任何人。这是一个美丽的、星斗满天的夜晚。空气仍然是温和的——这是九月初的天气。她走进教堂的墓地，来到一个小坟墓的近旁。这坟墓看上去一个大花丛，正在散发着香气。她坐下来，对着坟墓低下头，她的目光似乎能透过紧密的土层，看到心爱的孩子似的。她还能生动地记起这孩子的微笑：她永远记得孩子眼中的那种亲切的表情——甚至他躺在病床上的时候，眼睛里还流露出这种表情。每当她弯下腰去，托起他那只无力举起的小手的时候，他的眼光好像在对她倾吐无限的心事。她现在坐在他的坟旁，就如同坐在他的摇篮边一样。但她现在是在不停地流着眼泪。这些泪珠都掉到了坟上。
“Thou wouldst gladly go down and be with thy child.”said a voice quite close to her，—a voice that sounded so deep and clear，that it went to her heart.
“你是想到你的孩子那里去吧！”一个离她很的的声音说。这声间响亮而低沉，可打进了她的心坎。
She looked up，and by her side stood a man wrapped in a black cloak，with a hood closely drawn over his face，but her keen glance could distinguish(distinguish v.区别，辨别)the face under the hood.It was stern，yet awakened confidence，and the eyes beamed with youthful radiance(radiance n.光辉，闪烁，辐射率，深粉红色).
她抬起头来，看到身旁站着一个人。这人穿着一件宽宽的丧服，头上低低地戴着一顶帽子，可是她能望见帽子下面的面孔。这是一个庄严的、但是完全使人信任的面孔。他的眼睛发出青春的光芒。
“Down to my child.”she repeated，and tones of despair and entreaty sounded in the words.
“到我的孩子那儿去？”她咀嚼着这人的话。她绝望的声音里流露出一种急切的祈求的语调。
“Darest thou to follow me？”asked the form.“I am Death.”
“你敢跟着我去吗？”这人说。“我就是死神！”
She bowed her head in token of assent.Then suddenly it appeared as if all the stars were shining with the radiance of the full moon on the manycolored flowers that decked the grave.The earth that covered it was drawn back like a floating drapery(drapery n.(供装饰用的)织物，帏帐，布料).She sunk down，and the spectre covered her with a black cloak，night closed around her，the night of death.She sank deeper than the spade of the sexton could penetrate，till the churchyard became a roof above her.Then the cloak was removed，and she found herself in a large hall，of widespreading dimensions(dimension n.尺寸，尺度，维(数)，度(数)，元)，in which there was a subdued(subdued adj.屈服的，被抑制的，柔和的，减弱的)light，like twilight，reigning，and in a moment her child appeared before her，smiling，and more beautiful than ever，with a silent cry she pressed him to her heart.A glorious strain of music sounded—now distant，now near.Never had she listened to such tones as these，they came from beyond a large dark curtain which separated the regions of death from the land of eternity(eternity n.永远，来世，不朽，来世，来生).
她点了点头，表示赞同。于是她立刻觉得上面的星星仿佛都射出了满月那样的光辉。她看到坟上有各式各样的花朵。土地像一块轻飘的幕布一样缓缓地、轻柔地向两边分开。她沉下去了，幽灵用他的黑丧服把她遮住。夜向她袭来，死神的夜。她越沉越深，比教堂看守人的铲子所能挖到的地方还要深。教堂的墓地如今好像是盖在她头上的屋顶。丧服有一边被掀开了。她发现自己在一个庄严的大厅里面。这大厅向四面伸开，灯光柔和呈现着一种欢迎的气氛。四周是一片黄昏的景色，但是正在这时候，她的孩子出现在她面前了。她尖叫一声紧紧地把他搂住，贴着自己的心口。他对她微笑，一个从来没有的漂亮的微笑。这时响起了一片悦耳的、响亮的音乐，一忽儿近，一忽儿远，一忽儿又像在她的身边。她的耳朵从来没有听到过这样幸福的曲调。它来自那个大黑门帘的外边——那个把这个大厅与那伟大的、永恒的国度隔开的帘子。
