(Strip Number 4970, Original Publication Date, 24 May 1988)
Panel 1: It would appear that Lizzie overheard the conversation Elly just had with John because she wants to know how and why Mrs Baird passed away.
Panel 2: Elly sort of goes into vapor lock when she stammers out that Thelma was in her eighties and had a stroke and died in her sleep before sort of trailing off.
Panel 3: As Lizzie starts to cry uncontrollably, Elly makes an attempt to make her feel happier by pointing out that since it happened so fast, it was easy for her. This, sadly, is well within Elly's established parameters as it's an attempt to use adult logic on children. (It should be noted that Elly's pitch puts me in mind of one of the insect characters from Pogo complaining that after the Big One got dropped, he and fellow bugs would have to struggle through a post-atomic hell-world while all the vertebrates would be comfortably dead.)
Panel 4: Lizzie replies by saying that it's not easy for the rest of us because all she sees is that the nice old lady is gone forever; the realization that to a seven year old girl, it doesn't matter how much pain Thelma was in when she died further saddens Elly.
Summary: There is no good way to break this sort of news and Elly does deserve credit for at least trying to reassure Lizzie. The problem is that Mrs Sad Miracle is somewhat...uh....tone-deaf and doesn't quite as such understand that "At least she didn't suffer" is not a message a seven year old can process the way Mommy hopes she will.