"We will be thankful for this blessing," said Content, as he aided the
half-unconscious Ruth to mount the ladder, yielding himself to a feeling
of nature that said little against his manhood. "If we have lost one, that
we loved, God hath spared our own child."
His breathless wife threw herself into a seat, and folding the treasure to
her bosom, she whispered rather than said aloud--"From my soul, Heathcote,
am I grateful!"
"Thou shieldest the babe from my sight," returned the father, stooping to
conceal a tear that was stealing down his brown cheek, under a pretence of
embracing the child--but suddenly recoiling, he added in alarm--"Ruth!"
Startled by the tone in which her husband uttered her name, the mother
threw aside the folds of her dress, which still concealed the girl, and
stretching her out to the length of an arm, she saw that, in the hurry of
the appalling scene, the children had been exchanged, and that she had
saved the life of Martha!
Notwithstanding the generous disposition of Ruth, it was impossible to
repress the feeling of disappointment which came over her with the
consciousness of the mistake.
Pages:
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330